A California federal judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit Apple was facing for the Flexgate issue that had appeared on the MacBook Pro displays, as reported by Law360.
In May 2020, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple for deliberately bringing a change to the 2016 MacBook Pro, making it vulnerable to damage. Allegedly, a flex cable display defect that affected mostly the 2016 and 2017 models of both 13 inch and 15 inch MacBook Pro devices was held responsible for issues in displays faced by users. The issue, commonly known as the Flexgate issue, was addressed to the judge.
The accuser claimed that Apple was knowingly marketing a defective product with a warranty plan covering only a fraction of the repair cost and also introduced a repair program with huge flaws failing to fix the damaged laptops.
However, the judge that was supervising the case dismissed the case claiming Apple did not have to disclose it as it was not a safety issue and that the defect appeared after the period of warranty had expired.
Flexgate Class Action Lawsuit Dismissed
Although the lawsuit has been dismissed, the judge has allowed the issue to be amended. The accusers will have to provide an argument that proves the Flexgate issue was a safety hazard. Moreover, they’ll also have to display evidence to prove that Apple “knew with certainty that the alleged defect would occur.”
The Flexgate issue first appeared in the 2016 MacBook Pro models and was also passed on to the 2017 models. The devices had started exhibiting uneven backlighting at the bottom of the display, producing a stage light effect.
With further damage, the display could go entirely blank. It was found out that the main cause of the problem was the new flex cable introduced by Apple. The flex cable was very delicate and vulnerable to damage with repeated opening and closure of the MacBook Pro lid. This wear and tear eventually resulted in the Flexgate issue.
Apple has updated the flex cable design on the 2018 MacBook Pro model. Moreover, Apple also launched a free repair program for affected buyers back in May 2019. This repair program only covers the 13 inch MacBook Pro models launched in 2016 and does not entertain any other models.
The class action lawsuit, which is currently dismissed, tried seeking compensation and reimbursement for all the costs applied to repairing and replacing the MacBook Pro models that had been affected. Apple has been called upon to extend the free service program to the 15 inch models of the MacBook Pro.
Apple should also provide free repair service for the 2017 MacBook Pro as this device also houses the same issue.
Related:
Flexgate Issues with MacBook Pro Displays and How to Fix It
Fix Flexgate Once and For All
