Lego Quality is Slipping

[LEGO Maniac JEM]

I'd like to know, do the sets which contain broken pieces, pieces with stress marks or cheap feeling pieces have printed on the box they come in that some components are made in China?

[Lt. Veers]

Alright, I have my Skeleton tower here in front of me, and I just found something odd: Some of the slopes are smooth, others not! X-O

[Brickmaster]

I beleive theyve started doing that on purpose with the non corner slope bricks in order for stickers to adhear easier? *skull*

Ew stickers.

[maiq the liar]

To be honest i support stickers, when used properly because as noted before, it keeps prices down, and i really don't mind putting them on. (Hey, i gotta afford my bricks even if it means spending a extra few seconds applying sticky paper with Designs on it.) Though i don't support the actual quality problems.

[Brickmaster]

The main gripe with stickers and me is in a year they flake off. My Red Baron is now totally red because of the white stipe stickers drying and flaking off. I like stickers in the fact you can leave the details if you want off, but hate that they will just come off in a year anyway. I have a whole folder just for lego stickers, as I never, NEVER use them. Heh.

I dont mind stickers for alittle detailing, but when it comes to control panels having to be stickered? Comon! :-X

[snefroe]

I'd like to know, do the sets which contain broken pieces, pieces with stress marks or cheap feeling pieces have printed on the box they come in that some components are made in China?

i think that Lego is no longer in control of the production process. That's been outsourced to a company in Tchechnia. think it's called "flexotronics" or something. Anyway, it seems to me they're producing the bricks at a lower production cost than Lego ever could, hence the better price for lego these days. the only problem is degrading quality. the obvious example for that, to me, is the bley and light new grey in "Castle". In the case of bley, you just get different shades of bley. sometimes the color is a bit darker or brighter, sometimes you see it really well , but very often it's quite subtle but still visible. the light grey arms in Castle on the other hand, look like cheap plastic. don't like it at all.

[hollisbrick]

The only problem i have is stickers!

[shunlabs]

i think that Lego is no longer in control of the production process. That's been outsourced to a company in Tchechnia. think it's called "flexotronics" or something.

That's Flextronics, actually, a well-known subcontractor. They are originally from Singapore and the company counts more than 110.000 employees around the globe. Their core activity is rather in electronics (they are behind XBox or even Playstation 2/3 for instance...) than in precision plastic molding, so outsourcing to them was not necessary a clear-cut decision :-|

If I recall correctly, the production in Czech Republic and Mexico is now in their hands.

China components might be mainly electronics (motors, light/sound bricks, power functions and the like).

I read somewhere parts produced in Denmark would still be under the control of TLG.

But then, how do you know the proportion of parts that comes from these various locations, for a given set ?

I fully agree with Sne re the quality being materially different. I can still get used to color variations (I noticed this especially on red and yellow parts but it seems every color is impacted) but what really is working my nerves is the loss of LEGO's legendary precision.

A simple but very indicative example : just pile up a dozen of 1x2 plates (even from the same set !) and you'll see what I mean. Old ones will be perfectly aligned, while new ones will be making zigzags.

I could also mention parts that don't stay assembled very well (loose interlocking) on a random basis *sing*

Another hint : I come accross more and more pieces with "flash" , i.e. residual traces of molding *n*

I even had some of them replaced by Lego (the excavator buckets in Striking Venom) because they were so badly molded ...

All of this is quite new and I'm really sad about it. *sing*

Please TLG, don't compromise too much on quality !!! :'-(

[shunlabs]

A bit of bumping myself (sorry about that :-P ) but here's another recent example of serious quality issues :

I recently purchased 7093 Skeleton Tower and couldn't help ranting on the fact roughly half of the white teeth (peeron name : Minifig Accessory Helmet Viking Horn ) don't stick well - if at all - in the holes they are intended to.

It seems the production of these tiny pieces is plagued with subtle size variations which results in some of them being able to hold firmly in place; while others simply move all over the place (and eventually fall down of course). *sing*

I'm even more disappointed with this because I already noticed this almost 2 years ago with the Vikings Drakkar (7018). I though they would have fixed this ... >:-(

I suppose some of you have come accross this problem ? How did you solve this ? Did you ask for replacement parts or did you leave it so ?

