I have a P4 Pro with low use. Never a hard landing. Never crashed. Never caried by one of the arms, no rough treatment at all.

However, this P4 Pro has developed a cracked arm on the underside between the vent and the screw hole (near the prop). See attached picture below.

Is this a common issue? I know there used to be a lot of complaints about brittle plastic in the controllers, but I didn't know if this extended to problems with the P4's plastic shells as well?

Edit: Actually 3 of the 4 arms are cracked after closer inspection... Just on the bottom shell and in the same place as the first one I noticed. The other 2 are just not as noticeable...yet. Off to service it went...

Edit2: Here is anorther example of the same issue when I searched for 'stress crack': Stress Cracks in 5 week old P4P . There are plenty of others. How to Stop P4 Stress Cracks, Phantom 4 stress crack!, Small crack upper shell front left arm near motor, Crack on frame P4P, P4 motor mount fatigue crack after 6.5 hours of airtime, Landing gear-Around motor stress cracks, Totally Unacceptable - Cracked Shell, Hairline shell crack P4, Big crack - 3 day old phantom 4, etc.

I haven't seen it so much in P4 pro, p3s yes, think you should send it in.

It's nice to hear that you have contacted our support team and report the issue. Our engineers will check and do damage assessment once they received the unit.

Just sent mine in yesterday, cracks in SAME area both rear motors, called STRESS Cracks...commong. No even without rough handling.

DJI Susan Posted at 2017-8-8 19:48
It's nice to hear that you have contacted our support team and report the issue. Our engineers will check and do damage assessment once they received the unit.

Sure hope that DJI is working on solving this problem. My month old P4P went in yesterday for the same thing on both rear motors. No rough handling not a mark on the bird except these stress cracks!

BrianKushner Posted at 2017-8-8 20:04
Just sent mine in yesterday, cracks in SAME area both rear motors, called STRESS Cracks...commong. No even without rough handling.

Sorry to hear about this, we'll take care of it after it arrived, hope everything goes smoothly!

If many people are pointing out the issue and it seems to be an error in workmanship is DJI going to cover the repairs? Or will the inidiviuals be responsible or need to claim one of their warrantee replacements?

BrianKushner Posted at 2017-8-8 20:08
Sure hope that DJI is working on solving this problem. My month old P4P went in yesterday for the same thing on both rear motors. No rough handling not a mark on the bird except these stress cracks!

Hi Reading about these cracks prompted me to check my drone out. All good for now. I hope you get it fixed ok. I would think a new shell would have to be fitted. I am hoping mine will stay ok. I am reluctant to send my drone for repairs as I might not see that drone ever again.

picky Posted at 2017-8-8 23:51
Hi Reading about these cracks prompted me to check my drone out. All good for now. I hope you get it fixed ok. I would think a new shell would have to be fitted. I am hoping mine will stay ok. I am reluctant to send my drone for repairs as I might not see that drone ever again.

I don't know if it will do any good but I put in the case comments to please just replace the shell and not the aircraft itself. I've had several different used drones sent back in the past to 'fix' an issue only to gain a new set of problems.

BrianKushner Posted at 2017-8-8 20:04
Just sent mine in yesterday, cracks in SAME area both rear motors, called STRESS Cracks...commong. No even without rough handling.

Now that I search these fourms and others, I see quite a lot of these stress cracks reported in the shells...

• Stress Cracks in 5 week old P4P
• How to Stop P4 Stress Cracks
• Phantom 4 stress crack!
• Small crack upper shell front left arm near motor
• Crack on frame P4P
• P4 motor mount fatigue crack after 6.5 hours of airtime
• Landing gear-Around motor stress cracks
• Totally Unacceptable - Cracked Shell
• Hairline shell crack P4
• Big crack - 3 day old phantom 4
  

Etc... Got tired of linking, but there are plenty of examples of stress cracking in P4, P4A, and P4P shells around the motors.

DJI Susan Posted at 2017-8-8 19:48
It's nice to hear that you have contacted our support team and report the issue. Our engineers will check and do damage assessment once they received the unit.

Hi Susan or other DJI mod,

I sent this in with the description as:

"Case Description: Cracked arm. Picture attached. Never crashed and never a hard landing, please check logs to confirm. Please replace the shell, but do not replace the whole aircraft with another because I have had problems in the past with receiving multiple defective units from DJI service. This unit is fine, it just has a crack in the shell from problems with the strength of the plastic."

After being evaluated, I received an invoice stating that the middle frame had been replaced.

Then I received an email with tracking information stating that the unit has been shipped back out.

However, the aircraft serial # reportedly being returned does not match the aircraft serial # sent in.

Are you able to tell any more about this? I am not sure how much clearer I could have been...

st pauli Posted at 2017-8-23 10:52
Hi Susan or other DJI mod,

I sent this in (case CAS-876487-G7D7L5) with the description as:

Per the case log, the aircraft was replaced with an un-activated. I would recommend you to active it and check the performance first. I'd glad to help if there is any further issues.

DJI Susan Posted at 2017-8-24 04:20
Per the case log, the aircraft was replaced with an un-activated. I would recommend you to active it and check the performance first. I'd glad to help if there is any further issues.

Thanks for the reply, Susan, I appreciate you looking into it. I haven't heard that term before, I assume an un-activated means a new product. Hopefully that is the case. Still wish DJI would have contacted me first since my request was explicit. I am interested to get this new unit and see how it goes. I appreciate it.

st pauli Posted at 2017-8-24 08:06
Thanks for the reply, Susan, I appreciate you looking into it. I haven't heard that term before, I assume an un-activated means a new product. Hopefully that is the case. Still wish DJI would have contacted me first since my request was explicit. I am interested to get this new unit and see how it goes. I appreciate it.

Sounds like you are getting another aircraft for sure. Good luck! Should be fine...but it was apparently somebody's at some point but never activated???

st pauli Posted at 2017-8-24 08:06
Thanks for the reply, Susan, I appreciate you looking into it. I haven't heard that term before, I assume an un-activated means a new product. Hopefully that is the case. Still wish DJI would have contacted me first since my request was explicit. I am interested to get this new unit and see how it goes. I appreciate it.

Corresponding solution was offered according to the damage assessment result and ensure that you will get a working aircraft. Apologies if this make you confused.