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.

[hiroshi]

Sorry I made mistake twice.

One sorry for canon person!

Two

1. Press and hold RESET/STOP button

2. Press and hold POWER button.

3. Release RESET/STOP button

missing

Press RESET/STOP twice

4. Release POWER button

[Fruitty]

Last night frenzy struck. After trying to get into service mode numerous times and being rewarderd with blinking lights time and time again I sat down in utter despair. And now I've had it. This is my 3rd Canon product that stopped working from one moment to the next without any apparent reason. I slammed the lid shut, pulled power and USB-cord and could barely refrain from taking an axe to the wretched pile of plastic and steel junk. A new printhead and possibly repair will set me back around 300 euro's. A new Epson printer wil cost me less then 100 euro's, a little over a hundred if I want a more luxury model. So the choice is easy: the fu*$#ng Canon in the trash and get me an Epson printer. Bye Canon, this was really the last try to get through life with your junk, no more Canon for me anymore.

[TickBoy]

Today one of my golf partners reported his printer had failed, so I stopped him and said "let me guess!" Sure enough, he had the dreaded U052 message and a completely dead Canon printer. After doing all the cleanup and restart procedure they unplugged it in frustration. He and his wife being engineers, they tried to trouble shoot the problem but realized they couldn't fix it themselves. After our game he was off to buy a Brother printer.

[stuffed1printer]

If Canon were really genuine in wanting to give customers a solution to this printhead problem they would post a YouTube video of their technician repairing a customers printer in real time [no breaks in filming] following the companies instructions.We have programs showing up defective builders but never consumer products...probably because they are advertisers on TV. Bumper stickers would be most effective in shopping centre car parks. This built in obsolesence is not confined to printers only, car computers are able to count the distance travelled ....I wonder why? When your expensive onboard computer spits the dummy, you have nowhere to turn. Computer controlled cars will never become classic collectors items as they will have to be pushed due to lack of computer parts.

[zanne1950]

I'm sure they will try to blame it on the customer    I am certain I did nothing unusualThere is no reason for this message. I think it is programmed to fail

[shaval123]

I was thinking of trying to replace the printhead but you cannot even find them. I was even told by the Canon tech that a printhead would be more expensive than the printer and from what I have seen, he is right.

Thought about buying used for parts printer but who knows if replacing the printhead will even work???

[pebbles3sandi]

The printheads are almost as expensive as the printer itself. More worthwhile to buy a new printer from another company.

[janet1]

Hi --

Actually a class action suit was filed against Canon. Unfortunately for me (and probably for you) the deadline for getting in on the suit was December 7. My problem occurred shortly before that date (Dec. 3) but I left town and returned evening of Dec. 7. Alas!

My printer actually woke up and behaved nicely for a brief period after I first had this error situation. I was already about to purchase an HP printer with all the same functionality for $50 at Staples, when my Canon MG5320 came back to life after I plugged it back in. I then ran the built-in maintenance processes including a deep clean of the ink nozzles. The next thing I printed was perfect -- and now it's not working again. Back to the same problem.

So you might look into buying an HP printer. I won't buy another Canon given this issue and the fact that relatively new printers are experiencing this problem. According to the class action suit documentation, Canon denies that there is anything wrong. You can read all about it if you google Canon class action lawsuit. It is going to cost Canon $930,000 to settle with the claimants. 

Good luck finding a better printer.

[Trelution]

I had this error pop up mid printing on my 2y/o  MG5320. It has never had a problem then all of a sudden this error has basically bricked it. I just find it enfuriating that O.K. say the printer part is screwed. Let me use the other features that don't require the printer, not hold it hostage behind an error message! Has anyone ever brought back one from this error? All my googling didn't turn up any solutions. I took out all the ink and print head and unplugged the thing overnight even. I have always loved canons printers, but this might make it the last one I ever buy.

[eclypse3demons]

Anyone else get a PM from Canon ITS to replace their printer?  I just got a PM from canonfriends@cits.canon.com with an offer to send my printer in for a replacement.....