Class Action Alleges Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 Laptop Hinges Can Break, Crack Screen Due to Defect

A proposed class action claims Dell’s Inspiron 2-in-1 laptops are equipped with defective hinges that can break after only a few months of normal use.

According to the 39-page lawsuit, the primary selling point for the Inspiron 2-in-1 series is that the products can be used as a traditional laptop or touchscreen tablet by folding the device along its two hinges. Although Dell advertises that the 2-in-1 computers are “flexible” and built with “lightweight durable materials” that allow users to seamlessly “[t]ransition between laptop, tent, tablet or stand modes[,]” the computers’ hinges can “prematurely and unexpectedly seize and fail” and separate from the device, rendering it useless, the case alleges.

The complaint contends that the alleged hinge defect ultimately impedes a Dell user’s ability to change the configuration of their device—or even so much as open or transport their laptop safely “for fear of completely breaking [it].” Moreover, the case says that after a hinge detaches, pressure can build against the display glass and cause the screen and surrounding plastic to crack.  

The suit, filed on April 7 in Maryland, claims that Dell is aware that its Inspiron 2-in-1 laptops are plagued by a defective dual hinge system yet has “knowingly and intentionally” concealed the issue from consumers.

As the suit tells it, Dell often avoids paying for repairs by blaming broken hinges on user error. In the event a customer does qualify for warranty coverage, the computer manufacturer will replace broken hinges with similarly defective parts, the lawsuit alleges.

The filing claims that consumers would not have bought the Dell 2-in-1 laptops, or would have paid significantly less for the devices, had they known the computers’ hinges would fail “shortly after purchase.”

Dell is well aware of the defect, suit alleges

The lawsuit alleges Dell “knew or should have known” of the hinge defect before the Inspiron 2-in-1 series debuted in 2014, based on data collected during pre-release durability testing. For this testing, the company claims to have opened, closed and twisted the laptop base and lid “tens of thousands of times,” the case shares.

The lawsuit contests this claim, however, given that buyers have reported that their Inspiron hinges have failed after only a few hundred uses or relatively soon after purchase.

“Given that consumers report the hinges tend to fail after only months of use—during which time Class members likely have used their hinges on only hundreds of occasions—pre-release testing necessarily did or should have revealed that [Inspiron devices] suffer from the Defect and are prone to premature failure,” the suit alleges.

In the time since the Inspiron 2-in-1 series was released, hundreds of consumers have flooded Dell forums to complain about their laptop hinges breaking and related damages to their devices, the case says, adding that similar reports can be found across various third-party websites. Additionally, a high volume of warranty claims, repair requests and replacement parts sales should have alerted Dell to the Inspiron hinge problem, the filing contends.

The complaint points out that in 2019, Dell began using a single-hinge design for its premium 7000 series Inspiron 2-in-1 devices, further indicating that the company has been aware of the dual-hinge system defect.

“On information and belief, Dell deployed an alternative hinge design in its premium offerings because it knew its customers would not tolerate spending thousands of dollars for a 2-in-1 device likely to fail shortly after purchase,” the case contends.

According to the complaint, Dell routinely denies warranty claims based on the assertion that the hinges fail only when “misused” by the consumer, forcing upon users significant out-of-pocket expenses for repair or replacement costs. As one consumer stated on the company’s message board, Dell “will do everything to say it is customer fault [sic] but nothing to accept it was there [sic] issue,” the suit relays.

Plaintiff forced to “tape the hinge” to her laptop, case claims

The plaintiff, a Maryland consumer, says that about a year after she purchased a Dell Inspiron 7300-5395S 2-in-1 laptop in September 2020, the device’s right hinge began to pull apart from the laptop screen. As the case tells it, the woman had to tape the hinge in place and frequently kept the device open to avoid further damage.

After several pieces of the hinge broke off a year later, the filing says, the plaintiff could no longer close her laptop, “thereby eliminating the Device’s portability or hybrid functionality and preventing her from using the Device for its intended and foreseeable purpose.”

Per the complaint, the plaintiff was forced to continue using the defective computer after she sought warranty coverage from Dell in 2022 and was informed that she would have to mail her laptop to the company and pay out of pocket for it to be repaired.

Who does the case look to cover?

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who is a current or former owner of a Dell-brand hybrid computing device, including the Inspiron 2-in-1, that utilizes a dual hinge system.

How do I join the lawsuit?

There’s usually nothing you need to do to join or be included in a proposed class action lawsuit when it’s first filed. If the case moves forward and settles, those who have been affected by the allegations, i.e., the “class members,” may be notified directly and will likely need to fill out and file a claim form online or by mail. 

Remember, it can take months or even years for a class action lawsuit to be resolved.

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