The kinda-official LG G4 bootloop thread

[hawaii1201]

21 months after owning TWO LG G4 phones in our family both failed with the bootloop issue just 1 week apart. The phones were purchased in late Dec of 2015 from Virgin Mobile in Canada. Virgin mobile took the phones back and shipped them bothoff for repair and gave us a loaner as we had another spare on hand. Within 4 days we were updated via the Virgin track your phone repair site that both phones have been repaired under the extended warranty (which we likely only had a week or two left on the extended warranty) and are on their way back us. So for we are very happy with the customer service from Virgin.

 

[keembo]

I have had 3 lg g4 phones that went into bootloop. The first was purchased August 2016 and the second Dec. 2016. I got on the phone with LG repair and explained my situation and was firm but not yelling. I told them that there are loads of chat boards where this bootloop issue is a problem. I received postage paid labels with return authorization numbers and sent them individually to LG about a week apart. On the phone, they told me they were extending warranties to two years, so I awaited confirmation of their repairs. I got an email that stated on the first one that it was repaired under warranty even though 13 months had expired. It claimed the motherboard was replaced to fix a "charging" issue. I never had a charging issue on either phone. I have received the phone back and it works, and just received confirmation that the second phone has been repaired and is being sent back. It said the exact same thing on the repair...motherboard replaced due to charging problem. I should receive that second phone in a few days. In the meantime, I bought an inexpensive used ZTE zmax pro and will use it. I may just sell the LG g4 that came back already or keep it until it craps out again. The other phone is my daughter's and when it gets back, I recommended her to sell it as manufactured refurbished phone and use the phone she bought to replace her G4. I liked the G4 as far as looks and operation until it bootlooped. I am thinking of keeping the first refurbished one and use it until it bootloops again and then see if LG will fix it free another time since they have extended warranty now.

 

[Guatiao]

Great news! https://www.theverge.com/circuitbre...oop-lawsuit-settlement-g4-v10-v20-nexus-5x-g5

 

[Mooncatt]

I don't remember if I joined the lawsuit, but I'm not going to cry if I missed out. I moved from the G4 to the V20 (how was that ever added, when it didn't have the bootloop problem?) and love the phone. Still, that's an amazing settlement offer. I wonder how much their prices will increase to make up for that loss.

 

[gendo667]

I don't remember if I joined the lawsuit, but I'm not going to cry if I missed out. I moved from the G4 to the V20 (how was that ever added, when it didn't have the bootloop problem?) and love the phone. Still, that's an amazing settlement offer. I wonder how much their prices will increase to make up for that loss.

I was confused as well. Also, the G5 didn't suffer the same mass level boot loop that the G4/V10 did. But whatever.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

This thread just kept on going.

Eh, I switched to a Note8 and couldn't be happier. I liked the G4 but LG's handling of this couldn't have been more aggravating for me.

 

[eurosteve]

My wife had a G4 that we bought from someone on ebay who had just gotten a manufacturer's refurb. The G4 didn't bootloop but the radios (specifically the 4G band) got wonky. I did make a claim with my insurance and got my money back.

I bought the V10 thinking to myself that surely LG would have fixed the production problems that caused the G4 to bootloop. BUT, at a very inopportune time (getting off an airplane on vacation) the V10 crapped out and went into bootloop. Fortunately it was 2 weeks before the end of the 1 year warranty period. I got a refurb - and I promptly sold it (AT A LOSS based on what I owed) on ebay.

I have ZERO respect for LG since they were slow to fix the problem, put out at least 2 models with the same defect and then customers had to jump through hoops to get a working phone. It looks like this class action suit only covers a relatively small number of customers.

I own an LG washing machine that works well. And I own a Chevy Bolt whose batteries are made by LG.

I don't plan to ever own an LG phone again. I just hope that their EV batteries are well made after all of this phone nonsense.

 

[Mooncatt]

I have ZERO respect for LG since they were slow to fix the problem, put out at least 2 models with the same defect and then customers had to jump through hoops to get a working phone. It looks like this class action suit only covers a relatively small number of customers.

