Failure Rate for Xbox 360: 16 Percent (Report)

Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:11PM EST

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Compare that to failure rates of about three percent each for the PlayStation 3 and the Wii, according to the recent survey. Oh, and did I mention that I just sent my second 360 console in for repairs?

Gaming site 1UP.com got its hands on a survey from SquareTrade, a firm that sells warranties for various consumer electronics. The company recent took a thousand claims it received and compiled statistics about relative gaming console failure rates. The results? The PlayStation 3 and the Wii both clocked in with failure rates of three percent, pretty standard when it comes to the average gadget. The Xbox 360, however, racked up a failure rate of 16.4 percent, according to SquareTrade, with 60 percent of those failures due to the dreaded Red Ring of Death.

As 1UP.com notes, estimates of actual Xbox 360 failure rates have varied wildly, with some guessing that about a third of all 360 consoles end up biting the dust. Microsoft initially pegged the number at just three percent, although former Xbox exec Peter Moore later called the figure a "moving target." Redmond eventually extended the Xbox 360 warranty to a full three years (and took a $1 billion charge in the process) to cover all the repairs.

Of course, I have my own bone to pick when it comes to Xbox 360 failure rates. I bought my first 360 back in November 2006; by May 2007, I got hit with my first Red Ring of Death. To its credit, Microsoft quickly replaced my busted console, although as I recently reported, the new unit was plagued with a variety of bugs and glitches. Anyway, about a week and a half ago, it happened again: my 360 froze up, I reset the console, and there it was, the Red Ring of Death. Just yesterday, I shipped off my inert beige box to the Microsoft service center in Texas for repairs; if I get a replacement (as opposed to a repair), it'll be my third Xbox 360 console in 15 months.

OK, I have a couple questions for you gamers out there. First, for the Xbox 360 owners: how many consoles have you been through so far (or are you still on your first one)? Second question: has anyone ever had a PS3 or a Wii fail on them?

Related:
Report Claims Xbox 360 Failure Rates at 16% [1UP.com]

Comments on Failure Rate for Xbox 360: 16 Percent (Report)

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  • 26 Posted by jimhansen62 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have two 360's. One a launch day denizen, the second an Elite. Never had a single problem with either of them. Both get lots of playtime, including HD-DVD viewing.

  • 27 Posted by yourpathhome on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have one of the first generation 360's. While I have had a few repeated issues [not wanting to read the disc and taking several tries to load] I have not had a "Red Ring". My son's machine has been replaced and my daughters is seeming to work fine.Hers is only one year old, while my son's was from 2006 also. They put a whole lot more hours on theirs than I do, of course.

  • 28 Posted by missglimmer2 on Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:14AM EST Report Abuse

    if the console was under warranty when Microsoft sent the console back you shouldn't have to pay for it-i had the same problem with the first one i bought:i just brought mine back to the store and got another one.so actually I'm on my second console.

  • 29 Posted by josephoj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am on my second one but it has been good for a long while. Well until now. It is starting to freeze and that was the problem with the first one. I never got a ring of death though.

  • 30 Posted by lilkuch1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    We are on our second XBOX in a 15 months, compared to my friends PS3 which has been going strong for the same period.

  • 31 Posted by ninjafly on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had at least three ps2s over the years due to the console starting to eat the discs and finally becoming unplayable. I am on my second ps3, I had some kind of problem with the dvd drive. Sony gave me a refurb.

  • 32 Posted by sdswami on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've had my PS3 for about 14-15 months now and done some really heavy gaming on it (thanks CoD4) and have had no issues other than a couple lock-ups. I doubt a 360 could handle the strain I've put on my PS3. I also heard a couple guys talking about a girl they know who had her refurbished 360 stolen by a UPS employee due to Microsoft not sealing the package very well and the UPS employee was able to open the box and take the system out of it somewhere in the delivery process. When she contacted UPS, they told her to contact Microsoft, and Microsoft told her to contact UPS.

