MPC One pad issue

Hello,
Just got a used MPC One and the lowest left drum pad is giving me issues. At first it worked but was VERY flaky; triggering at super low velocity, triggering sample twice, sometimes triggering the pad above it, just sounding buggy in general. Sometimes it seemed to work better with the full level button on. I adjusted sensitivity, tried a factory reset but no dice. At this point the pad doesn't seem to respond at all. It lights up but the light doesn't change like the others when its pressed. Doesn't register anything in the little diagnostic menu you can pull up with play+play/start+bank A either, though all other pads do. Everything else works flawless and the unit looks pristine. Saw some stuff about opening it up and checking connections/making sure the pad ribbon is seated but that makes me a little nervous. Any ideas before it comes to that? Thank you!

My pads 3, 7 and 8 also work badly.
They hardly make contact at all on the edges and you have to hit them much harder than the others.
I suspect that for some reason the plate under the pads has become dirty/damaged.
I have had my MPC One for over 2 years.
Someday I'll probably open an MPC, but that's only with a change to thick pads from the mpcstuff website.

Ever since I had to return not one but two consecutive MPC Ones with pad issues, I come back to check for similar reports every few months. I never fail to find one.

Maybe some day the issue of QC in this generation of MPCs will be raised. The issue of AKAI/inMusic's non-existent support as well.

Good luck.