Recurring MacBook Air M2 Crash and Reboot Issues - Persistent DCP PANIC Errors Despite Repairs

It is an issue related to a display.

DCP == Display Co-Processor

It could be related to an external display, or possibly an external adapter/dock/hub/cable which has a display connection or has display features, or it could be the I/O port on the laptop, display cables, or the Logic Board itself. There is even a possibility of a macOS bug which certain hardware configurations involving displays can crash the system with these DCP Kernel Panics. As you can see, there are a lot of possibilities here with very few actually involving a hardware issue with the M-series Mac.

We have seen lots various DCP based Kernel Panics on this forum, but very little useful information or feedback from users. This is not something that is easy to troubleshoot. The first level Apple support agents have no clue about what they are doing when it comes to this particular issue since they do not understand Kernel Panics. You need to have Apple support escalate your issue up the chain so you can get assistance from an Apple engineer who understands Kernel Panics.

You can also help out by trying to identify whether any particular external device is causing this problem. It is best to do the testing with a clean install of macOS. A clean install of macOS is when you erase the disk followed by reinstalling macOS......just do not install any third party apps or restoring from a backup just in case there is a third party software component associated with the issue. Test thoroughly a clean install under these conditions. If you cannot reproduce the problem with a clean install under these conditions, then you can try reinstalling third party apps one at a time to see if & when the issue comes back. Restoring from a backup although that will likely bring back the third party software causing the issue unless you only bring back the home user folder(s) & your data.

Either you will figure out the source of the problem, or you will be able to provide Apple engineers with some valuable information regarding the issue.

Has anyone else had this issue with their M2 MacBook?

Yes. Many. Bring it back to Apple a third time, repeat as required.

Statistically, some percentage of devices will fail (regardless of how well designed they might be), and someone is going to own one of those devices when it fails...

You just got to be the (un)lucky winner this time around...one device out of however many, one time out of ten years is pretty good statistics though...

kingshum98 wrote:

Thank you, HWTech, for your detailed insight 🙏

When I went to the Apple Store, the technician erased everything and did a full clean install of macOS. Since then, I haven't installed any third-party apps at all, but the problem still keeps happening 😓

If that is the case, then the Apple Store should be willing to start replacing parts on the laptop. Most people end up reinstalling everything after the clean install which complicates matters. The fact your laptop continues having Kernel Panics in a pristine state indicates a hardware issue with the laptop itself. See if the Apple Store is now willing to repair the laptop.