Over the past few months, multiple Surface Laptop 3 users have complained about a weird issue – their laptop’s screen cracked without any external damage or fall that they could remember. Affected users shared images of a hairline crack appearing on the screen without any accidents happening whatsoever.

Well, Microsoft has now taken cognizance of the spontaneously cracking Surface Laptop 3 display issue and is offering free repair for all units. Additionally, users who have paid for a screen replacement after noticing a similar issue can apply for a reimbursement.

In a post on the official Microsoft support forum, the company mentions that it has investigated claims of cracked Surface Laptop 3 screens. After going through the complaints, Microsoft has arrived at the conclusion that “a hard foreign particle may cause a hairline fracture in the glass that may seem to appear unexpectedly or without visible cause.”

However, the company made it clear that this only happens in the case of a very small number of Surface Laptop 3 units. Reasons and conclusions aside, Microsoft has announced that it will offer free repair for all units that are still under warranty. As for the users who paid for it, the company will reimburse them for the repair fee.

While offering free repair and reimbursing those who have already paid for it is definitely a good move, but it is applicable only for units still under warranty. For Surface Laptop 3 units out of warranty, the cost of repair is quite high. In the words one such unfortunate user, he had to pay a staggering $700 to get the display replaced on his machine.

At this point, it is not clear if the screen cracking issue is due to a manufacturing defect. But from the user reports that we have come across on the Microsoft support channel, Reddit, and Twitter, the display on Microsoft’s device is really flimsy. A majority of affected users have gone to lengths explaining how a hairline fracture appearing on the glass panel without the device even registering a fall or other such mechanical strain.

Interestingly, for one particular user, the Surface Laptop 3’s display cracked soon after it was replaced for the same issue. Some users claim that the lack of a casing around the glass panel and it getting in touch with the deck might have led to the damage. But in a few cases, the screen cracked around the base area, which rules out the deck contact theory.

Here are a few of the many complaints that we saw on various platforms:

https://twitter.com/surface?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Source: Microsoft Support