A brand new MacBook Pro with the M5 chip belonging to Reddit user ethanmcdonald00 died just two days after purchase. And it wasn’t a drop on the floor or a liquid spill. Everything actually turned out to be much more serious and, let’s be honest, more dangerous for the user themselves. As a reminder, the M5 model had already been found to have Wi-Fi issues, and now the list of potential problems has gained another entry.
Opening the MacBook Pro is becoming downright dangerous
How a New MacBook Pro M5 Broke During Normal Opening
The cause of the laptop’s failure was a spark during the hinge movement of the lid, after which the MacBook Pro stopped showing any signs of life. The case is isolated, but it’s interesting because a well-known electronics repair specialist had previously pointed out a similar design characteristic. The owner described the incident on Reddit and attached photos of the damage. He didn’t specify the exact configuration, but the base version of the MacBook Pro with M5, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB drive sells for approximately $1,541.50. For a two-day-old device, this outcome is an extremely unpleasant story.
MacBook Pro M5 hinge sparks and breaks in two days — owners shocked by catastrophic defect
Judging by the photos, there is a clear sign of a hardware defect on the body: something short-circuited at the moment the user was opening or closing the lid. Such failures in laptops typically mean motherboard damage — and that’s the most expensive component of the device.
Where Does the Short Circuit in MacBook Pro Come From
In the discussion of the incident, the name Louis Rossmann came up — an electronics repair specialist and video blogger who had previously drawn attention to a design characteristic of modern MacBook Pro models. According to him, Apple routed high-power lines near the display cable. If two contacts accidentally touch during hinge movement, a short circuit and board failure are possible.
This explains why such a failure is even possible without any user intervention. In regular laptops, the first step before any repair is disconnecting the battery — specifically to avoid shorting the board. But in the case of the MacBook Pro M5, the spark was triggered by a routine action — opening the lid.
Is There a Mass Defect in MacBook Pro M5
It’s important to immediately set boundaries: this is about a single case, not a wave of complaints. Apple ships millions of MacBooks per year, and at such volumes, isolated defects are inevitable even with strict quality control. Wccftech reached out to Apple for comment, but there has been no official response yet.
Not everyone manages to open the MacBook Pro without incident
This means that owners of new MacBook Pro models don’t need to panic. But if you notice a suspicious crackling sound or burning smell when opening the lid — that’s a reason to immediately take the device to service, rather than wait.
What to Do If Your MacBook Pro M5 Won’t Turn On
The main good news for the affected user and anyone who encounters something similar: a two-day-old laptop is covered under warranty without question. Here’s a quick action plan if your MacBook Pro suddenly stops turning on after a spark or click:
- Don’t try to disassemble the case yourself — this will void your warranty
- Keep the receipt, box, and correspondence with the seller
- Take photos of the damage before handing in the device
- Contact the seller from whom you purchased the laptop
Buying a MacBook Pro M5 After Reports of Defects
If you encounter the same problem, contact the seller immediately
There’s definitely no reason to abandon buying a MacBook Pro M5 because of such reports. One documented case doesn’t make the model unreliable, and there’s no evidence of a systematic batch defect. The MacBook Pro with M5 remains one of the most solidly built laptops on the market, and the probability of encountering this exact defect is, by the author’s own estimate, one in a million.
But the story serves as a useful reminder: even Apple can have “day-zero” failures straight out of the box. Therefore, when purchasing expensive electronics, it makes sense to keep all documents and not delay contacting service if something goes wrong in the first days.
