Report cites 10% of all 360 failures due to RROD

by Dustin Burg { Feb 27th 2008 at 10:30AM }

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!

Tags: hardware, microsoft, rrod, squaretrade, xbox-360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tony @ Feb 27th 2008 10:36AM

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.

Tony @ Feb 27th 2008 10:44AM

http://abobosfault.ytmnd.com/

ZEBRA NINER @ Feb 27th 2008 10:45AM

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.

risrepkel @ Feb 27th 2008 12:13PM

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.

Mark @ Feb 27th 2008 12:21PM

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.

Loban @ Feb 27th 2008 3:41PM

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).

oracle @ Feb 27th 2008 10:59AM

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.

borandi @ Feb 27th 2008 11:01AM

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.

h0mi @ Feb 27th 2008 11:04AM

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).

Mark @ Feb 27th 2008 12:37PM

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.

Neuromancer @ Feb 27th 2008 11:08AM

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!

Neuromancer @ Feb 27th 2008 11:10AM

h0mi, as per my comment I think they'll repace it for you.

Mark @ Feb 27th 2008 12:42PM

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.

Scott @ Feb 27th 2008 11:12AM

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%.

Ryan @ Feb 27th 2008 11:13AM

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.

dancingtosirens @ Feb 27th 2008 12:04PM

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.

dancingtosirens @ Feb 27th 2008 12:06PM

meh sorry! I didn't mean to respond to your comment.
good ol technology...

dunnypop @ Feb 27th 2008 11:18AM

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.

Gregory Christopher @ Feb 27th 2008 11:38AM

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

soul899er @ Feb 27th 2008 11:47AM

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 >_>

saget @ Feb 27th 2008 11:41AM

Yeah...I'm pretty sure you meant to say 62.5% of 360 failures are due to RROD.

Billie Jean @ Feb 27th 2008 11:44AM

Have you had the RROD? Has your console stopped reading discs? Have you had a bad time dealing with Xbox customer support?

THEN EMAIL BILL GATES DIRECTLY:

billg@microsoft.com

That's his email address. Be sure you mention exactly what happened, how Xbox customer support dealt with it and how YOU feel you were treated as a loyal customer.

soul899er @ Feb 27th 2008 11:49AM

you idiot, he changed his e-mail after that kid gave everyone his Address,, shows how smart you are >_>

JDrake @ Feb 27th 2008 11:49AM

I think that both 10% and 16% are low numbers. It seems like it is heavily user dependent. From my experience all my friends that play games at a high level/frequency, about 8 that I can think of, have gotten RROD. The number seems to end up around 10% or 16% because a majority of Xbox 360 owners don't fall into a category of gamer that put the console through its paces. This allows MS crappy hardware job to slide most of the time. The survey should have included hours played per week/month and titles played for some context.

Ryan @ Feb 27th 2008 11:52AM

Errr, I think you left off a zero on that 10% figure.

Trunas @ Feb 27th 2008 12:08PM

UPS just picked up my console (RROD). This is the first time I've had to send mine in. This is the console that I have had since December of 2005. So I'm not really pissed off by it, just missing some COD4 action. I guess I'll continue to play my Wii until I get it back. :(

Mike @ Feb 27th 2008 1:14PM

Square Trade also said that their results are not entirely accurate because some users likely sent their RROD consoles back for repair to Microsoft and not to them. So basically, we still don't have an accurate picture of how many boxes are affected with problems.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15814/Report-Confirms-Rumored-Xbox-360-Failure-Rate-16/

Neuromancer @ Feb 27th 2008 1:21PM

@Mark and @hDmi

All I know is I got the red ring of death last summer, and MS took back my replacement console for repair when the disc read error happened. It was well after 90 days later.

By the way if someone can tell me how to directly reply to a comment I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Arnie @ Feb 27th 2008 1:30PM

After almost 1.5 years mine finally red-ringed(I was beginning to get worried that it would conk out on me after my warranty).
Frack it no gaming for 4 weeks.Well I am glad I got my brand new PC.

anthonyjh @ Feb 27th 2008 1:54PM

Wow, why don't you all buy PS3's for christ's sake? See, while I don't have as many great games to play as you guys (given) I can still PLAY games!

*Que maniacal laughing*

Dave @ Feb 27th 2008 2:18PM

I am on my sixth Xbox. Every one of them has RRoD. (And before anyone says anything, my console and its power supply has always been in a very open, cool area, free of dust.) Of the people I game with, about 1/3 have experienced the RRoD - some several times. So I'm pretty skeptical about the 10 or 16%. Even then, it's too high. Why can't they figure it out?

Jojo @ Feb 27th 2008 2:52PM

I must be on of the unluckiest SOB's on the face of the earth if the only 10% fail.

Stridery @ Feb 27th 2008 4:30PM

Last year my system caught the RROD bug about 12 hours before the Halo 3 beta's started. I wasn't to happy and I was scared that Microsoft wouldn't take my system since I had it almost a year already. Surprisingly they took it without me having to pay. A week later I received a new system and everything has been working great since. Microsoft had to do what it had to do to get the system out before Sony no matter what the costs.