Fragile M1 MacBook Screen Cracks, Malfunctions, Says New Class Action Lodged Against Apple

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MacBook Cracked Screen Class Action Lawsuit Overview: 

• Who: A consumer lodged a class action lawsuit against Apple, Inc. 
• Why: The plaintiff claims Apple failed to disclose to consumers that its M1 MacBook Pro and M1 MacBook Air laptops come with defective screens prone to cracking.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

Apple’s new M1 MacBook laptops have fragile screens that crack, black out, malfunction, or otherwise cease to function without cause, according to a class action lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Plaintiff Nestor Almeida claims Apple has failed to cooperate with thousands of consumers who have been affected by screen issues on their Apple M1 MacBook Pro and M1 MacBook Air laptops.

Almeida wants to represent a nationwide Class of consumers who bought an M1 MacBook Pro or M1 MacBook Air laptop, along with a New Jersey subclass. 

MacBook Screens Crack, Expensive to Repair

Almeida claims the screen on the M1 MacBook Pro he purchased from Apple’s online store in January will turn entirely black or display magenta squares, and that he would not have purchased the product had he known about the issues. 

Apple exacerbated the problem by misrepresenting the issue and failing to disclose that the screen was defective, the class action lawsuit alleges. 

The plaintiff alleges that Apple routinely turned away consumers who brought the issue to their attention and tried to secure replacements or repairs from the company. Consumers often had to pay between $600 and $850 to fix the issue themselves, according to the class action lawsuit. 

Some consumers who paid to have the problem fixed had the issue quickly return, says Almeida, who claims Apple knew the screens were defective because of internal testing and user complaints. 

Apple finally addressed the issue on Aug. 27, informing consumers they should be careful not to leave any materials on their keyboards or display or covers on their MacBook laptops when they close them, according to the class action lawsuit. 

Almeida claims the MacBook screen issues manifest on their own and are not caused by covers or loose debris getting trapped between the keyboard and screen.

Apple unintentionally acknowledges the defect, the class action lawsuit alleges, by informing consumers in the address that MacBooks are designed to be intentionally thin, and, as such, the clearance between the top case and the display is “engineered to tight tolerances.” 

Almeida alleges Apple is guilty of fraudulent concealment, breach of contract / common law warranty, and in violation of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, Breach of Express Warranty, and Breach of the Implied Warranty of Merchantability.

Plaintiff is demanding a jury trial and seeking actual, general, special, incidental, statutory, punitive, and consequential damages and/or restitution for himself and all Class Members.

This isn’t the first time Apple’s MacBook laptops have been involved in a complaint. A class action lawsuit filed in 2014 alleged the company failed to fix graphical issues and system failures affecting its 2011 MacBook Pro. 

Did you purchase an Apple M1 MacBook Pro or M1 MacBook Air? HAve you had issues with your MacBook screen? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by L. Timothy Fisher and Sean L. Litteral of Bursor & Fisher, P.A.

The MacBook Cracked Screen Class Action Lawsuit is Almeida v. Apple, Inc., Case No. 5:21-cv-07109, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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