MacBook Pro M4 Stuck on Startup Options / Cannot Restore via Configurator

Was this an Apple Store or an AASP? I think many Apple Stores tend to mail the laptop out to a mail-in repair depot.....even some AASPs do this as well.

I would say you need to contact Apple and tell them about your unsatisfactory repair experience. Assuming you agreed to the repair costs, Apple should repair your device. I've never seen Apple just try one part & go sorry. You will either be requoted the repair cost to take into account another required part, or it may be covered by the current repair tier (a Logic Board is one of the highest repair tiers & Apple will include any other parts from that tier & lower....or requote to the next highest tier).

I'm not sure if you should be contacting Apple tech support on this site (may be a place to start), but if no satisfaction, then contact Apple corporate. Unless their is total catastrophic or egregious damage, Apple will usually perform the repair if the owner is willing to pay.

FYI, only a diagnostic result with an error code is useful for troubleshooting. A passing diagnostic is usually irrelevant.

Unless the liquid was plain water, there is almost always visible residue to show where that liquid went. A repair tech should be removing & inspecting all I/O boards since they almost every time damaged from liquids even if there is no direct spill. Plus a tech should inspect every connector as they tend to be places get hit. A battery issue is also a possibility for performance issues. Assuming their replacement Logic Board was good (once in a while a replacement part can be bad...it is rare from Apple, but it happens....usually the symptoms change a bit), then you obviously have some other hardware issue with the laptop in addition to the MLB issue. My guess is the tech never really examined the damaged MLB closely to see where the liquid residue was seen. Most liquid spills will also cause damage to the Keyboard and/or Trackpad.

Unfortunately it is very difficult to troubleshoot these M-series Macs (actually any USB-C Mac) even more so if multiple parts are damaged. Apple doesn't make it easy for an AASP these days & the quality/experience of those techs vary greatly (some only blindly follow Apple's limited documentation, while others may be well versed in all sorts of equipment repair so can go beyond the paltry information Apple provides to them....the latter tech is best).

Another option.....see if you have the option to do a mail-in repair with Apple. People in the US (continental US anyway) have this option. You will be quoted according to a damage repair Tier pricing. I have no idea what you will be charged if you decline any requoted repairs.

Ivan-mmm wrote:

Thanks for the answer, but it’s not really a direct answer to my questions. I’m asking if it’s worth trying to restore with Apple Configurator or somebody knows which part is most likely to be damaged.

Most all parts are SMT (Surface Mount Technology) therefore think logic board.

Logic boards are replaced not repaired.

If Configurator s not working for you, take it in.

How to revive or restore Mac firmware - Apple Support

How to revive or restore Mac firmware - Apple Support

How to identify the DFU port on Mac—

How to identify the DFU port on Mac - Apple Support

In or out of warranty you can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

Make an appointment for a "hardware issue"

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Outside the USA

Contact Apple Support - Apple Support

Ivan-mmm wrote:

I have a MacBook Pro M4 that suffered a liquid incident shortly after purchase. After the spill, I waited about 72 hours for it to dry, cleaned it up, and it worked normally for almost 2 months, even after several restarts.

Liquid damage is insidious and pervasive. When liquid gets into an electronic device, it may cause an immediate short circuit that damages the device. Even if that does not occur, a few days after the liquid evaporates corrosion will begin to form and will spread over the coming weeks. At some point a critical component will fail and the device will stop working entirely. If your Mac is still functional and you aren’t regularly backing it up, now is the time to start (perhaps with Apple’s Time Machine that’s already on your Mac). 

Apple incorporates several moisture sensors into their products to reveal liquid ingress. Liquid damage is not covered by the warranty, though it is covered by AppleCare+ plans (which must be purchased/subscribed to separately). 

Note that repair prices for such damage are often very high because multiple components typically need to be replaced. Unfortunately, it is often more cost-effective to purchase a new Mac.