topic Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue in Portable Audio

Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

cos123 — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 13:41:31 GMT

Hello,

Not sure if someone here can help me. I've just got off the phone with Sony for the 4th time. My headphones have developed the dreaded battery damage issue from the firmware update, one side drains to 0% within an hour from 100%. I've spoken to support and escalated to a manager both of which have told me that it's essentially my problem and that they will not/fix replace for free despite being cause by their own update (headphones worked well prior to this). They want me to send in for repair at my own cost with know idea of how much this will be. I've escalated this to a complaint and just got off the phone with the person handling my complaint who it turns out is the same person I made the complaint about. Is anyone able to help me to resolve the issue with the faulty product or at the very least help me to escalate my complaint to someone else who can handle it objectively.

Thanks

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

PeteyH — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:08:40 GMT

Have had exactly the same issues for the last few months - phones just out of warranty….

Have undertaken all the Sony suggested fixes/workarounds, but no real difference.

Have also now just had the other known issue where the charge box and earbuds overheat to dangerous levels on charge - so now the box has failed and does not charge at all and does not register on the control app.
This also means the buds will only charge to c.50% and I am lucky to get one hours use out of them.

Hundreds of complaints over many forums about these known issues and lack of support and admittance of the fault by Sony.

Unfortunately I think this is one of those ‘life’s too short’ situations, so am just moving on to another manufacturer and won’t be buying any Sony products again.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

cos123 — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 09:33:00 GMT

I'm shocked by how poorly they've handled this considering it's such a widespread issue. They probably spoke to their legal team and realised it's cheaper to ignore customers than to do right by them. Spent hours on the phone to 'support' (if you can call them that) and countless emails back and forth, eventually I had someone higher up reach out and offer to provide a discount to the cost of repair if they find the issue is of their doing. No promise of refund/free repair. To be honest i'm done with them at this point. I ended up buying some batteries on ebay and doing the repair myself, cost £15 and they're like new. There's some good videos on youtube for battery replacement and I saw some videos for the charging case too so might be worth checking that out. The battery replacement wasn't too difficult, how they can be charging people upwards of £100 is beyond me. Must be very profitable, break your customers product and then charge them for the repair haha! Long and short of it is I won't ever buy anything 'Sony' again after this experience.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

PeteyH — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 09:56:31 GMT

As the phones are pretty much useless now I am going to attempt the repair too.
Have you managed to replace the batteries in the box or the earbuds (or both)?

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

cos123 — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 10:05:58 GMT

Replaced the batteries in the earbuds only, case seems to be functioning ok so far. If you search Sony WF-1000XM4 battery replacement on youtube there's a few different videos, I used the one from Central Sound. Didn't have a heat gun or clamp so used a hairdryer and a pair of pliers with the ends wrapped in gaffer tape as a substitute. You'll need ZeniPower Z55H 3.85V for Sony WF1000XM4 Batteries and some B-7000 glue.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

PeteyH — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 11:43:27 GMT

Many thanks!

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

cos123 — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:32:54 GMT

No worries, good luck!

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

slappyboyblue — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:19:08 GMT

I had a similar issue in the Spring when my earbuds were out of the one year warranty.

The left hand ear bud went from 100% to 0% in about 40 minutes after previously working fine with several hours of charge.
Similar to you, I had a long call with support to reset the earbuds and the charger.

Sent them off to the Sony repair centre in Wales.
They checked them over for damage, replaced the earbuds and cleaned up the case, and sent them back for free.
Assuming I lose them at some point, next time I'll get them from John Lewis as I think they do a two year warranty.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

Showdivad54 — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:33:10 GMT

Hi You are not alone. I had great difficulty getting an estimate for a lens repair. (Expensive sony zeis). Also others are now telling their Sony repair stories, similar to yours. Check out the "black belt barrister" on youtube (microphone faulty). I must say, the way Sony are going, they are losing reputation & will lose patronage.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

gareth71 — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:06:34 GMT

Hi slappyboyblue ... can you tell me more about how you managed to get Sony to offer this replacement/repair for you, please?

I've go a pair of XF-1000XM4 which are three years old, with the same problem (right bud goes from fully-charged to dead in 45 mins), and they're flat-out refusing to acknowledge the issue or provide any support.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

slappyboyblue — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:35:07 GMT

I spent about half an hour on the phone with the helpdesk doing all the resets.
I then sent the earbuds with case in original packaging to Wales for repair including my call log reference. I was expecting them to either charge me for repair, or say unrepairable, but figured I'd give it a go as it seems a known battery issue.
I think I got an inspection letter confirming the earbuds were otherwise in good condition, so not water damaged or stood on etc.
Anyway, without me doing anything else they sent me a new pair of earbuds in the original case, and cleaned up the case.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

gareth71 — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 16:40:35 GMT

It's a big ask, I know - but I don't suppose you'd be able to send a screenshot (personal info redacted as required, of course) of any communications you had from Sony confirming the provision of a free-of-charge replacement, would you? Another user on this forum has already very kindly sent me screenshots of the comms they had with Sony on this issue, but the more I can put together to hit them with, the better. Thanks in advance!

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

slappyboyblue — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:06:06 GMT

Thought i had posted a reply but it seems to have disappeared. Anyway, I sent off for a repair and they just replaced the earbuds for free.

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

gareth71 — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 23:46:38 GMT

Well, the outcome was... interesting. Another community member mentioned in another thread that he'd been sent FoC replacement buds by Sony, and that these too had failed resulting in a FoC repair. After lots of pointless to-and-fro with Sony's useless frontline customer service, I got my case escalated to the CRO who then flat-out denied that any FoC replacements or repairs had been granted (despite me sending them the screengrabs of e-mails to and from the CRO that the other forum member had kindly sent to me!).

They flat-out refused to replace the WF-1000XM4 buds - it was very clear they weren't going to budge on that. However, eventually they agreed to send me, as an "exceptional gesture of goodwill", a £100 discount code for the Sony online store. So I bought a pair of the new WF-C710N buds to replace the f**ked WF-1000XM4, and they'll be the last Sony product I ever purchase.

The lesson to learn here is to keep pushing, I guess! Eventually they'll roll over, at least partially, and offer you something just to shut up and go away 🤣

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

Sparks — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:04:55 GMT

I also have a pair of these & my left one is doing exactly the same thing once fully charged the left one lasts about 1/2 an hour after doing some research on Google in regards to this problem apparently it's a common issue with these ear buds & sony have basically washed there hands of it probably there designed to fail/ have problems after about 2 yrs that way they can fleece u out of more coin I don't think sony products are as good as thy used to be u can buy replacement batteries for these & change them out urself something I'm going too look into cheaper option than buying a new set definitely will Not be buying any sony products again not good enough Sony !!

Re: Sony WF-1000XM4 battery issue

gareth71 — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:10:01 GMT

I made enough of a fuss about it for them to cave in and give me a £100 Sony online store credit to compensate for the fact that I now own a pair of next-to-useless WF-1000XM4 with batteries that last half an hour. It's not the like-for-like replacement which any company with decent customer service would've provided - but it's enough to buy a pair of the new WF-C710N as an alternative. Better than nothing - and there's no way I'll ever spend money on a Sony product again. E-mail them at cro.en@eu.sony.com and make a fuss - don't let it rest until you've got something out of them.