Oliver Haslam on May 22, 2019, 8:59 pm

2016 MacBook Pro With Flexgate Display Issue Gets Free Repair Program From Apple

If you’re the proud owner of a 2016 MacBook Pro that has a faulty backlight, you’re in luck. Apple yesterday launched a new Backlight Service Program to help you get that issue fixed.

Apple’s new program is to help “a very small percentage” of 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro displays which exhibited vertical banding of bright areas towards the bottom of the screen.

Some also simply fail completely, and if that sounds like your MacBook Pro, Apple will repair it so long as it was sold between October 2016 and February 2018. You won’t have to pay a penny.

To identify your computer’s model and to see if it is eligible for this program, choose Apple () menu > About This Mac. Eligible models are listed below.

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

If you have a notebook that is outside of those two products or date ranges, you’re unfortunately out of luck. Everyone else can take their computer to an Apple Store or Apple dealer and have the work carried out. The new program will run for four years after the first retail sale of the unit or two years from May 21st, 2019, whichever is the longest.

MacRumors, notes that internal repair documents say that owners can still get a repair even if their display shows signs of damage.

According to various teardowns of those particular computers it appears the issue is a flex cable that connects the display to the logic board. That cable breaks all-too-easily, causing the problems users have been reporting pretty much since the computer went on sale.

To learn more about this repair program, head over to the link here.