XPS 15 9550 Trackpad Lift

I too have this problem. Mine is about 3-4mm raised now. I'm concerned about the potential battery issue (is that dangerous)... but to be honest I just don't want to have them send me a refurbished unit with god knows how many other gremlins in it.

Here are a couple of images that show the problem I'm having...

Yes, a swollen battery is the likely cause, and yes, it is a safety issue.  Have the battery replaced immediately -- whether under warranty (12 months old or less) or out of warranty (12 months or more old).

If you let it go much longer, you'll be faced with replacing not only the battery but also the outer casing of the system.

There's no way to test for a swollen battery other than to open the case and physically check it.  They won't replace the system - just the battery and (likely) the touchpad/palmrest assembly, which is probably toast now.

I called them and they set me up with a shipping label to send it in. Support was great, although she ran a diagnostic on the computer and the battery did not fail any tests, so she said it was NOT the battery.

Pretty sure it is the battery myself and wish they would send me a battery so I could replace it myself (electronic engineer so that's an easy task). She said she couldn't and that I have to send my whole unit in. Between my travel schedule and after having read on here that many people are getting inferior quality replacement laptops, I'm pretty nervous about that part.

Yes, the touchpad is virtually impossible to depress, so for sure it is toast (I've been using external mouse).

Also, and perhaps critically, if I press hard just above the trackpad the screen glitches and the computer freezes... so I assume there is a stress fracture formed or forming in the logic board. I guess I need to articulate that to their support team in some way.

Will keep this thread updated for the benefit of others that may come across it. I was surprised that there were almost no references to this issue online.

Thanks.

It's more common with systems as they get older and far more common with Apple Macs than with PCs, but as manufacturers cram more and more cells into smaller spaces (removing the hard shell that used to be standard on batteries), it has been increasing in the PC world as well.

This issue has appeared on my 9550 as well.  This is my 2nd unit  after returning the first  one due to a bad spacebar.  

Did anyone indeed confirm that the battery swelling caused this? Is dell not willing to  send  a new battery or is there other damage to the trackpad and palm as a result of this  swelling (as one has suggested above)?

I sent in the laptop and they replaced the battery. I'm not sure if they had to replace the trackpad also (conceivable given how bent out of shape it was).

Unfortunately when I got the laptop back I found that I was having boot issues and I had to reinstall Windows 10 from the OEM image. When I called to get support for the issue (which they caused) I was given a bit of a run-around (told I needed to pay for the premium support). And in addition they never even looked at the other reported issue... the right speaker is totally blown-out and squelchy/tinny.

I even got frustrated enough to file a BBB complaint.

dazzen,

how did you go about with your BBB complaint and what was the result? Dell depot caused many problems to my laptop 2 months ago and I am still trying to get some of them fixed.

This seem to be a recurring problem

Hi greenbull - Dell stopped responding to me about a week ago, after I sent them an additional letter outlining the issues I'm having and demanding a remediation or refund. Might just be the holidays though.

Sneakily, despite the fact that they did not respond to me, they did submit a follow-up to my BBB complaint stating that they are still working with me regarding the case. But since I've never heard from Dell, I can only assume they took that step to appease BBB, and not me. Hardly surprising given their 97% NEGATIVE rating on BBB.

To file a complaint, you can do so via. the BBB Website. Just provide a good and honest review of what happened and they will decide whether the case qualifies something they will work with.

www.bbb.org/.../dell-inc-in-round-rock-tx-41453

To be candid, I barely even care anymore. A $2,600 or so laptop (I got the 1TB 4k screen model on thanksgiving 2015 at best buy)... I'm pretty mad about it now having these issues - but I derive satisfaction from knowing that DELL will never get another penny from me, and for the rest of my time I will coerce others into buying non-Dell products whenever the topic comes up.

Hi dazzen,

We're listening. Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.

I request you to share the system service tag, registered owner's name and email via private message and we will look into this case right away. You could send a private message by hovering the mouse pointer over username and adding me as a friend.

Oh - and I'm STILL waiting for Dell to respond to the last letter regarding my BBB complaint, which was CC'd to the service support and a higher level person.