The lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California is about the so-called “stage light” or “fluxgate” issue that some owners of MacBook Pro models released in 2016 and 2017 have faced.

According to the study iFixit experts, conducted in early 2019, the cause of the problem lies in the small flexible cable (cable) connecting the display controller located on the motherboard under the MacBook Pro touchpad. As stated in the lawsuit, this flex cable was not strong enough and would wear out over time due to the repetitive movements of the cover.

While Apple eventually launched a repair program covering the 13-inch MacBook Pros from 2016, it did not include the 15-inch Pros and models released after 2016 that are experiencing identical problems. The company is also accused of delaying the start of the repair program, ” despite the fact that it knew and should have known ” the root cause of the problem.

” Apple was aware of the backlit display and defective flex cable issues in light of comments posted by consumers on Apple’s discussion forum and that those comments were removed after posting,” the lawsuit said.

The company is accused of violating anti-unfair competition laws in several states, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and anti-consumer fraud legislation. in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Plaintiffs are seeking damages, legal fees, and a court order requiring Apple to identify all defective MacBook Pros.