My early 2013 15" Retina MacBook Pro (macOS 12 via OCLP) has a “normal” battery (661 cycles). But it shuts down randomly at 40–60%, shows inaccurate battery life, and recalibration/SMC/PRAM resets didn’t help. Is the battery likely faulty, or does it need replacement?
Since your Mac shuts down randomly, I suggest you back up your data ASAP. Once your Mac won’t boot up in the future, you’ll lose your data.
This is a classic case of battery degradation where the reported “normal” status is misleading.
At 661 cycles on a 2013 machine, the battery is well past its reliable lifespan. Random shutdowns at 40–60% and jumping percentages usually mean the cells can’t maintain a stable voltage under load.
Since you’ve already reset SMC/PRAM and tried recalibration with no success, it’s almost certainly a worn-out battery, not a software issue (OCLP isn’t the cause here). Replacement is the realistic fix.
I have some tips for extending a Mac’s battery life.
- Lower screen brightness.
- Turn off keyboard backlight.
- Disable login items (You can use iBoysoft Cleaner to help you manage your login items and services with one click).
- Turn off Bluetooth/Wi-Fi when not needed