Dell USA hinge/hinge assembly policy However, if the laptop hinge or hinge assembly fails outside of the purchased warranty period, or is a result of customer caused damage, then the customer will be required to pay for the repair and parts using our expired warranty service offering. The customer may also opt to purchase the necessary parts to replace the hinges themselves or have a local technician do the work.
I bought my Inspiron 16 7610 five months ago. The Hardware and software had been working as expected for a new laptop, until the cold night I opened the lid and heard a crack. Then I realized the right hinge had broken. Somehow the mechanism did not open and the top side of the metallic hinge attached to the lower right corner of the screen had come out of its plastic cover. It is worth mentioning, my laptop was never hit or dropped and has no scratches because I have always used my laptop with extreme care. At the time I reached the DELL technical support to check the factory guarantee, I was sure they would agree to replace the broken hinge (there is no way they can blame me for a factory assembly problem). But to my surprise, this kind of failure is not covered by the basic guarantee agreement.I’m very disappointed of realize that all DELL customers should pay for the repair if their brand new computer if the pieces fall apart. Be careful is not enough, it seems you will have to pay for the ‘Accidental Damage’ if you want to be covered against ‘bad design’, or ‘bad assembly’ problems. which is cheaper than $179 I paid for the repair. I hope this helps others save money! [IMAGE]Photo I sent to technical support   [IMAGE]photo I sent to technical support  
Inspiron 16 7610 Hinge Failure - Laptop assembly not covered by the Basic 
Guarantee plan