There is nothing like buying a LEGO set you have wanted for a while and rushing home to start building and discovering that a piece or maybe more pieces are missing. What can you do? Is this a common occurrence? Read on to find out!
It is not very often that pieces are missing from new LEGO sets. However, it does happen on occasion. You can contact LEGO customer service for assistance if you are missing a piece from your new set. They will usually be able to send you the missing piece or pieces free of charge.
It is also a good idea to check online forums and websites to see if anyone else has had the same issue with their new set.
So how often are LEGO sets missing pieces? It’s hard to say for sure, but based on our experience and anecdotal evidence, we’d estimate that around 1% of sets are missing at least one piece. Of course, this varies depending on the size and complexity of the set – smaller sets are more likely to be complete, while larger sets are more likely to have a few pieces missing.
I polled an AFOL (adult Fans Of LEGO) Facebook group on how many if any, have had missing pieces. Only one person out of the 100 people I polled, had a set that was missing a piece. That is a great statistic and a testimony of how accurate the packaging process LEGO has in place. The missing piece was a 1×1 plate, which as you will find out below is one of the most common missing pieces.
The LEGO Group has stated that they aim for a consumer complaint rate of 1000 ppm which means out of one million LEGO sets, 1000 consumers file a complaint usually related to missing pieces. The LEGO Group would prefer consumers who purchase a LEGO set with missing pieces to file a complaint with Consumer Service rather than just ordering a replacement part from their website. This is so they can address the issue and try to prevent it from occurring in the future.
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What Is The Most Common Piece That Goes Missing From LEGO Sets?
The most common piece missing from LEGO sets is pretty small – the 1×1 plates, tiles, studs, and slopes. This is one of the most basic and essential LEGO pieces, so it’s no surprise that it’s the one that often goes missing. Other common pieces that go missing include Minifigures, wheel rims, and baseplates.
If you find yourself with a LEGO set that’s missing one of these pieces, don’t worry – there are a few ways to get replacement pieces. You can contact LEGO customer service and they’ll help you out, or you can look for replacement pieces from an aftermarket company.
How To Get Replacement Pieces For Your LEGO Set
There are a few ways to get replacement pieces if you have a LEGO set that’s missing pieces. You can contact LEGO customer service and they’ll help you out, or you can look for replacement pieces from an aftermarket company.
If you contact LEGO customer service, they’ll usually send you up to eight replacement pieces for free – as long as you have your original purchase receipt. You can also buy replacement pieces from an aftermarket company, but this can be more expensive than going through LEGO customer service.
To order replacement parts from LEGO go to the “bricks & pieces” section on their website. Here you will find three different sections for missing pieces:
- Brand new sets
- Sets with broken bricks
- Buy replacement bricks for older sets
Where Can You Get Pieces From Older LEGO Sets?
If you have an older LEGO set that is missing pieces, likely, those pieces are no longer available from LEGO. However, many aftermarket companies sell replacement pieces for older LEGO sets. If you need to replace a piece that the LEGO website is currently out of stock or is just unavailable, then there are secondary sites that you can turn to.
One of these sites is Bricklink which LEGO acquired in 2019. This website is a database that currently has over 72,000 parts. The pieces on this website are not free but if you want to complete your model without waiting for the particular part to come in stock then it will only be a few dollars. Bricklink also has pieces from many older sets that you can piece together if you can’t find the set anywhere else.
Other places to find older LEGO pieces are ebay, Amazon, Bricklink and Brickowl.
Why Are Some LEGO Sets More Likely To Be Missing Pieces Than Others?
There are a few reasons why some LEGO sets are more likely to be missing pieces than others. First, larger and more complex sets are more likely to have pieces missing simply because there are more of them. Second, sets that have been on the market for longer are more likely to be missing pieces because they’ve had more time to accumulate wear and tear. Finally, sets released in limited quantities are more likely to be missing pieces because they’re harder to find and replace.
According to an article by New Elementary, missing parts in LEGO sets are divided into reasons:
- The consumer loses 50% in their home
- A packing failure loses 25%
- 15% are missing Minifigures
- 10% are “systematic building mistakes”.
Systematic Building Mistakes
A systematic building mistake is a mistake the consumer makes during the building process. This can be due to instructions that are not that clear and many consumers make the same mistake. The wrong piece will be used and later this piece will appear to be missing as it has already been used when It should not have.
Are Missing LEGO Pieces Free?
Yes, if your LEGO set you just purchased is missing a piece, then LEGO will replace it for free. If you lose it yourself after a time has passed, you can get it from LEGO but will have to pay for it.
How Long Does LEGO Take To Ship Missing Pieces?
On the LEGO website, they say it will take 7-10 business days to ship to the US, and delivery to Canada takes 10-14 days. For a list of delivery times to other countries go to LEGO.com.
Are There Always Spare Pieces In LEGO Sets?
LEGO always includes extra pieces as they realize that some pieces may be easy to lose. It makes sense for them to include extra pieces of commonly known pieces that get lost rather than deal with the customer service of answering support calls and shipping pieces out.
Final Thoughts
It’s very uncommon for LEGO sets to be missing pieces. The most common pieces that go missing are the smaller 1×1 bricks, but other common pieces include Minifigures, wheel rims, and baseplates. If you find yourself with a LEGO set that’s missing pieces, you can contact LEGO customer service or look for replacement pieces from an aftermarket company. Some LEGO sets are more likely to be missing pieces than others, but on the whole, LEGO sets are pretty good about being complete.