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.

[Towboatman]

yeah i did not have proof of purchase on my Printer either so was not able to get into the class action suit . I have purchased another Printer Brothers got my cash this time. Shame on you Canon to let Loyal People go like this.

[JohnWPB]

I have received this error, and have found no solution.  I have an MG5520 that I purchased a few years back.  I purchased this particular model, as you can print directly to CD's, DVD's ect with the purchase of a disk caddy/tray.

I am a MS certified technician, and know my way around hardware. Yet,I have not been able to resolve this problem.  I have tried all of the suggestions in this thread, as well as many other suggestions on Youtube and many, many other forums that mention this problem.

I have been using Canon for many years now.  It was in fact a Canon Rep that I had met that "sold me" on Canon printers. He used to be at my local Best Buy on weekends to demo and answer any and all questions about the printers regarding features, ink, paper types ect.  Even before this, I started with one of their first "Bubble Jet" printers, the Canon BJ-200 many years ago.  It was hooked to my back then, Comodore Amiga computer. (Heck it had a paralell port, and a max black & white resolution of 360 x 360 dpi!)  I have since then, upgraded to a new Canon printer every few years as technology progresses.

I am sad to say that after reading so many, many, many reports of this problems, from countless others, I am done with Canon.  All I have seen in response from them is to send the printer in for service, or to buy a new printer.  Unaceptable when this is such a WIDE known problem.

I just purchased a new Epson printer, and will never look back.

[Mod note: Removed per FORUM GUIDELINES], and [Mod note: Removed per FORUM GUIDELINES]  to save $10 🙂

Sorry Canon, but I will no longer be one of your customers.

Edit to add:

Here is one [Mod note: Removed per FORUM GUIDELINES] I will probably be putting the same type video up here real soon!

EDIT: Interesting, a MOD removed a link in this post to a YouTube video of a guy smashing a printer.  How does that violate any of the forum guidlines or rules?  I read them carefully, and see nothing that pertains to this.

Interestingly enough, the same rules linked to by the Moderator state:  "We value our customers and want to make sure we address your questions or issues in the best way possible"

[whsii2]

NOTE: Since my original message below, I took a survey from Canon customer support - I critizing the reliablity of the Canon Printer Head and gave the printer a very low rating. My review was rejected since it "did not discuss the features of the product". My response was there were no features to comment on since the printer did not work and that my survey comments should be shown in their product review. They arranged for technical support to contact me, and I was surprised when they readily agreed to replace the print head at no charge! Thought that I would pass this along...this is a printer that I really liked (when it worked) and I had a large supply of new unreturnable ink. You might want to try this route... 

Original message 

Another 2 year old Canon printer MX892 bites the dust with the U052 error. Tried  (3 times) removing and cleaning the printer head with no success. Called Canon support - no help or actual support for their product / design failure. The part costs as much as a printer, so it does not seem worth fixing - it would seem good customer relations for Canon to replace the defective printer head with a new/rebuild one for free. A shame, since I really did like the printer. I thought that the scheme of printer manufacturers was to build a relieable printer, sell it cheap and hook the consumer on expensive ink refills. Guess not with Canon...

[GuyNamedJoe]

The Court has AGAIN postponed the "fairness hearing" to April 25, 2016! No reason was given in the Court document for the postponement. Meanwhile, Canon has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on behalf of its affected customers! I suspect, but can't prove, that Canon is taking the tactic of continuous delay in paying out agreed upon settlements. Perhaps a Canon employee will read this and provide that reason!

[burritoboy9984]

Just want to add another MX892 to the trash heap from the U052 error. I purchased the printer in April of 13 as a backup for the day when my current printer would stop working. It finally died last year in August at which time I replaced it with the unopened MX892. Now, less than 8 months later and I'm guessing around 200 pages tops, I'm stuck purchasing a new printer. I tried calling Canon to see if they would do anything about it, and they just referred me to their loyalty department where they could give me a 10% discount from their website price. It looks like I'm too late to join the class action suit and I'm stuck with a bunch of printer cartridges now, thanks Canon.

[Mamagull]

Dear "GuyNamedJoe" Could you give us some hints as to the source of the fairness hearing that you referred to? Is it too late to get on their bandwagon????

[shaval123]

Even if you did change the print head that would not fix the issue. It is not really a print head problem but a design flaw.

[KBeck]

It's not even a design flaw.

On my dead and gone Canon printer, there was a firmware update, distributed from Canon. Four days after applying the update, U052 appeared.

My opinion: The software change was distributed precisely to kill older Canon printers. Very likely there is -0- wrong with any of these printers: The firmware on currently shipping printers is killing off Canon's printers for the likely express reason of scaring up more business.

Now, with sane people, a printer malfunctioning like this would mean going to another vendor. But enough Joe and Jane Six-Packs simply shrug, run down to their nearest computer store, and buy another printer. Ta-da! Instant cash flow.

There was this guy in Brooklyn, NY, who used to run around with a metal rod and bash peoples' car windhields in during the dead of the night. He owned an auto glass repair store. Not all of the people with busted glass (fully covered by insurance, by the by) would come to him - but enough did to make it a worthwhile endeavor. This was a few years back when security cameras weren't as common as they are now. But, eventually, he did it where there was such a cam and got caught.

My opinion: What's going on with Canon is just like this guy, shrouded in the mystery of DRM'd, closed-source firmware pushed by a company looking for a profit. Fairness, my butt. Canon probably planned for the class action lawsuit; discovery probably hasn't happened yet, and Canon probably plans that it never will. And Canon's based in Japan: The Japanese don't let discovery from U.S. Courts cross the Pacific.

Canon=crooks and theives.

KBeck

[Hbanush]

This is an interesting suggestion. I keep thinking that Canon could fix the problem by changing something in the code to remove the message. If they were serious about correcting this issue,they would have done that. With all the bad publicity you would think they would decide to fix it. I keep reading these letters hoping for a fix. I've bought an Epson but still have my Canon in case a fix becomes available.

[shaval123]

I agree. I will never buy another Canon product of any kind.