Photos have been shared of a designer's Mid-2015 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro that has suffered a catastrophic battery failure, images that illustrate why Apple recently instigated a recall program for some units of that particular model.
The hole in the base of the 15-inch MacBook Pro following a battery failure (via Steve Gagne/Facebook)
On June 20, Apple launched a voluntary recall of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, specifically those sold between September 2015 and February 2017, over concerns the battery posed a safety risk. Under the recall, which provides a replacement battery for affected Mac notebooks, Apple explained the battery "may overheat and pose a fire safety risk" in some cases, something that has been illustrated by one unlucky owner.
Designer Steven Gagne of Pensacola, Florida, encountered a failure of his MacBook Pro's battery on June 17 while in bed, according to a Facebook post spotted by PetaPixel. The battery "blew and a small fire filled my house with smoke," wrote Gagne, noting the sound of the event and the strong chemical and burning smell.
One concern was that the MacBook Pro wasn't actively being used by Gagne at the time of the incident. He claims it was sitting "screen closed, unplugged, and in Sleep Mode" on a coffee table. Gagne was lucky in that normally the MacBook Pro was kept in a basket filled with notebooks and journals, or on the couch, with either location potentially causing far more damage than what transpired.
The scorched trackpad of the 15-inch MacBook Pro (via Steve Gagne/Facebook)
The images shared by Gagne shows a round hole on the base of the MacBook Pro, where the battery burned through, complete with a matching hole on the coffee tablet itself. Burn marks, soot, and other marks caused through the spilled chemicals are also visible, while notably there are also scorch marks around the front side of the trackpad.
Apple's recall site includes a serial number checker to see if a concerned user's MacBook Pro is eligible for a replacement battery. If it is one of the affected models, Apple advises to immediately stop using the notebook and to request a replacement battery, either via the Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or by mail via Apple Support.