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tinam · Aug 11, 2011, 04:00 PM

i know this question has been asked before (a lot! ) but i had to ask just to make sure and calm myself.
i bought my macbook about 3 years ago.i noticed a crack on the logo(just near the leaf of the apple).it was small in the beginning but now it just got bigger.i searched my mac for other cracks and i found even more!! there are a few under near battery(there are more than 3 i guess) and more! i don't know where they came from cause i always take care of my mac and it has never been under pressure or heat or something like that!
now i'm overseas but i'll be back next week to u.s
what should i do? since my mac's warranty has expired wil they repair it? for free?cause it's a known problem.i surfed the internet and found out that there people who have the same problem but also different solutions.i don't want to be charged for something stupid.

Thorzdad · Aug 11, 2011, 04:26 PM

The older, pre-unibody, white Macbooks are somewhat famous for developing cracks, primarily across the front edge of the keyboard panel, and around the USB ports. I've not heard of cracks on the back of the lid around the logo, though. The cracks are caused by simple stress on the plastic from lifting and carrying. My daughter's Macbook developed the keyboard cracks. It was pretty obvious that those cracks are caused by pressure from the tiny "feet" on the edge of the lid, pressing onto the edge of the keyboard when the Macbook is closed and being carried.

Judging from your IP address, I don't think you are close to an Apple Store. Though, if you can somehow get to one, your best bet would be to go and have your Macbook looked at. You might get lucky. My daughter's Macbook was repaired twice, and each time Apple replaced the piece at no charge. We had Apple Care, but we were told that Apple is aware of the manufacturing flaw and has done no-charge replacement for out-of-warranty Macbooks, too.

You could also try calling Apple Support and beg for mercy. You never know.

There are resources online for replacement parts, but it sounds like you'd end up replacing the entire plastic case.

tinam · Aug 11, 2011, 04:43 PM

i'm overseas right now but i'll be in u.s next week.
i know that white macbooks are famous for these cracks.mine has a lot! i kinda figure out these cracks recently. it shocked me when i saw them. i take care of my mac like a baby!! there has been no pressure or something like that!
you said you have appleCare. i don't have one.
and my warranty has expired.i hope they'll fix these cracks for free cause more than 5 is not normal i guess!!!
these cracks are on my nerves! specially the one near the logo.i read that people have this specific crack and it seems normal.

finboy · Aug 12, 2011, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by tinam

i'm overseas right now but i'll be in u.s next week.
i know that white macbooks are famous for these cracks.mine has a lot! i kinda figure out these cracks recently. it shocked me when i saw them. i take care of my mac like a baby!! there has been no pressure or something like that!
you said you have appleCare. i don't have one.
and my warranty has expired.i hope they'll fix these cracks for free cause more than 5 is not normal i guess!!!
these cracks are on my nerves! specially the one near the logo.i read that people have this specific crack and it seems normal.

I just put a piece of scotch tape on mine and it's done well for about a year now (post-AppleCare). I'll have to take it in and ask about it. My wife had her identical one fixed under AppleCare.

My first crack showed up the week after my AppleCare expired. No kidding.

tinam · Aug 12, 2011, 05:09 AM

i'll go to the nearest apple store next week and see what they can do! it's not my problem that these cracks are getting worse! without appleCare and warranty!i hope they fix this.

Waragainstsleep · Aug 12, 2011, 12:48 PM

They are amazingly robust, even once they start to crack. The top cases are by far the worst for cracking along the front edge as Thorzdad mentioned. The bottom cases are also well-known for cracking (people just don't notice them so much).

I never saw one crack on the display rear housing though. That is unusual.

The 'known fault' status is a little more restrictive in terms of the different models for the bottom case than it is for the top cases though both have been expanded since originally being acknowledged by Apple and pretty much all these types of MacBooks had some extra coverage. Black ones didn't tend to crack like the white ones. Not underneath anyway.

apostacy · Aug 12, 2011, 02:28 PM

If it gives you any comfort, about 6-9 months ago I took 5-year-old (at least--maybe 7-year-old) MacBook to my local apple store because it was doing that familiar cracking along the front edge of the keyboard panel and not only did they replace it no questions asked, they also replaced the battery! And they did it in about 30 minutes. This was a known defect, but they can be really generous sometimes with repairs.