The GHD Mk5 is the natural successor to the much-loved Mk4 — a refined version of a proven classic, and like the Mk4, one of the most repairable and worthwhile GHDs to fix. If your Mk5 has stopped working, the odds are strongly in favour of a cheap, straightforward repair rather than a replacement: these are well-built straighteners, and a fault is almost always one small failed component on an otherwise excellent pair. Here's what typically goes wrong and how it's put right.
I've been repairing electronics for over 25 years — here's the practical guide for the Mk5 range.
First — is yours a Mk5?
The Mk5 range has a sliding on/off switch and includes the standard 5.0, the wide-plate SS5.0, the mini MS5.0 and the SC5 Contour. The model number is on the label inside the arm — if it starts with 5. (or SS5/MS5/SC5), you've got a Mk5.
The Mk5 is closely related to the Mk4 — so much of that guide applies here too, including one important shared fault (more below). Both are repairable thanks to the sliding switch. If you're unsure whether yours is a Mk4 or Mk5, how to find your GHD model number will confirm it — though for repair purposes the two are very similar.
The most common GHD Mk5 faults
Won't heat up — including the R8/R11 fault
The most common Mk5 fault is powering on normally but the plates staying cold. As with the Mk4, this is often the thermal fuse — and the Mk5 shares the Mk4's well-known R8/R11 resistor weakness, two small circuit-board components that can fail and stop the straighteners heating, and that often take out (or come back to bother) a repair if they're not addressed.
Because of this, I replace R8 and R11 as a preventative on every Mk5 repair, exactly as I do on the Mk4 — it's the difference between a repair that lasts and one that returns a fortnight later. I've explained the R8/R11 fault in more detail in my Mk4 guide and in my guide to GHDs that won't heat up. On the Mk5 it's just as relevant, and just as included in the price.
Cutting out or only working when you hold the cable
The Mk5's mains cable can fail where it flexes near the iron, giving intermittent power. It's a common, inexpensive fix — see my guide to GHD cable faults.
Completely dead
No lights at all points to a power fault — the cable, the plug fuse, the internal fuse, or again those R8/R11 resistors. Worth checking the free things first (see GHD won't turn on) before it comes in for repair.
One plate cold, on the wide-plate SS5.0 especially
One plate heating while the other stays cold is a failed heater element. Worth a specific note for SS5.0 (wide-plate) owners: the wide plates use larger elements, so the correct wide-plate part is essential — a standard element won't fit or heat evenly across the wider plate.
What a GHD Mk5 repair costs
The Mk5 is a standard-tier model, so it's a flat £29 all-in — the part, labour, return postage and a full PAT safety test, with no hidden charges. The R8/R11 preventative replacement is included in that price on every Mk5 repair, not an extra. Every repair is backed by my no-fix-no-fee promise — if I can't fix it, you don't pay for the repair — and a 12-month warranty against the same fault returning.
How the repair works
Send your Mk5 in and I'll diagnose the actual fault, fit the correct parts (the right wide-plate element for an SS5.0, for instance), replace R8/R11 as a preventative so the same fault is less likely to come back, then heat-test the straighteners to confirm both plates reach the right temperature and PAT safety-test them before they come back. I do the work myself, in-house, from start to finish.
Is it worth repairing a GHD Mk5?
Very much so — like the Mk4, the Mk5 is one of the most worthwhile GHDs to repair. It's a proven, well-built straightener that's already shown it can go the distance, and a fault is nearly always a single inexpensive component rather than the end of the road. £29 to keep a genuinely good pair going, versus £100-plus for a replacement, is an easy decision — and it keeps a reliable classic in use rather than in landfill.
If your GHD Mk5, 5.0 or SS5.0 has stopped working, you can book a not heating repair here — or see all the GHD repairs I offer. I'll send simple instructions for posting your straighteners in, confirm the exact fault when they arrive, and get them back to you working as they should.
The Repair Works is an independent UK repair service, run by me, Paul — 25 years of hands-on repair experience, working by post for customers across the whole country. Not affiliated with or endorsed by GHD.
