Bricks cracking... just from being connected to one another?

[Endgame]

I've had a Galaxy Squad: Vermin Vaporizer built since Christmas. What I've found that, especially slopes, is that they start developing cracks that become rather noticeable - is this normal? It seems like either the stud is too big or the piece is too small. I also found that in one of ADU figs (purely for display, was played with lightly about once) the torso nearly split half just by being connected to the legs.

[JopieK]

I hav experienced it with the Maersk train tiles. Contact LEGO for replacement parts!

[Yatkuu]

I have had slopes with cracks.. the cheese seems the most fragile ones.

My worst experience with cracked bricks is with my Empire State building on display on my desk at work... I built it once and never took it apart, there are at least 5 bricks with noticeable cracks.

[TheRedGuy]

I never had any cracks on any of my pieces... Maybe it's because I never keep anything built for more than a month.

[Drock]

Are you keeping it somewhere where it's exposed to high temperatures or excessive light? I've ruined countless cheese slopes and 1x1 clips that way. It does seem strange that it would happen so quickly, though

[Vindicare]

As far as I've noticed, I don't have a problem. I haven't done any extensive look overs of any built display sets...maybe I should. I will keep my fingers crossed thatvthis doesn't happen. Fortunately for us AFOLs, TLG has the best customer service and is quick to get replacement parts out fast.

[jonwil]

I have witnessed any number of cheese slopes (especially in dk bley) that have cracked just by being in my long-term-built-and-intended-for-shows models.

[Jargo]

I think there needs to be some sort of survey done on this issue. To find out if environment plays a part in the deterioration of parts. Is it more common in certain parts of the world? More common in certain indoor conditions? That sort of thing. Perhaps someone more competent in the field of data gathering could make a thread with a standard report form and then each post in the thread follows the form and data could be more easily collated. Such information must be useful to Lego.

[maksavorst]

I have the same problem. Ever since I came back from the dark ages..

Cheese slopes, 1x1 bricks, 2x1 and 1x1 plates, plates with clips, are the most common to have cracks :(

I even have cracks in the Bright Green Panel 1 x 2 x 3 with Side Supports - Hollow Studs from the 4432 garbage truck.

I have thought if I am doing something wrong, but I keep them in drawers and not near heaters or anything like that.

It's so disappointing to witness cracking with such light use. I can't imagine what would happen if I would play with them all the time.

It's quite annoying to order replacements one by one for each set.. I wish I could get more quality for my money.

[Endgame]

No, the climate and humidity where I live is incredibly mild - i can't figure out why it is happening! I'll ring up customer service for sure.

[gratefulnat]

I have been into LEGO since 2002, now having around 200K parts & +1300 minifigures.

Many of my sets have been displayed for years, many have been built 3-4 times, and others have been parted out and used. Many sets were also played with (and destroyed) by kids.

My apartment goes from about 20° C in winter up to 26° C if we have a hot summer. The LEGO is not exposed to direct sunlight, and extreme humidity is not an issue.

Over all this time I have found 2 cheese slopes, 1 1x1 brick, 3 headlight bricks, and one torso with cracks. I have replaced 27 minifigure arms due to cracks (surprisingly 24 were leftarms), but these were mostly figures that had been played (thrown ) with by my son & friends when they were younger.

Obviously there could be many parts where I have overlooked cracks, but I tend to box up sets after a number of years of play/use and try to check for any cracks/broken parts while doing so.

So it appears that bricks cracking seems to be very arbitrary - some sets are very affected while others are not. Maybe certain production runs using older (or brand new?) moulds can cause this. Or maybe the cooling process was faulty during production. It seems that it doesn't depend on where (Mexico or Europe) as people from all around the globe report about this quality issue.

I wonder if the number of affected bricks is much higher than I'd like to think, because I don't imagine most kids (or their parents) complain to LEGO when they find a brick with a crack or not, unless in a brand new set.

I do remember experiencing many more broken parts in the 70's, but that was because as a kid I sometimes played hard and abused the poor bricks.

I'm sure this quality isssue has always existed, but when you start shelling out your own cash for a premium toy you naturally watch more closely for these kind of problems. And of course the internet is also very apt at turning something minor into something major.

Basically I'm very torn about this and don't know what to think. Is it a problem or not? (for those who have affected parts, it certainly is. But looking at the whole picture, based on my own LEGO bricks, maybe it isn't such a large issue)

Most certainly very annoying to those who have cracked parts, but is it so widespread that LEGO needs to react?

[Front]

Don't expose bricks to something like butter or perfume !

Erland

Part Design

[Vindicare]

Don't expose bricks to something like butter or perfume !

