MacBook Pro owner Tommy reports that his 1.5-year-old replacement battery is swelling and that an Apple service rep told him that this is “normal.”
First, nobody seemed to know what to do with me or who I should talk to. Second, while they Apple Customer Representative could look up the age of my computer by the serial number, they had no way of tracking (and “proving the age”) of my battery by its unique serial number. Third, while nearly everybody I talked to seemed to show much concern over this safety issue, the “Senior Customer Representative” who finally spoke to me was quite apathetic about my battery problem. According to him, this issue is normal and the result of wear-and-tear on the battery and, more importantly, this was Apple’s official position.
Since the battery is too old to be covered by Apple’s one-year warranty, the rep refused to replace it. That is, unless it might cause bodily injury or fire.
He did reassure me that, had the battery caused any damage to my computer or personal injury, he’d be willing to discuss that. So, basically, I would have been better off leaving the defective battery in my computer instead of being smart and removing it.
This sounds like a good reason to head to an Apple store with the laptop in tow in the hopes that someone might agree to replace it…
There have been reports of MacBook batteries swelling, but Apple has often replaced them, warranty or no.
Anyone have a similar experience?
Via Consumerist
Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco freelance writer who heads up Cult of Mac Magazine, our weekly publication available on iTunes. You can find her on Twitter and Google+. If you’re doing something new, cool and Apple-related, email her.
52 responses to “Apple Service Rep: Swollen MacBook Battery “Normal””
keep in refrigerator, swelling will be gone for while. It actually i think due to ants entering in macbook, secondly temperature is higher.
A little late on this post, but found it through google this morning. My computer has done this once before, battery was replaced, and then I go to type today and the computer is not laying flat. I figured maybe somehow the battery may have become dislodged because we have it resting on a laptopdesk with a seam, so perhaps the seam pressed the little release button when sliding down (stupid but you never know.) I look this morning to find a nearly EXPLODED battery!!!!!!!! I have a friend who works at the apple store and is great with macs. I sent her the pictures. Last time they replaced the battery due to potential fire hazard. I say if you haven’t had this resolved yet, bring your macbook to a different apple store location and try it again. Express your concern at this safety hazard and see what happens.
These are pics of the battery I found in my computer this morning. INSANE!!!!
What!?!?!?
“So, basically, I would have been better off leaving the defective battery in my computer instead of being smart and removing it.”
I just had exactly same kind of discussion with the mighty Genius Bar representatives, and came to same conclusion. “You can just remove the battery and the track pad works again, no problem” “…but had the battery caused more damage, you would have been given a new one even without warranty/apple care.” So I suggested that I come back after few months, trying to make it more swollen and let it break something, but they told that they have my hardware serial number already so it’s no use….
So, if someone wants to get his or her battery replaced for free, let it swell well before going to apple!!
I have a battery in my older 17″ MacBook Pro doing the same thing. Thankfully it can be ejected. What happens if/when this happens to my current 17″ that has the battery built in?
My 2006 macbook battery had swollen, I went to apple store (2011) and had to pay $107 (tax included) to get a replacement battery :/
Same here, but my battery expanded to expose the cells and Apple says it’s normal. My battery held a charge fine before, but suddenly expanded to the point that it has completely separated, leaving sharp edges and plastic cells exposed. I live on an island nowhere near an Apple Store.
Yes, indeed, what happens if or when a battery swells within a newer Mac laptop, that has the battery sealed within the case, and not user replaceable? I can find no guidelines from Apple on how to inspect an Apple laptop for a swelling battery. In my case, I had to take a 2008 MacBookPro in for service, because its keyboard and trackpad made the laptop unusable. Probably, the swollen battery did the damage, but I cannot be sure. Good news is that the Apple store genius repair technicians (that I dealt with) repaired my four year old 2008 MacBookPro at no charge to me, although it had only two weeks to go on its three year AppleCare warranty. (I purchased it in 2009, at 30% off, as a close out.) That is, Apple replaced, at no charge to me, the trackpad, keyboard, screen (which had a few vertical lines of stuck pixels) and the battery, with no proration for battery life. Is AppleCare a warranty against wear-out and shelf life defects? …or was I lucky to get this level of service? In my case, the battery expanded to the point that one of the two latches popped open, and the battery was about to fall out of the case, from approximately an eighth of an inch of swelling. Anybody have a similar experience? As of March 2012, I bought an additional closeout 2011 MacBookAir and a closeout 2011 MacBookPro, since I am going paperless. A good idea? …or premature?