4 sourced reports, with what to check before you buy. Each one links to the page it was reported on.
Costly or dangerous
Left ear cup swivel point breaks, requiring full headband replacement at $198
Owner reports the plastic swivel joint broke about a week after the 1-year warranty expired. Sony's authorized repair center quoted $198 to replace the entire headband because the swivel is not sold as a separate part. This makes the repair cost nearly the price of a new pair.
What to check. Buyers should check the swivel joints early and consider that a broken swivel effectively totals the headphones since Sony only offers a full headband replacement at ~$198.
Side sliders crack and break during normal use — chronic, widely reported issue
A reviewer describes the side sliders as a chronic problem with hundreds of user posts about the same breakage point during normal use. The plastic piece is described as structural but designed as if non-structural, breaking from fatigue. Users resort to DIY fixes like super glue, zip ties, or 3D-printed replacements.
What to check. This is a known design weakness. Buyers should expect the side sliders to potentially crack with normal use and budget for aftermarket reinforcement or replacement parts.
Ear pad material flaking/tearing after ~2 years of use
An owner review on SoundGuys reports the soft parts (ear pads) started tearing after about 2 years of careful daily use. Another reviewer on Google Shopping also reported the material on the ear cups started flaking off. This is a consumable-wear issue rather than a structural failure.
What to check. Ear pads are a wear item expected to degrade after roughly 2 years. Buyers should budget for replacement ear pads as a normal maintenance cost.
Erratic behavior in cold temperatures — official Sony acknowledgement
Sony's official Turkish support page (dated 14.05.2025) acknowledges the WH-1000XM3 can behave unpredictably when subjected to sudden, significant temperature changes — symptoms include sudden volume changes and track skipping. Sony states the device is designed for optimal operation between 0°C and 40°C and recommends a power cycle as a temporary fix.
What to check. This is an official Sony acknowledgement of a known quirk. Buyers in cold climates (e.g., TR/EU winters) may experience erratic behavior when moving between warm indoors and cold outdoors; a restart is the official workaround.
These reports come from the pages linked under each item: owner forums, repair guides and workshops. They are not a diagnosis of any one unit, and a careful check of the one you are buying still applies.
Text from the Kriko Over-ear noise-cancelling headphones catalog, version 0.1.1, under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
