26

I was thinking about the documentation process of a large set like the Death Star and it got me thinking; surely at some point Lego must've released a set of instructions that contained a mistake?

You know, referencing a part that wasn't in the final set, skipping an instruction step, nonsensical instruction etc.

If they have somehow managed to avoid this over the years, what processes/validations do they have in place to prevent such errors creeping into the eventual consumer sets?

5

17 Answers 17

18

My 7190 Millennium Falcon kit has a mistake where the inventory for the page doesn't include two pieces on it. So, invariably, when I'm building it I forget to include those two pieces, and they are left over until the very end, at which point I have to follow this process:

  1. Say "Dammit"
  2. Flip backwards through the booklet to find the page that last added those parts
  3. Disassemble the model part-way
  4. Add the parts back
  5. Re-assemble the model
  6. Say "There. NOW it's finished."
  7. Swoosh the model a bit.

Here are the two instruction pages showing the error. On the second page you can see that the dark grey upward sloping pieces at the front are added, yet don't appear in the page's inventory list.

2
  • 2
    So... maybe add a Post-it note to remind yourself?
    – gev
    Feb 25, 2014 at 22:30
  • @gev that's probably a good idea. Next time I build it I'll try to remember to make the post-it. Feb 26, 2014 at 3:49
10

LEGO has made mistakes several times in the past and will continue to do so, as is the norm for a toy manufacturer of its scale.

I can only advise that the best way to ensure instructions are correct would be to build the model using the instructions. You'll be able to pick up more than just missed steps that way.

1
  • 1
    I'm fairly confident they do so at some stage in the process and, but even that doesn't seem to ensure all errors are eradicated. However, it sometimes can lead to errata sheets being added to the box when reprinting the instructions fully isn't an option anymore.
    – Joubarc
    Feb 27, 2013 at 15:46
6

Mistakes do slip through from time to time, and are actually not so uncommon as you think.

Most of this is hearsay, but as far as I understand, the people in charge of making the instructions are not the designers themselves. Similarly, there is certainly a Q&A process which aims to ensure that the model is as faultless as possible, including the instructions. Building it is most certainly a part of the process.

But once again, errors do creep through, and sometimes they are discovered by the time the instructions are already printed. In these cases, it's not uncommon for LEGO to add an errata sheet to the model rather than reprint the full instruction book. See here for an example on LEGO wikia.

5

I have a set that has an error in the original instructions. 7184 Trade Federation MTT has a double sided page of the correct steps as below.

enter image description here

The original basically used a 1x6 in place of the 2x6. I am not sure if the correction was because the model design was modified to be more sturdy or if the maker of the instructions got it wrong, but when I tried to build this set the first time I had used some other 1x6's as the instructions had said. Later I had no 1x6 pieces to build with and noticed the 2x6's. Then I remembered the extra page and was able to work it out.

This is the only set, and I have over 50, where I have had an addendum to the original instructions.

2

I know that I've found errors in multiple sets of Technics. Technic 42055 page 210 calls for 27 of part "4121715" but only show 25 used. I have several of these left over and cannot find where they go.

Other Technic kits I've built have shown parts put together wrong on subsequent pages after showing them correctly.

With Technic sets I expect to find mistakes anymore. I've never found one in a standard set, but I don't buy the big standard sets.

2

I'd like to nominate today's find, an admittedly minor and inconsequent error in the instructions of the 24065 RC Tracked Racer, which I would call "The case of the spontaneously moving pins":

Here we start with four partially inserted long black pins: Image of the partially built racer with four black 2-length pins with bush heads halfway inserted in two green beams

Which suddenly, and without being instructed, get fully inserted in the next step: The next image, with the pins being fully inserted (among other, intended changes)

Only to retract just as spuriously in the next step: The next step, where besides the official steps, the pins are back in their starting positions

And stay so for the next 57 steps, when they are finally inserted with the full consent of the designer(s): Image of the racer with the upper chassis built and put in its place where it is fixed by inserting the four pins fully

1
  • It doesn't take a detective to find out who was moving them: the instruction designer, without noticing. I really doubt that a cat or something stomped all over his keyboard and messed up the position of the pins. Jun 4, 2020 at 15:57
2

The part list page for the Ultimate Collector Edition Millenium Falcon (10179) contain 5 mystery pieces that aren't included in the set, and aren't even used in the build.

See What is piece 4211642 from 10179 - UCE Millenium Falcon?

2

In the LEGO Technic set 42100 (Liebherr R 9800), on page 211, step 268 says to assemble parts that were already added in the previous step.

Steps 267 and 268 are actually swapped. enter image description here

0
1

Set 10243 Book 2 appears to have an error in the fireplace build. Pages 16-19.

enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here

2
  • 6
    Hi Kibedango! I have added pictures of the steps you have referred, but could you please point out the exact error(s) in them?
    – zovits
    Sep 20, 2019 at 8:23
  • Unclear instructions on how to place the masonry bricks, but not in error in my opinon.. Apr 20, 2020 at 17:24
1

My Death Star has a mistake in the building instructions. One of the pages is messed up because on one page one plate is 6x1 and then suddenly on the next page it's a 7x1 plate. And it doesn't tell us to add anything on the latter page.

1

If I remember correctly, on the LEGO website a few years ago there was an incident with their Batman Tumbler. They had to reissue new instructions as they left something out. It was a long time ago and I didn't buy the set. I also noticed when building the Death Star minifigure set 10188, specifically the Emperor's room, I got some of the pieces wrong because the colour on the instructions was so bad I couldn't make out what colour they were supposed to be. Alas, when I almost finished it I found my error and backtracked, taking the whole thing apart.

1

In set 76140, TLG made a typo with what sticker number you should put on one of the bricks.

sticker typo

The SPIK3R PDF file for set 31313 also has a typo. The number in the white circle next to the dark-tan axle tells that it measures four studs long, when in reality the part is only three studs long. At least it doesn't affect the build, because there are no errors in the given image of it AFAIK.

part measurement typo

1

In the review of 31107 Space Rover Explorer over at Brickset, the author, Mr_Cross has pointed out the following error, where the same six 1x2 modified plates are to be added in both substeps 2 and 3 of step 3 and in step 8:

enter image description here

enter image description here

1

My son owns 6912 Super Soarer. In the picture, as can be seen below, on the fuselage, between the wings and the tail, there's a black roof tile with lattice (1×2×2), on a dark grey 1×4 plate, with a dark grey 1×2 flat tile in front of it.

6912 Super Soarer

According to the build instructions, that sub assembly should be the other way around, with the roof tile in front of the flat tile.

0
1

These images depict steps 26 and 27 of the 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig, where the pulley wheels are changed:

enter image description here enter image description here

0

I have a page that was folded in before final cut in the ninjago city book 2

1
  • 3
    Hello John and welcome to Bricks.SE. I think the question was mostly about mistakes in the content of the instructions. However, it is always nice to illustrate your answer. This will attract more responses, upvotes and feedback. Mistakes in LEGO's production process are also interesting. Can you show a photo of your messed-up instruction book?
    – Metalbeard
    May 2, 2019 at 19:57
-1

In the Changing Seasons 2015 set the winter instructions has a mistake, not huge and doesn't prevent you building it correctly, but it is there. Page 29 doesn't show the top hinge, but on page 30 it is there! It isn't until page 33 when the instructions tell you to place this piece.

1
  • I've looked at a PDF file of the instructions, and I do not see the error where you've pointed out. Can you be more specific? Jun 4, 2020 at 1:10

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.