  • 33 Posted by nvanderkarr on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ha, I got my 360 at the same time you saw the demo on display at your local Wal-mart or Target. I haven't had any problems at all with mine until last weekend. Home by myself, no wife, no kids, just brand new call of duty 4. 5 minutes in, RROD. Bad part about it is I have put about another $250 into mods on the thing. In the almost 2 and 1/2 years I have had it, I loved it, but its time for the ps3. Every person I know with a 360 has had problems. Until Microsoft can get things figured out they have lost me as a customer!

  • 34 Posted by supernacho1162 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    Bought my 60GB PS3 in Jan 07. It's still working just as good as the first day I turned it on. I use it almost every day for games and at least 2 blue-ray movies a week.

  • 35 Posted by chance91201 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    What's terrible about the article is that the source of the 16% failure rate info is from a company that sells warranties for consoles! Doesn't that define conflict of interest? Then there is the fact that this company is selling a warranty for the 360 that has an automatic 3 yr hardware warranty! So a company that is pulling a warranty scam on 360 owners claims there is a high failure rate still? I wonder if their advice is that they should be a warranty from their company, and not use the MS one? Incredible!

  • 36 Posted by angelicricky on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    im stilll on my first console bought when the day that it first came out and have had no problems

  • 37 Posted by danimal_schrier on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    Currently on my second 360. First one froze while playing an audio cd of all things, but I had a 2 year warranty from best buy, so twas all good. They replaced it and so far, I've only had the rrod a few times, none of which I could explain of course, but by restarting the console, it fires right back up correctly...usually.

  • 38 Posted by jrrc10@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    ilove my 360 and waited till halo 3 to buy it thinking,that the bugs should be worked out with hddmi models.but i still worry all time its going to fail.not a warm fuzzy feeling. its like waiting for granma to die. every day you check on her [sigh]maybe tomorrow

  • 39 Posted by m.dale85 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had my x-box 360 for about 6- months when I got the red ring of death,I sent it in and got a repair so far no problems. aarmart

  • 40 Posted by stylusstoked1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    We are hardcore gamers; three PS3's and an Xbox 360, one of our PS3's quit reading discs and was exchanged. Bought a disc with a brush on it to clean the laser lens when 2nd PS3 started having trouble reading disc's. Worked great!! Now we clean them twice a month. 360 barely is used so overheating it to a Death Ring hasn't come to bear. Also we blow the air vents out about once a month. =o)

  • 41 Posted by ottorto on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm still on my first 360 also. Purchased 12 February 2007. It's a nice, quiet unit. So far, so good.

  • 42 Posted by leonel_soriano27 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    I got my fist xbox360 in march 2006 but my cousin knocked it over with a game playing and broke it so I returned it in the same month. The second I never had problems with it but I wanted the Elite so i gave it to my cousin and he hasn't had any issues with it. I got the Elite when it came out and it is still good

  • 43 Posted by maori_yelir on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    The first wave of Xboxes was a darn mess and I think Microsoft knew that but wanted to get their product out first to build a library quickly and even with the failure rate so high they succeded. I bought my first one on release day. In fact, I waited 14 hours in the rain for mine. It lasted a year and a few months before it red ringed. Microsoft was VERY nice about sending a new one, no charge and I have had no issues thus far. Any of the newer models should be fine. The issue was that to get the promised number of consoles out on release night Microsoft cut corners. Some of the pieces were SODDERED on to the motherboard. Over time the constant heating and cooling of the parts causes the sodder to let go, effectively killing your machine. If you still have an original Xbox 360 my suggestion is to lay it on it's side. Vertically standing models have a much higher failure rate because gravity will force the crappy, soddered pieces to break loose.

  • 44 Posted by icehawk019 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    hilarious i got a ps3 the month it came out and ive had ZERO problems

  • 45 Posted by r_lally2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Heh funny that I'm reading this now, because my 360 just broke on Saturday. The worst part is this. . . It broke on the first day of February vacation. So hopefully I get the box to send it to Microsoft tomorrow and get my 360 back ASAP.

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