To be fair, the design of the V10 was likely finalized and probably already in production before the problem surfaced and the root cause identified on the G4. I agree it totally sucked, but by that time it was too late for the V10. The latter models have been trouble free for the most part, so LG has addressed three bootloop issue.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

To be fair, the design of the V10 was likely finalized and probably already in production before the problem surfaced and the root cause identified on the G4. I agree it totally sucked, but by that time it was too late for the V10. The latter models have been trouble free for the most part, so LG has addressed three bootloop issue.

It does still happen on the newer phones but well within the usual margin of defects

As for the G5, I think bootlooping is the last of what that phone had to worry about

 

[Mooncatt]

It does still happen on the newer phones but well within the usual margin of defects

Of course. Any phone can bootloop for a number of reasons, both hardware and software related. My comment was in the context of the design flaw of the G4 and V10, which was fixed in later models like the G5 and V20.

 

[gendo667]

It does still happen on the newer phones but well within the usual margin of defects

As for the G5, I think bootlooping is the last of what that phone had to worry about

I'll continue to say the G5 was a beast. Fantastic performance, all around. I know it was ugly and the mods were dumb. But if you just wanted a great Android device that just flat out performed, it's was a freaky solid phone.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I'll continue to say the G5 was a beast. Fantastic performance, all around. I know it was ugly and the mods were dumb. But if you just wanted a great Android device that just flat out performed, it's was a freaky solid device.

If you ignore the poorly-executed mods, the flaky build quality, LG’s QC concerns and the controversial software at the time, it wasn’t that bad of a phone, and it did have some merits like the wide-angle secondary camera.

I wouldn’t buy one at launch personally but at the price it dropped at, it’s a worthy consideration

 

[eurosteve]

To be fair, the design of the V10 was likely finalized and probably already in production before the problem surfaced and the root cause identified on the G4. I agree it totally sucked, but by that time it was too late for the V10. The latter models have been trouble free for the most part, so LG has addressed three bootloop issue.

OK - BUT LG should have acknowledge the problem publicly and extended themselves to make things right with customers. In the case of the V10, if the design was flawed, and they knew it, then they should have recalled the phones and replaced them proactively, rather than waiting for them to fail one by one. It would have cost them some money but that's what a reputable company does. I haven't looked at LG's financial status but I think it's a very big company and they could afford to eat some profit in favor of maintaining their reputation. I think they've lost their reputation by knowingly selling a defective phone. If they didn't know when the phone was offered for sale, when they discovered these problems they should have reached out and exchanged these phones. The recent class action suit is mainly wonderful for the lawyers and the few people who somehow got in on the suit. If LG were to publicly acknowledge the defective phones and also make a special warranty for all new phones I might consider buying them again. I think I saw that some of the new phones are being offered with a 2 year warranty promotion right now. So maybe that's LG trying (too late in my opinion) to burnish their tarnished reputation.

 

[SUPERMARIO2018]

I've recently heard about this "bootloop" issue.
Well I've got the international (uk) h815 model and my serial number is 507. Ive had the phone for more than a month without any issues. I shouldn't have any issues in the future...right?

Also has anyone from the UK experienced these issues?

I have had my (uk) h815 model with serial 506 for 2 years and 2 months and it was best phone I ever had until l it went into bootloop on the second day of my holiday to Tenerife.
On returning from holiday I checked up and LG want £90 to repair it and only give you a 3 month warranty on it not happening again so they are not confident that same will not happen again in my opinion.
I have read that the problem is with the motherboards and the heating up cooling down of it where the epoxy resin that hold the chips in place cracks and causes the bootloop to happen, I left temperatures in Scotland of -2 Deg and it was + 27 in Tenerife so temp swing could be the reason mine broke.
I have seen loads of people using hair dryers to melt the epoxy and managing to get it working again so that is the route I am going down as it was great phone and camera was best I have seen, just a shame LG will not own up and admit it is a manufacturing defect and just replace any that go defective.
I have looking at various posts and it seems to span all LG phones not just one specific model as well so could be a built in design feature so they do not last too long as they dont want you having something forever as they would never sell any new phones eh makes you think.

