Call to Arms for the dreaded U052 Wrong Printhead Error

[macnicol]

This is a "call to arms" for all of you Canon customers who have had this problem and have had their printers disabled because of it.  Please respond with the model of your printer and if you were able to fix it, what you did to fix it. 

We need to put pressure on Canon to respond this product defect.  It appears to be bad firmware that does not allow the user to override the problem and to continue to use the printer even in a degraded mode.  From my investigations the problem is NOT a printhead issue - no way one can be printing fine and then have this error alert without having changed the printhead or ink cartridges!

Canon, PLEASE take this issue seriously and provide a solution across the affected models.  If nothing else there should be a trade-in allowance for those printers that have been affected by this product defect.

I have had many Canon printers because they have superior functional specifications. I want to be able to continue using Canon products but only if I can have confidence that this product defect will not destroy my investment.

If Canon is unresponsive our next step should be to aggressively publisize this product defect on social media and on major product vendor outlet sites as negatives reviews.

Forum Users, please reply with your affected model number(s) and with details of any succdessful fix procedure.

[Aardvark]

NO. There is absolutely no point in wasting more money buying a new printhead. Several people in the hundreds of postings here have tried it and it didn't work. This is simply a ripoff strategy by Canon.

[Cate]

Thank you.  Not the answer I was hoping for, but it was the one I expected.  

[Momodee]

PIXMA MP500. Out of the blue, turned on printer and received this message.  Original print head, so I know it is something else. I tried the recommended remove the ink tanks, remove the printer head, put the printer head back, put the ink tanks back, turn the printer off, unplug the printer for 5-10 minutes and try again, to no avail.   I will join a class action suit.  From Canon's forum, this seems to be a known issue that Canon does not want to take responsibility for and address.  So much for Canon products for me and my family/frineds in the future,  We really need to take this to social media and not just Canon's forum.  Thanks to everyone for talking about this problem so that we know it is not just us.  

[Momodee]

Just called Canon about this issue and they really do not care at all about their customers.  I was told that print heads wear out and I should just purchase a new one.  It will be a cold day in hell...There is no sense of corporate responsibility.  No concern about the fact that a customer is dissatisfied and plans to go elsewhere in the future...nothing.  This will be my last Canon printer.  

[Cate]

I guess print heads might wear out, over time.  In our case, the printer is (was!) only 2 years old, and we seldom use it for printing.  We fax and copy almost exclusively.  I feel I should have been smarter:  From Day 1 we had the "low ink" (black) error message, which persisted even though we changed the cartridge(s).  This was our first Canon printer.  Previously we had HPs, both of which endured over 10 years.  This has been an expensive lesson!

[Momodee]

Maybe print heads do eventually wear out, but I have never had that happen to any printer in the past and my printer was used infrequently and had no previous issues.  In addition, many of the posts here indicated that a new print head did not solve the problem.  It seems that there is somethig else going on here.  I am not going to throw good money after bad, so to speak.  I always had good luck with HP printers in the past, so maybe that is the way to go.  

[Cate]

I found a new model HP — wireless, scan, copy, print (no fax) at Best Buy website on sale for $150.  Especially given the time and ink cartridges we've wasted trying to fix the Canon, that price looks pretty good.  And apparently only $50 more than a new printhead that won't fix the problem.

[puppylove]

It's ridiculous. You can get many $175-$200 ish level AIO units now for around $100 or less during BF... exactly what you would pay for a new cartdrige that may or may not last - why not have a new unit for the same price + warranty and a company that won't ignore you.

Everyone buying new units remember to use your CC and charge the full amount (no gift cards etc) since you will get a doubled warrranty then.

[LocalHero]

There's an Epson WF 3620 that has a high rating for an inkjet.   Sells for $129 at a lot of places.   Anyone have any experience with that printer?

Meanwhile I bought another Canon because I found one at a yard sale for $20 that still works perfectly.   It will be a good stop-gap printer til I decide on a new one.    Probably the last Canon printer I ever buy though.

[amanueldada]

my mp 620 went error with header and after one year mx 870 wrong printhead what should i do any help