Macbook Pro Retina 2016 to 2017

MacBook Pro Retina 2016 to 2017

No Upgrades

Flash drive, Wi-Fi and Memory

are all soldered to the logic board.

If you in the market for a newer MacBook Pro and your thinking of buying a 2016 or a 2017 Model, think again?

Screens fail, Keyboard issues

Buy the

2020 13" Intel MacBook Pro

2021 13" M1 MacBook Pro

Avoid all 15" and 16" MacBook Pro's 2016 to 2019

Apple Recalls on the links below

13-inch MacBook Pro Display Backlight Service Program

Keyboard Service Program for MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro

13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) Solid-State Drive Service Program

Keyboard Service Program for MacBook and MacBook Pro

13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) Battery Replacement Program

An increasing number of users have experienced backlight issues on 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models, particularly those with the Touch Bar, often resulting in a so-called "stage light effect" along the bottom of the display.

According to the repair website iFixit, which highlighted the issue , the underlying cause is Apple's use of thin, fragile flex cables that connect the display with the display controller board on 2016 and newer MacBook Pro models, as opposed to the more durable wire cables used in previous generations.

When it first debuted, the design seemed fine. But as always, the devil is in the details. Apple opted for thin, fragile flex cables as opposed to the beefier wire cables used in previous designs that could be routed through the hinge instead of wrapped around it, helping mitigate the stress of repeated openings and closings.

In a nutshell, the normal, repeated opening and closing of the display lid can result in the thin flex cables becoming fragile and breaking over time. And since the issue takes time to manifest, the affected MacBook Pro models are often outside of Apple's one-year warranty period when they start exhibiting symptoms.

Many examples of the issue have been documented on the website Flexgate, in the Apple Support Communities, It's unclear how many users are affected, but the number continues to increase.

The problem gets worse when affected customers take their MacBook Pro to Apple for repair, as iFixit claims that the flex cables are integrated into the display and cannot be replaced individually. Instead, the entire display assembly needs to be replaced, turning a cheap repair into a costly $800+

While some customers without AppleCare+ have managed to get a free or reduced-cost repair, it appears many have been required to pay in full.

Apple has not launched a public-facing repair program for this issue, and we're not aware of any internal one either.