General Grievous minifig - Diagnosis and Repair?

[CapnDash]

Hello all,

I joined this forum in the hopes that someone among you might be able to help with a problem that has developed with my General Grievous minifig (the one included with set 75040, Greivous' Wheel Bike). I bought the set the summer after it came out, and from the moment of its completion, he's been on display in my room, up until earlier this month when I made the discovery. I picked up the figure from its spot on the shelf, and it fell apart in my hands almost immediately. All of the C-joints on the arms and neck have simply stopped locking in place, and come loose from the peg with little provocation. The legs, for some weird reason, have not succumbed to the same fate that befell the upper torso parts. Additional observations only further add to the confusion, since:

• The figure was rock solid at the time of assembly
  
• It had barely been posed
  
• Its position in my room kept it from being exposed to natural light, as well as most of the white lighting in my room.
  
• The room is almost always kept at a temperature of around 72-75F
  
• There are no stress marks or other indicators of warping of the c-joints on any of the parts involved.
  

Now I'm no stranger to action figure customizing, but my normal tricks for heating and re-shaping plastic go out the door with ABS involved, especially at this size. The simplest solution would be to introduce a glue or epoxy to thicken either the c-joint or the connection pegs, but I'm afraid that if the parts haven't been stretched out, doing something like this most assuredly would. Has anyone ever experience a problem like this, or know of a safer way to make repairs? I'd rather not have to go through the hassle of replacing this minifigure.

Thanks in advance for any insight you could provide!

[KlodsBrik]

You should contact LEGO for a replacement. Even though its some time since you bought the set, the ABS shouldnt act like this.

At least its worth a try.

Edit: Oh, and welcome to EB.

Edited January 28, 2016 by KlodsBrik

[CapnDash]

You should contact LEGO for a replacement. Even though its some time since you bought the set, the ABS shouldnt act like this.

At least its worth a try.

Edit: Oh, and welcome to EB.

Would Lego even be able to replace it at this point? I haven't seen the kit locally anywhere for a while.

[Darkdragon]

Lego might still be able to replace some parts. If they can't help you though, some clear fingernail polish on the pegs the arms attach to might work. Let it dry completely before trying to attach the arms.

[General Magma]

I've been able to get replacement parts for sets that have been discontinued for a couple of years, so I think they'll be able to help you.