“Users report mixed responses from Google, and with many facing this issue just as their devices went out of warranty, getting proper support is complicated.”
A factory reset on a Pixel 6, 6a or 6 Pro now ends in a missing tune2fs file and a “Cannot load Android system” loop. The locked bootloader blocks the usual flash tools. Google’s repair service called it a motherboard problem and quoted a high price for phones just out of warranty. A factory reset is the step owners take right before resale. The phone is worth nothing at exactly the moment its owner tries to sell it.