I think I'm gonna complain to LEGO this time. |-/

Edited December 6, 2007 by shunlabs

[Lord Of Pies]

I live in the UK and all the new sets I have bought, I have never noticed a slip in the quality of the way the bricks interlock with one another, to me, they seem perfectly fine!

[Hinckley]

I recently purchased 7093 Skeleton Tower and couldn't help ranting on the fact roughly half of the white teeth (peeron name : Minifig Accessory Helmet Viking Horn ) don't stick well - if at all - in the holes they are intended to.

It seems the production of these tiny pieces is plagued with subtle size variations which results in some of them being able to hold firmly in place; while others simply move all over the place (and eventually fall down of course). *sing* ...I suppose some of you have come accross this problem ? How did you solve this ? Did you ask for replacement parts or did you leave it so ?

I think I'm gonna complain to LEGO this time. |-/

That's when I first realized the different material. It is awful and it's very aggravating. I had the exact same problem with those teeth. I wrote a review for that ages ago and never got around to putting it up. That was one of the most dissapointing builds I've ever experienced, not only because of the poor design of the drawbridge, but because of the clearly poor quality of the bricks. I've noticed since then, as others have, the logo on the studs is not as clear and the newer molded bricks just feel different and don't seem to connect as firmly as older bricks and plates do.

I certainly enjoy lower prices and more sets, but I can't possibly buy all of the new sets in any given year. Perhaps LEGO can find a happy medium between producing a lot and at an effective price without sacrificing so much integrity when it comes to quality. :-/

[shunlabs]

I had the exact same problem with those teeth. I wrote a review for that ages ago and never got around to putting it up. That was one of the most dissapointing builds I've ever experienced, not only because of the poor design of the drawbridge, but because of the clearly poor quality of the bricks.

Thanks Hinckley for sharing your experience with this issue.

I too find it very alarming when the quality is so bad that the core concept itself of Lego (interlocking bricks, not loose bricks, duh !) is at stakes.

Finally I decided to fill in a replacement parts form with a polite (of course :-P ) comment.

I already received the usual formatted answer (quality is a priority to us blah blah blah :-/ ) and from what I understood, parts are on their way *sweet*

Uh, hope they are the properly-interlocking ones *wacko*

[Hinckley]

Thanks Hinckley for sharing your experience with this issue.

I too find it very alarming when the quality is so bad that the core concept itself of Lego (interlocking bricks, not loose bricks, duh !) is at stakes.

Finally I decided to fill in a replacement parts form with a polite (of course :-P ) comment.

I already received the usual formatted answer (quality is a priority to us blah blah blah :-/ ) and from what I understood, parts are on their way *sweet*

Uh, hope they are the properly-interlocking ones *wacko*

Keep us updated on that please. I'm interested to see what you end up with.

[Zuloon]

The only problem i have is stickers!

That's what you think.

*wacko* ;-)

[snefroe]

i also have a problem with the playability factor of the bricks. a brick or a plate used to be very strong. smaller sections of a brick, like the side of a plate wouldn't just break off, they wouldn't show cracks after years of playing with them. Now i find that several plates get broken as soon as you apply some strength when, for instance, you want to remove them from another plate. X-O

think Lego still needs to resolve this matter. I do realise that costs need to be limited, but maybe they should do so by spending less on paper and boxes...

[Batbrick]

My biggest problem are those pathetic white dimples that keep shoeing up on brick studs! >:-(

My Viking Fortress (which is badass in my opinion! >:-) ) is suffering because of this! *n*

My other problem is colour difference. When I modded my Viking Fortress today, I kept thinking I had accidentally slipped in old brown. But it turned out to be frown, but in weird shades |-/

Clearly Batbrick's mind has turned to mush! *wacko*

[mechamike]

The last 2 set's I got my hands on was the 7666. Once again it suffered quality issues.

One round dkbley plate had a miss alligned axel hole.

(axel wont go through when stacked on top of another brick with similar x hole.

Also the lightsable hilt wont hold blades , its slips out of its sockets (one side is worse than the other.)

