Earlier this month, we mentioned that the total Xbox 360 failure rate was found to be somewhere around 16% and now new details from warranty testing firm SquareTrade is telling us just how many were the result of the dreaded RROD.SquareTrade released a report today detailing their warranty tests and out of the 16% failed 360 total, roughly 10% of them were due to RROD general hardware failures. The other 6% were attributed to things like disc read errors, hard drive freezes and disc tray malfunctions all of which would not be covered under Micrsoft's extended warranty. SquareTrade also mentioned that due to the Elite and Core test subjects not having enough warranty claims, they removed them from their statistical analysis and based their numbers on the more problematic Pro SKUs.
We're not certain if this is good or bad news seeing that SquareTrade still found 16% of all Xbox 360s to be problematic, it's just only 10% of them red ring. Nothing to get excited over, it's still way too high of a failure rate and way too many headaches to deal with. Fly Falcon fly and send us our RROD relief!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-27-2008 @ 10:36AM
Tony said...
I think it's pretty odd that they removed the core and elite SKUs from their data entirely. If anything they should have offered numbers with all three (they are, afterall, all one system) and then a separate Pro number. Otherwise we have little idea what the comparison would be or how much that number would be driven down.
Either way, I'm on my second and I'm hoping it continues to work well. Microsoft should just scrap this design entirely and remodel the system.
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2-27-2008 @ 10:44AM
Tony said...
http://abobosfault.ytmnd.com/
2-27-2008 @ 10:45AM
ZEBRA NINER said...
SquareTrade still found 16% of all Xbox 360s to be problematic, it's just only 10% of them red ring."
Technically you can't say "ALL" since they didn't include all of them. I think it's strange that they would exclude cores and elites. I've had one broken core, and one RROD elite. I think that doesn't properly represent the failure rate, and is most likely done to produce more controversial results.
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2-27-2008 @ 12:13PM
risrepkel said...
Pretty much. They're using 1000 machines to represent the millions out there right now. It's like pulling a dozen guys off the street and asking them who will win this coming election. The sample group is way too small compared to the whole.
2-27-2008 @ 12:21PM
Mark said...
Yeah, but that's how all of this data is taken. The statistics usually come with degrees of error (like +/- 5%) and the media reporting these things just ignore that part. So when they say it's a 52% vs 48% split between two candidates with a 5% error that means it could actually be, according to the people who took the data, 47% vs 53% in reality. Which means the survey or poll can't determine with any certainty who the public favors. But if that media outlet likes what the poll is saying, they'll quote that data.
2-27-2008 @ 3:41PM
Loban said...
Agreed, the mobo on all 360s are identical now, I'm not sure why the Elite and Cores (now arcade) would be any different. The only thing different about the actual consoles is the colors, everything else is external (hard drive options, included accessories).
2-27-2008 @ 10:59AM
oracle said...
Not to be the grammar police, but 10% of all failures would be 1.6% of the overall 360 population....
10% of all 360s fail due to the RROD would be more accurate, since we're saying 10% of the overall population, not 10% of the 16% that fail.
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2-27-2008 @ 11:01AM
borandi said...
I've had 2RRoD and 1 disc laser malfunction. I r broked the system? =D
"Every one of the 4.26 bajillion facts on the internet are wrong" :p
No, but seriously. Where can I get that Xbox and controller pillows. I want one.
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2-27-2008 @ 11:04AM
h0mi said...
Had an RROD. My replacement console had disc read errors. I don't know what's going to happen with the warranty though... I've gotten no indication that it isn't covered (yet).
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2-27-2008 @ 12:37PM
Mark said...
It isn't. Same thing just happened to a friend. He got a disc read error less than a year after he got it replaced and they said the disc read failure isn't covered and he only has a 90 day warranty on the console they sent back to him. So now he's back to making the decision to cough up more money or drop the thing all together.
2-27-2008 @ 11:08AM
Neuromancer said...
The good news is that if MS "repairs" a red ringed console, what they generally do is send you back a different one (check the serial numbers). If anything goes wrong with the one you get back from them, like mine did (disc read malfunction) MS has to fix it for free since they gave it to you. And then they'll probably give you a different machine that time too. It's a perpetual warranty!
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2-27-2008 @ 11:10AM
Neuromancer said...
h0mi, as per my comment I think they'll repace it for you.
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2-27-2008 @ 12:42PM
Mark said...
nope. Read my reply to him. A friend of mine was just told that he'd got to pay because they only have a 90 day warranty on what they send you.
2-27-2008 @ 11:12AM
Scott said...
Should be noted that this study started before the "Falcon" version of the 360 hit the wild and does not include them.
I haven't heard of any numbers on the Falcon version but that "Insider" at 8bitjoystick pegged the failure rate for it at less than 10%.
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2-27-2008 @ 11:13AM
Ryan said...
The video board in my 360 died a few months ago and I refuse to pay microsoft $100 to have it happen again with another system. Seriously Microsoft should fix all consoles for free no matter what the problem is. Iv'e been gaming for over 25 years and not once has a console ever broken on me except this pile of crap. Seriously I love all the 360 games and Xboxlive is awesome....but this box is a pile of garbage. Bill if your listening you can take that "extended 3 year warranty" and shove it up your ars because it does nothing for the people who don't get the RROD. I hate you microsoft...always have and always will.
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2-27-2008 @ 12:04PM
dancingtosirens said...
My 360 is still working fine after over a year.
But I wouldn't be surprised if it ever crapped out.
I'm not very optimistic about microsoft's quality control. Never will.
They should learn something from nintendo and sony.
2-27-2008 @ 12:06PM
dancingtosirens said...
meh sorry! I didn't mean to respond to your comment.
good ol technology...
2-27-2008 @ 11:18AM
dunnypop said...
I'm on my 2nd 360. the disc reading had some issues, but I used a disc cleaner and it seems to be working well since.
my friend has gone through 2 360's and my other friend went through 7 and after getting his 7th rrod, he opted for a ps3.
I think the 360's hardware doesn't run as smoothly as a ps3, but the 360 has Live which is the reason I play it more than the other systems.
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2-27-2008 @ 11:38AM
Gregory Christopher said...
its way more then %10, this is even worst then the ps2 failure rate and I couldnt think it would get worst then that! I was wrong :( Surpisingly the Ps3 quality is above average, and up to Sony standards
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2-27-2008 @ 11:47AM
soul899er said...
uh yeah, they've been in the gaming business waay before M$ so they know when something's wrong they will fix it, thats why the PS2 thing wasnt that big of a deal cuz they fix it right away, but M$ just dosent give a dang, they just want their damn money >_>