Keyboard dead, sticky, or repeating?
Skip the $500 repair — trade it in.
Apple can't replace individual keys — the keyboard is riveted into the top case, so an out-of-warranty fix runs $350–$600. Meanwhile the logic board, screen, and battery in your machine usually still work perfectly. We quote from surviving parts value, so even a butterfly-era MacBook with half the keys dead earns real store credit.
Repair it or trade it? The math by model
| Device | Apple Repair / Trade-In | BackMarket / SellCell | LuxuriousComputers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro M2/M3 — a few dead or sticky keys | $450+ top-case repair | $60–$120 | $320–$520 |
| MacBook Air M1/M2 — keyboard partially working | $350+ top-case repair | $40–$90 | $180–$340 |
| MacBook Pro 2016–2019 — butterfly keyboard failure | $0 (program expired) | $0–$40 | $60–$160 |
| MacBook Air 2018–2019 — butterfly keys repeating/stuck | $0 (program expired) | $0–$30 | $40–$110 |
Values shown in store credit toward any purchase. Cash equivalent available where noted.
Butterfly keyboard? Apple's free-repair window is closed.
- ✕The Keyboard Service Program has expired. Apple covered 2015–2019 butterfly keyboards for 4 years after first sale — the last machines aged out in 2024. Stuck or repeating keys today mean a full-price top-case repair.
- ✕The failure comes back. Butterfly switches fail from dust the size of a grain of sand. Even after a repair, replacement butterfly keyboards fail at the same rate — you're buying time, not a fix.
- ✓The rest of the machine still counts. Retina screens, logic boards, and batteries from 2016–2019 MacBooks are in steady demand as parts. That's where your quote comes from.
- ✓Every Mac since 2020 uses scissor switches. Trade the butterfly machine toward an M1 or newer and the sticky-key problem is gone for good — Apple abandoned the design entirely.
How it works
Tell us what the keys do
Use the trade-in calculator, text Rick a photo at (740) 223-5530, or walk in. Dead keys, repeating letters, sticky spacebar, or a whole row out — every failure mode still quotes.
Full bench check
A broken keyboard rarely means a broken Mac. We test the logic board, screen, battery, and trackpad separately — the keyboard is one part, not the whole machine.
Ship free or walk in
Prepaid label if you're outside Marion, or walk in to 731 E Center St #200, Tue–Sat 10am–7pm. Free return shipping if the bench quote doesn't match.
Same-day store credit
Credit applies instantly toward any Mac in the shop. Most people trade a keyboard-dead MacBook toward a working M1 or M2 and type again the same day.
Why a dead keyboard doesn't kill your MacBook's value
The keyboard is one part of many. Keys fail from dust, wear, or a spill — but the logic board, the most valuable component, sits underneath and usually survives untouched. A keyboard-dead M1 Pro still carries most of its board value.
Riveted design works in your favor at trade-in. Apple's all-or-nothing top-case repair is why fixing it costs $350–$600 — but it's also why we can price your machine on everything else that still works.
Screens and batteries hold value independently. A clean Retina panel runs $250–$450 as a part, and a healthy battery adds $25–$50 — neither cares whether your spacebar works.
External-keyboard test tells us a lot. If the Mac works fine with a USB or Bluetooth keyboard, the failure is isolated to the top case — that's the best-case scenario and earns the highest quote.
Related sell options
Frequently asked questions
Do you buy MacBooks with broken keyboards?
Yes — keyboard failure is one of the most common reasons people trade in, especially 2016–2019 butterfly-keyboard models. The logic board, screen, and battery usually still work perfectly, so the machine keeps most of its parts value even when typing is impossible.
How much is a MacBook with a broken keyboard worth?
It depends on the model and what else works. An M2 or M3 Pro with a few dead keys earns $320–$520 in store credit. An M1/M2 Air with a partly working keyboard earns $180–$340. Butterfly-era machines (2016–2019) earn $40–$160 depending on screen and board condition. Use the calculator above for your exact model.
Why does Apple charge so much to fix a MacBook keyboard?
On every modern MacBook, the keyboard is riveted into the top case — Apple replaces the entire top-case assembly including the battery and trackpad, not individual keys. That repair runs $350–$600 out of warranty, which often exceeds what the machine is worth.
My MacBook has a butterfly keyboard. Doesn't Apple fix those free?
Not anymore. Apple's Keyboard Service Program covered butterfly keyboards for 4 years after first retail sale — the last eligible machines aged out in 2024. If your 2016–2019 MacBook has stuck or repeating keys today, Apple quotes a full-price top-case repair. Trading it in is usually the better math.
Only a few keys are dead. Should I fix it or trade it?
Run the numbers: a top-case repair is $350–$600, and on a butterfly-era machine you're putting that money into a 6–9 year old laptop. If the repair quote is more than half the machine's working value, trade it in and put the credit toward a newer Mac instead.
Can I just use an external keyboard instead?
You can — and that's a fine stopgap. But a MacBook that needs an external keyboard isn't portable anymore, and the failure usually spreads to more keys over time. Trading it while the rest of the machine is healthy gets you the highest quote.
Will Apple trade in a MacBook with a broken keyboard?
Apple's trade-in inspection slashes the quote hard for any functional defect — a keyboard failure typically drops their offer to a fraction of working value, or to zero on older models. We quote from surviving parts value instead, so the screen, board, and battery still count.
What if the keyboard broke because of a spill?
We buy those too — liquid is the #1 cause of keyboard failure. Tell us about the spill when you get your quote so the bench check looks at the board for corrosion. See our liquid damage page for what to do in the first 10 minutes after a spill.
Don't put $500 into a keyboard. Put it toward a better Mac.
Walk in Tue–Sat 10am–7pm at 731 E Center St #200, Marion OH — or use the calculator to get a number right now.