Apple announced on Thursday that it has begun a repair initiative to fix certain MacBook Pro laptops that are suffering from distorted video, unexpected restarts, and other issues. The affected units will be repaired for free.
The repair program, called the “MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues,” applies to MacBook Pro computers sold between February 2011 and December 2013 that exhibit distorted video, no video, or unexpected system restarts.
MacTrast first reported on the issues back in January 2014, when a number of early-2011 MacBook Pro owners began complaining of video and rebooting issues with their laptops.
In the majority of cases, the first signs of an issue appears during graphics-intensive operations. The viewing of HD video, editing hi-res photos, or other heavy computing tasks can bring the problem to the forefront. Graphics begin to become striated, or the screen will simply go blank. Reboots solve the problem for some, but the issue rears its ugly head again a short time later.
While initially, it was reported that Apple had no plans to repair any affected machines, the company was slapped with a class-action lawsuit over the issue in October. The complaint cited numerous complaints of video and system failures.
Affected models include:
To find out if your MacBook is covered by the repair program, visit Apple’s “Check Your Coverage” online tool. Eligible MacBook Pros can be repaired by making an appointment at your local Apple Store, Apple Authorized Service Provider, or via mail.
Apple states repair begin today in the U.S. and Canada, international repair support will kick off February 27.