But most disturbing was i was missing one snowtrooper helmet

Have ordered new parts, but so far nothing has arrived.

Sad times.. sad times.. och and a few parts hade those with dots on them aswell

Edited December 10, 2007 by a53021

[shunlabs]

Keep us updated on that please. I'm interested to see what you end up with.

I certainly will ! Maybe seeing lots of (founded) complaints through the replacement page will eventually ring a bell X-O

I am, for my part, 100% ready to send them the faulty parts so that they can assess the issue (and be sure nobody abuses the system).

QC feedback On ! X-D

Edited December 10, 2007 by shunlabs

[Erman]

Besides the flaws with bricks you guys have posted, I have observed two unique flaws.

One is that the LEGO-inscription is missing on certain parts. I'll try to locate and post these later.

The second flaw I came across has to do with the UCS Millenium Falcon. Some parts were actually molten when I received them.

[snefroe]

Besides the flaws with bricks you guys have posted, I have observed two unique flaws.

One is that the LEGO-inscription is missing on certain parts. I'll try to locate and post these later.

you're right! that IS a huge concern for me too. It doesn't really "feel" right... a brick without "Lego" on it. it adds to the feeling of having a cheap plastic toy...

[Tanotrooper]

I noticed some of my 1*2 jumper plates in bley have already started cracking on the sides...

Also, flesh heads like the standard smiley and the batman head fit very loose on most torsos. Some minifig arms have mold marks on the backside and those newer bricks feel more... I don't know elastic, instead of the hard ABS I'm used to...

Lets hope these problems get solved...

TT

[LEGO Maniac JEM]

These are the LEGO sets that I have found which have some components made in China:

7661 Jedi Starfighter with Hyperdrive Booster Ring

7906 Fire Boat

7993 Service Station

7579 Blossom Fairy

8135 Bridge Chase

7090 Crossbow Attack

10156 LEGO Truck

7942 Off-Road Fire Rescue

7901 Aircraft Maintenance

7659 Imperial Landing Craft

Edited December 17, 2007 by LEGO Maniac JEM

[Asuka]

These are the LEGO sets that I have found which have some components made in China:

Thanks, very nice, LEGO Maniac JEM! *y*

Now we have to find out what these sets

[Odie]

Hello all,

I am a tool and die maker by trade. The company I work for utilizes injection molders and extruders as a part of our production line, so maybe I can shed some light on a couple things.

The texture on the sloped bricks is most likely produced via plunge EDM (Electrical discharge machining). I am pretty sure that all of the Lego logos and part numbers are applied to the molds via some kind of EDM machining. Depending on where the mold is made, this "pattern" can vary greatly depending on who makes the mold. If the molds are being made all over the world, there could definitely be some kind of disparity between the patterning in the individual molds themselves. The variables would be the machine itself, the tool material used to etch the pattern and even the parameters used to "burn" the pattern into the mold. Different rates of electrical discharge will produce different results.

As for the molds wearing out, this is another feasible conclusion. Plastic is actually extremely abrasive when being forced with several thousand PSI of force into a small cavity (like a brick mold). Molds wear a lot quicker then one would generally think when certain plastics are being used. A couple thousandths of an inch of wear will mean the difference between the blocks fitting and not fitting. For those of you that do not have a good idea what a thousandth of an inch is, 3 thousandths is equal to roughly the width of an average human hair. So rip a hair out of your head and then cut it lengthwise into 3 equal pieces...that a thousandth (.001") X-D

Things I have noticed on bricks recently:

Large sprue marks on the bricks...they use to be nearly undetectable.

The LEGO logo's are a lot less neat.

Gaps between butt-joints with bricks. There never use to be a gap between bricks when attached to each other.

If you have any more questions about machining or injection molding, please let me know...if I do not have the answer, I can get the answer through my contacts at work.

[Brickmaster]

Welcome to EB Odie, always great to have a new knowledgeable member - and the given info is very usefull really, this could account for alot of the complaints heard. Given I am really not that picky with my bricks - as long as it is lego, I dont care if the lil lego logo is there or not quite frankly.

I just dislike if something breaks or doesnt stick right.