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]

They insult our intelligence by offering such a ridiculous remedy.  Most of us could buy a new printer for that sort of money.

Happily we are not stupid enough to buy another Canon.

[cfOH]

Has anyone had their print head fail within the unit's warranty period?

[peterundle]

I can add model MG5250 to the list. I guess I must have been lucky that it has taken 5 years to fail. I've cleaned the heads - both the detachable bit and the fixed bit, left for 5 hours - way more than 5 minutes - and still no luck. Guess it's a new printer then.

[wiredefx]

cfOH, They seem to usually fail after 2 years. There are a few on here that are less but they were still not taken care of. Well, they were offered 40% off list price for s new model. But 40% off LIST price is still higher than retail price. Some have fallen for that as well thinking they were getting a deal, when they were just being taken on ride #2 by canon. I like my new HP.

[peterundle]

I've just been shopping for a new printer. As if the problem were not enough in itself there are now no Canon printers sold that use the same ink cartridges (CLI-525/6) so as my existing stock is useless to me I may as well go with a different manafacturer. Ah well, it makes the choice easier.

[thezillionthsue]

I gave all my (many) surplus cartridges to my daughter, who unfortunately for her has the same Canon printer as I had.

Luckily for her, she has so far not got the U052 error message.

As for me, I'm very happy with my new (now newish)  Epson printer and have no intention of buying any Canon product ever again.

However I shan't be buying cartridges in bulk again, just in case ......

[wiredefx]

Keep them off the wifi and they will not get the U052 problem. My neighbors MP610 is still running but has never been in wifi or firmware updated.

[cfOH]

This is happening with printers that don't even have Wi-Fi, so networking has nothing to do with it.

[Aardvark]

Correct!

[wiredefx]

Ok, let me put it this way. If any of the listed printers is able to receive or retrieve updates, it will go down. From what I have witnessed, standalone units that are not connected to wifi or a computer are not affected. I am currently keeping tabs on nine standalone canon printers that are on the list, they are still running. Five are at a school, two at a local print shop, one at a body shop and one at my neighbors house. Anyone else I have spoke to that had a listed printer connected to wifi or a computer, their printer is now dead.