Answers.Body: <p>For whatever reason, several Lego sets from 2008 are known to have had this issue. The trouble seems to be part specific. For example, the Lego Bionicle Karda Nui set 8686 Lewa Nuva that contained four Technic Beam 5 with Two Ball Sockets in FabuLime (Lego part number 4539223) often cracked upon initial assembly or disassembly. Replacement parts obtained directly from Lego exhibited the same issue. </p>
  
  <p>Because of the consistent high quality of Lego manufacturing, on the rare occasion that we find a bad part, we tend to blame ourselves for the part failure. Logically, if the trouble is exhibited across the entire set (example: brittle parts) then it is probably safe to assume environmental issues like exposure to sunlight or temperature extremes. However, if the problem is only exhibited in a single piece handled with proper care, it is reasonable to assume manufacturing issues. </p>
  
  <p>In my experience, Lego warranty part replacement services will never admit to or discuss known issues with Lego sets or parts. It must be against company policy. However, much to their credit, they will replace any part they have in inventory, no questions asked. So, if you have an issue like this again, contact them immediately. The catch is 'parts they have in inventory'. For older sets they might not have your part, so you would have to use a service like BrickLink.</p>
  
  <p>I have thousands of Lego sets. Rarely, I have found a malformed or missing piece. The odd brittle piece problem seems to be confined to several 2008 sets. Maybe Lego was experimenting with new pigments, ABS formulations, or manufacturing processes that year?</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-10-22T11:34:54.133Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-10-22T11:34:54.133Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: nematode
Body: <p>I was disassembling my LEGO set 7674. It is not new but certainly not old. It was built once. Was kept in a sealed box. No direct sunlight. In fact no light at all. Perfect storage conditions. Room temperature and humidity. While disassembling one of the parts broke in my hand twice!!! It fell apart.</p>
  
  <p>First time this happens. I have thousands of sets. Have sets from the 70's and also new ones. Never saw this happen.</p>
  
  <p>Any ideas?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-07-28T08:18:49.837Z
Comments.Text: I read this thread already. Very interesting. I have old sets from 70's and 80's did not have this problem. This set is from late 2000. Guess 2008. Clone wars. The plate was the first I tried to disassemble. After it broke I continued with utmost care disassembling the rest of the set. No problems during the rebuilding process. It could Ba a flawed part or just bad luck. I write to Lego. They immediately set me a replacement. No questions asked. It could be that it is a known case for them, otherwise they would have asked not questions. They wrote they may contact me with further questions.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Alpaslan
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-08-03T19:39:50.543Z
Comments.Text: what color are the bricks, primarily?
Comments.UserDisplayName: tuskiomi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-08-04T23:16:42.673Z
Comments.Text: Dark red. Lego mailed me replacement parts without questions. It must have been a bad batch.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Alpaslan
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-08-28T14:24:25.107Z
Comments.Text: Can you please add the reference of the brick that broke?
Comments.UserDisplayName: A.L
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-08-29T15:02:31.000Z
Comments.Text: Dark red, plate, left, 3x6 w angle. This was from the SW series. The dark red bricks from mid 2000's are brittle as I have been experiencing recently. Another brick, 1x2 with rounded side just broke during construction. This was from the castle series.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Alpaslan
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-09-25T21:42:33.513Z
Comments.Text: What color are those parts? It can be due to the coloring.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Alpaslan
Tags: <piece-information>
Title: LEGO bricks getting brittle, easily breaking. Insight needed
UserDisplayName: Alpaslan
ThreadText: # LEGO bricks getting brittle, easily breaking. Insight needed
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-07-27)
  
  I was disassembling my LEGO set 7674. It is not new but certainly not old. It was built once. Was kept in a sealed box. No direct sunlight. In fact no light at all. Perfect storage conditions. Room temperature and humidity. While disassembling one of the parts broke in my hand twice!!! It fell apart.
  
  First time this happens. I have thousands of sets. Have sets from the 70's and also new ones. Never saw this happen.
  
  Any ideas?
  
  **Tags:** piece-information
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I read this thread already. Very interesting. I have old sets from 70's and 80's did not have this problem. This set is from late 2000. Guess 2008. Clone wars. The plate was the first I tried to disassemble. After it broke I continued with utmost care disassembling the rest of the set. No problems during the rebuilding process. It could Ba a flawed part or just bad luck. I write to Lego. They immediately set me a replacement. No questions asked. It could be that it is a known case for them, otherwise they would have asked not questions. They wrote they may contact me with further questions.  
  > **username_1**: what color are the bricks, primarily?  
  > **username_0**: Dark red. Lego mailed me replacement parts without questions. It must have been a bad batch.  
  > **username_2**: Can you please add the reference of the brick that broke?  
  > **username_0**: Dark red, plate, left, 3x6 w angle. This was from the SW series. The dark red bricks from mid 2000's are brittle as I have been experiencing recently. Another brick, 1x2 with rounded side just broke during construction. This was from the castle series.  
  > **username_0**: What color are those parts? It can be due to the coloring.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-10-22. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  For whatever reason, several Lego sets from 2008 are known to have had this issue. The trouble seems to be part specific. For example, the Lego Bionicle Karda Nui set 8686 Lewa Nuva that contained four Technic Beam 5 with Two Ball Sockets in FabuLime (Lego part number 4539223) often cracked upon initial assembly or disassembly. Replacement parts obtained directly from Lego exhibited the same issue.
  
  Because of the consistent high quality of Lego manufacturing, on the rare occasion that we find a bad part, we tend to blame ourselves for the part failure. Logically, if the trouble is exhibited across the entire set (example: brittle parts) then it is probably safe to assume environmental issues like exposure to sunlight or temperature extremes. However, if the problem is only exhibited in a single piece handled with proper care, it is reasonable to assume manufacturing issues.
  
  In my experience, Lego warranty part replacement services will never admit to or discuss known issues with Lego sets or parts. It must be against company policy. However, much to their credit, they will replace any part they have in inventory, no questions asked. So, if you have an issue like this again, contact them immediately. The catch is 'parts they have in inventory'. For older sets they might not have your part, so you would have to use a service like BrickLink.
  
  I have thousands of Lego sets. Rarely, I have found a malformed or missing piece. The odd brittle piece problem seems to be confined to several 2008 sets. Maybe Lego was experimenting with new pigments, ABS formulations, or manufacturing processes that year?
  
  
  ---
  
  