Erland

Part Design

Huh? Why on earth would butter be on your bricks? Eating toast while building maybe?...

[Jargo]

I always butter my bricks. D'OH!

[TheLegoDr]

I have a large inventory of prices that have cracks, quite a few straight from the box. Since I don't build every set I buy I don't always notice right away. With that said, the downfall is I can't always ask TLG for replacement parts since I don't know which set they came from. The downside is I have asked for replacement parts multiple times and they question a lot. I know they don't want their service to be taken advantage of, but I'm one of the most honest people you'll meet. So I've basically just accepted that I have tons of ruined bricks. They don't have the clutch power anymore, but they can sometimes work.

[LEGO Historian]

I have a large collection of parts from all decades since the 1950s... and besides the warping of Cellulose Acetate parts from 1949-63... LEGO parts have been quite resilient over the decades. The main problem I have found have been trans clear bricks... which are made of Polycarbonate... a more brittle plastic than ABS (which by the was is a milky color... and therefore can't be made into trans-clear).

My personal belief is that since Bayer stopped producing the pre-colored plastic pellets for TLG earlier this century... the quality of some batches of plastic/colors of parts is not always consistent. And those cheese slopes are notorious for problems... have heard that cracking complaint from many sources.

Interesting about keeping butter and perfume away from LEGO... I would add to that rubbing alcohol...

[Hrw-Amen]

Um, I often eat toast whilst building, must be why I have some 1X1 bricks that have cracks in them, some of them cracked right out of the box and are just like that when they come. Usually it is only a very small hairline fracture that does not deter from its buildability in any way and normally it can be turned around so it is not seen. I've never noticed it on cheese slopes? I'll have to look out for it though as I use a lot of them on my train MOCs.

Must remember to not eat toast whilst building!!

[Legononymous]

How common is this? Its kind of the reason I got out of LEGO the last time. I had gotten a couple of minifigs split

Up the side seam while installing the legs. New sets! I'm guessing this whole brick/minifig

Cracking isn't a common thing. Still bothered me though and still does as I venture into my third attempt

At collectiing/buying LEGO

[LEGO Historian]

I recently disassembled a LEGO MOC of about 3,000 pieces that I had put together 30 years ago... with parts from the 1970s and 1980s.... they were subjected to some heat, some humidity and some light (although not a lot) over the years... and NOT A SINGLE CRACKED PIECE!!!

[kermit]

You should check the label on the back of your brick. Yep made in china lol. Contact Lego they should send you a replacement, I just hope you kept your billing info/receipt just in case. I always keep mind till im done building a set to make sure everything is ok.

[TrumpetKing]

When it comes to replacement parts, I believe that they only require a proof of purchase when you order minifigure parts from licensed sets. I tried to get a replacement of the spear piece (My Series 3 Tribal Chief Minifigure is missing his), and neither 8803 nor 8827, the sets where I can get them from are on the Replacement Parts came from, so I had gone to the "The Battle of Helm's Deep" section, and placed a spear from there on my list, but they want a proof of purchase, so should I explain the situation to them, then ask if there is any other way to get the part, since it wasn't originally from a licensed figure? Thanks.

Woah, I just turned a current example of mine from a helpful tip to a question.

[Rick]

Woah, I just turned a current example of mine from a helpful tip to a question.

To avoid derailing this thread, I suggest you ask your question here.

[Vindicare]

I have a large inventory of prices that have cracks, quite a few straight from the box. Since I don't build every set I buy I don't always notice right away. With that said, the downfall is I can't always ask TLG for replacement parts since I don't know which set they came from. The downside is I have asked for replacement parts multiple times and they question a lot. I know they don't want their service to be taken advantage of, but I'm one of the most honest people you'll meet. So I've basically just accepted that I have tons of ruined bricks. They don't have the clutch power anymore, but they can sometimes work.

Even if you don't plan on keeping the set together, I would always build the set to make sure everything is there and that the isn't any cracked pieces.

You should check the label on the back of your brick. Yep made in china lol. Contact Lego they should send you a replacement, I just hope you kept your billing info/receipt just in case. I always keep mind till im done building a set to make sure everything is ok.

This is what I do. Unless I know I won't be building it for a good while.

[frumpy]

I've just taken apart the x-men chopper set. It's only a year old a half the slope pieces were cracked from being connected. Not happy.

[Wolf_Gang]

Ya I bought the seasonal gravestone set with the ghost, witch and zombie and the swamp creature set. Within a week I noticed at least 10 cracked pieces within the sets. I was very disappointed, because as a child I never remember having cracked pieces. It really worries me. Is Lego quality going down the drain?