Oh and BTW, you get free (or very cheap) legal advice on this topic at your local consumer protection agency 
Maybe going this route will push framework engineers to finally fix this
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Thank you! I’ll look into that if this never gets fixed.
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would be cool
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Ah yes the dreaded corner screw rings of death.
What other issues did you have with the bottom cover?
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Just being curious, any current theories as to why this is happening?
plastic to thin?
bad material?
parts under too much tension?
or just errors in geometrical details, in structural planning/simulations as to where forces are going?
Or just some lemons?
I have trouble understanding how it can be so extremly bad, that parts crack after weeks, while other plastic laptops have no cracks after a decade of use.
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Honestly if my bottom cover cracks again, which it likely will since it’s the same batch as my previous one, I may also attempt to seek a return and refund (I live in the EU, so maybe there’s a chance). As others have said, it’s getting to a point where I’m worrying about the durability of the other components that probably weren’t meant to be fiddled with so often (like how many more times can I take off the input cover before it breaks too, since it does need to flex a little to unstick the magnets).
It’s wild that they haven’t yet eaten the cost of paying someone to actually just go through the entire bottom cover stock and separate them into “old” and “known updated”, instead opting to keep paying for free shipping for everyone here. I wonder whether it’s truly cheaper to churn through the old stock by sending it out, making customers unhappy in the process.
Also, for the people wishing for an aluminum chassis, didn’t they also have some issues with cracking (aluminum) bottom covers on the 13? I could only find two threads on the official forum after a cursory search about it but iirc I did see it more often on Reddit, always around the expansion slots. For reference, thread 1 and thread 2. That said, I too would take that option if it means it won’t crack. Maybe someone from the community with knowledge of materials can talk to a factory about it lol
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Eagle addressed this question several months ago here.
That was only meant to address the bottom cover. I think Framework assumed that the issue with the top covers wasn’t common enough to address at the time. They have since changed course apparently according to eagle here
Framework apparently fixed issues back in November according to some sources or in December according to others. Weather or not the issues have actually been fixed remains to be seen as I and a few others have received “updated” covers that are still cracking.
So either Framework has horrendous internal and external communication or that’s true and the engineers failed to resolve this problem.
I’ve personally run out of theories. I’ve been dealing with this issue for 8 months with relentless issues with the case and every other part of the machine. I’m done guessing for myself. I just want answers and real solutions. But I’m not holding my breath.
I think the way Framework has conducted themselves is honestly embarrassing at this point and as some have said, possibly illegal.
So yeah that’s the current situation. Hope that answers your question.
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I wouldn’t go that far. As long as they are committed to fixing the problem and are replacing any failed covers, they are fine.
However, it is ironic, for a company that pitches itself as sustainable, to use a plastic formula that tends to crack…. Instead of any other plastic formula that lasts (thinking power tools, for example).
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Eur-Lex is the way in which the EU makes their law and legislation viewable by the public.
Check Articles 13-16. No one is saying that Framework is breaking the law by having shoddy QC. But they very much could be in violation of article 13 by not reimbursing the consumer for the defective goods after they have failed to fix the problem. (And maybe a few other articles in the directive.)
This is a complex directive and I’m not a lawyer so we could be missing some important details. But the directive seems to be very much in favor of protecting consumers from that exact type of behavior by companies.
This isn’t legal advice, just speculation. If you want to seriously seek a refund from Framework after they denied you one you should consult a lawyer in the EU to weigh your options.
I wouldn’t consider going that route until I’ve determined definitively that Framework isn’t trying anymore. I’m not quite convinced of that yet.
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Hi, I’ve now contacted support after they told me that if I want a new replacement part, I should please tighten the screws carefully. In response, I asked for the exact torque specifications in Nm. I also finally made it clear that if the problem cannot be resolved, I want to return the laptop. And now I have yet another great new issue: the laptop sometimes shuts off at random, or when I use it as a tablet. Let’s see what they come back with.
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I’ve had my 12 and 13 shut off randomly also. It doesn’t happen enough that I would blame it on hardware though. I’m not sure what the deal is with that. I’m assuming it’s a linux thing for me.
Does it happen while you’re doing anything in particular?
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When I switch it from laptop mode to tablet mode, that is when I have noticed it most often. And yes, I made sure not to press the power button. It does not happen every single time, but today alone it happened around 10 times.v
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Yikes. What OS are you using?
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Windows 11
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This reads a bit like customer blaming.
“Please tighten the screws carefully, so you don’t break the new cover…again”
It sucks that people still have to deal with this.
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Oh in that case I’m not sure. Windows is like 30% AI coded now and I haven’t used it in years.
Since it happens so often you cold boot up a live Linux ISO from a flash drive (like Fedora) and see if it happens in the test environment. If it does then it might be a hardware issue. If not then you know its windows 11.
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Too bad. Ours now shows cracks as well. But it is very hard do notice and so far only cosmetic. When the become more visible, I’m gonna contact support. Ours was from 05/25, so I obviously expected this to happen and otherwise wouldn’t have noticed the crack this early. But every once in a while, I took a close look with lighting barely scraping the surface.
And maybe till then we know exactly, if the new bottom cover really fixed the issue.
It’s the bubblegum version and besides this, the thing is awesome… as well as the fw16. So… I’m not really mad. It’s unnecessary, but on the other hand… things happen. New material, new product… hopefully they get to the bottom of the issue and fix it once and for all for the next Gen…
I think I may have found the problem. The webcam cable was no longer properly seated in its connector. My current assumption is that every time I bent or switched the device into tablet mode, the cable shifted position, which caused it to shut down. At least for now, the problem seems to be gone.
Thanks again very much @Nathan_Alan_Hansen
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Sweet! Easy fixes like that are the most cathartic! <3
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