 

[SUPERMARIO2018]

What were the temp difference in the location from and too of your vacation as mine went into bootloop when I went from -2 deg temp in Scotland to + 27 deg in Tenerife when mine went into bootloop and had read it was the epoxy on the motherboards that dont like temp changes as it expands and contracts causing it to crack and cause bootloop.
I have had my (uk) h815 model with serial 506 for 2 years and 2 months and it was best phone I ever had until l it went into bootloop on the second day of my holiday to Tenerife.
On returning from holiday I checked up and LG want £90 to repair it and only give you a 3 month warranty on it not happening again so they are not confident that same will not happen again in my opinion.
I have read that the problem is with the motherboards and the heating up cooling down of it where the epoxy resin that hold the chips in place cracks and causes the bootloop to happen.
I have seen loads of people using hair dryers to melt the epoxy and managing to get it working again so that is the route I am going down as it was great phone and camera was best I have seen, just a shame LG will not own up and admit it is a manufacturing defect and just replace any that go defective.
I have looking at various posts and it seems to span all LG phones not just one specific model as well so could be a built in design feature so they do not last too long as they dont want you having something forever as they would never sell any new phones eh makes you think eh.

 

[Mooncatt]

I have looking at various posts and it seems to span all LG phones not just one specific model as well so could be a built in design feature so they do not last too long as they dont want you having something forever as they would never sell any new phones eh makes you think.

The specific problem with the G4 was only carried over to the V10, which was released shortly after and already had the design finalized veggie the bootloop issue was discovered. The bootloops did not plague other LG phones.

Yes, I'm sure some of the others did bootloop, but there's a number of things that can cause it. It could be hardware or software related as well. The incidence of those on their other phones have been within the realm of possibility for any mass produced phone. If there were continued mass defects in their phones, you'd see it all over this forum in the their respective sub-sections, which it's not.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

The specific problem with the G4 was only carried over to the V10, which was released shortly after and already had the design finalized veggie the bootloop issue was discovered. The bootloops did not plague other LG phones.

Yes, I'm sure some of the others did bootloop, but there's a number of things that can cause it. It could be hardware or software related as well. The incidence of those on their other phones have been within the realm of possibility for any mass produced phone. If there were continued mass defects in their phones, you'd see it all over this forum in the their respective sub-sections, which it's not.

I think a couple did bootloop but not in as significant as a scale in comparison to the G4

 

[Mooncatt]

I think a couple did bootloop but not in as significant as a scale in comparison to the G4

As I said, I'm sure they did. But my point was that it wasn't the same root cause. Not to mention the death of any company killing off their phones so blatantly.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

As I said, I'm sure they did. But my point was that it wasn't the same root cause. Not to mention the death of any company killing off their phones so blatantly.

LG does dumb things at times but I don't think they would be that dumb

 

[CocoBZ]

I've been finally hit by it. Plugged phone in, screen froze. Couldn't turn the screen off, couldn't do anything, so I unplugged it and removed and reattached the battery. Tried to start it, got stuck on the logo screen. If I plug the phone in while turned off, the battery level animation shows up fine, but then the phone tries to boot by itself (as it normally does), and it gets eternally stuck at the logo again. On rare occasions, when I turn it on, the screen turns off after 15-20 seconds then turns back on (reset?), but only once, then hangs as usual. H815 from the 512 series.

I don't know whether I'm lucky that it managed to last me for over two years or unlucky because that means it's not in warranty anymore. How safe is the hairdryer? As in, if it doesn't work, what are the chances the situation becomes worse. Also, if I do take it for repairs, will I lose the data over it? Because right now my priority isn't extending the phone's life for a significant period, but resuscitating it in order to save my data (and bind a couple of mobage accounts, which is the thing that stings more).