Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan

Monday, April 9th, 2018 1:43am CDT

Categories: Toy News, Rumors
Posted by: Va'al Views: 41,599

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A lot of fans have been excited about the latest encore reissue from Takara Tomy Transformers, of the combining and parts forming two-figure set from Car Robots / Robots in Disguise - God Fire Convoy, or Omega Prime to Anglophone audiences.

However, there seem to be more issues than previously thought with the release of the Fire Convoy and God Magnus brothers, according to a number of reports and seemingly confirmed by a post on the Taiwanese Facebook group TFCN - though the news seems to clash with the actual release of the figure, that has already happened - the figure will be recalled due to quality issues and general not very goodness.

While we wait from an official communication of sorts, let us know what you think of this news. Do you have the figure in hand? Can you confirm the reports? Is your figure also not up to standard for a new toy?

It's a little late, but the most important news today should be this.
.
.
This is a message from the last month, the encore series, the encore series, the series of after fire command, which will be cancelled because of the quality of product quality.

Transformers News: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan

Credit(s): TFCN

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Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951810)
Posted by Octobotimus on April 9th, 2018 @ 1:50am CDT

probably a recall to avoid people realizing its not worth the money.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951820)
Posted by Nathaniel Prime on April 9th, 2018 @ 3:38am CDT

Yikes, for an expensive collectors' oriented reissue to have quality issues, I wouldn't think that would be worth my money at all...

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951821)
Posted by Evil Eye on April 9th, 2018 @ 3:40am CDT

Oh dear. I sincerely hope they're gonna fix the problems and release it again (hopefully for a lower price). That sounds really, really bad.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951838)
Posted by Nemesis Destron on April 9th, 2018 @ 6:42am CDT

Where the hell were these watch dogs when Trypticon was release huh?

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951851)
Posted by o.supreme on April 9th, 2018 @ 9:19am CDT

Nemesis Destron wrote:Where the hell were these watch dogs when Trypticon was release huh?

to my knowledge there were no QC issues with

release of Dinosaurer. Though some suspect that because they released it after Hasbro, it allowed time to make the fixes. Unfortunately I don't think Hasbro has the resources or seems to care about QC as much.

This is interesting though...as we see the product variance between

and

diminish and become more unified, it's nice to see that

still will not let something pass that

likely would not even give a second thought too. Unfortunately however, with operations moving to India, I expect things only to get worse, not better. It's sad that greed and the desire solely to make money may drive this line to at some point be indistinguishable from KO toys made and sold for a fraction of the price.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951873)
Posted by Emerje on April 9th, 2018 @ 11:49am CDT

This was probably my most anticipated figure(s) of the year. I've got three of the original RID Primes and a Magnus, the Sam's Club Prime and Magnus, the Both pairs of Spy Changers Prime and Magnus, and Titanium Prime (and "Hot Zone"). So I've been looking forward to adding this guy to my collection. He's in the mail, already running late despite EMS shipping, and I'm looking forward to having him in hand, but this is a little discouraging.

I did just read on TFWiki that the issue is with the ankles not allowing his truck mode to tab properly, if that's all it is I can probably live with it.

Emerje

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951879)
Posted by Overcracker on April 9th, 2018 @ 12:38pm CDT

Just to clarify, the original molds have intrinsic issues that may not have been fixed in the reissue. Issues that come from the way the combination works, and how Prime handles the added weight.

i.e Prime's waist ratchet is simply too weak to hold up the waist for the combined mode, and it tends to collapse backwards if not correctly setup.

Also the ratchets in Prime's hips were not the strongest and had a tendency to buckle under the wait of the combined mode causing the combined mode to do the splits.

Basically, the combined mode was quite unstable always.

Unless there's some really bad degradation of the molds, I'm willing to bet this is just the standard issues the combined mode had and went unchecked.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951903)
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on April 9th, 2018 @ 2:31pm CDT

Overcracker wrote:Unless there's some really bad degradation of the molds, I'm willing to bet this is just the standard issues the combined mode had and went unchecked.

Last I checked the issues were mainly on Fire Convoy having parts warped and his hips so restrictive that the cab transformation is virtually impossible.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951909)
Posted by Overcracker on April 9th, 2018 @ 3:09pm CDT

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
Overcracker wrote:Unless there's some really bad degradation of the molds, I'm willing to bet this is just the standard issues the combined mode had and went unchecked.

Last I checked the issues were mainly on Fire Convoy having parts warped and his hips so restrictive that the cab transformation is virtually impossible.

I see.

Just watched the video from the facebook post. (Youtube's auto translation of CC, is hilarious).

The video in the Facebook post points out some flashing in the foot / roof hinge on Fire Convoy, and an issue with the thigh ratchets, where the right thigh has the click further apart than the left thigh.

Also mentions sounds swapped for the different gun modes on Magnus.

Other issues mentioned there come from the original figure, like the roof panel not sitting flush with the rest of the roof on Magnus. That was due to how the combined mode head is stored there. Mine still has that issue unless the antennae are stored correctly in there, but that causes the chrome to chip for some reason.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951917)
Posted by Emerje on April 9th, 2018 @ 3:36pm CDT

Yeah, I can see where the issue is caused by the feet.

The roof of the truck cab is a bit uneven and the seam between the windows don't come together completely causing a gap at the top. It isn't great, but it doesn't ruin the figure completely for me.

Emerje

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951920)
Posted by ExciKaiser on April 9th, 2018 @ 3:47pm CDT

I've just read the news and I have the feeling to have missed two weeks of news.

More issues than the ones previously reported ? reported where and when ? on another news on seibertron ?

Confirmed by a number of report ? Where ? Here on seibertron ?

confirmed by a post in twaiwanese ?

I feel like reading about who is KeyserSoze without having seen the movie.

Can we have a recap, a list of the issues etc, for people like me who are not following japanese twitter accounts ?

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951921)
Posted by chuckdawg1999 on April 9th, 2018 @ 3:50pm CDT

I think another issue with the set was the toy was designed during a time where a higher quality plastic was used. Has/Tak has been using a lower grade plastic for years that something like God Fire Convoy just can't handle.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951922)
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on April 9th, 2018 @ 3:54pm CDT

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I think another issue with the set was the toy was designed during a time where a higher quality plastic was used. Has/Tak has been using a lower grade plastic for years that something like God Fire Convoy just can't handle.

Mold degradation may have a part in that as well. It's now 18 years old, and used quite a bit in the first 5 years. Most notably is the Cybertron gift set from 2005, which IIRC had this off feeling already.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951934)
Posted by chuckdawg1999 on April 9th, 2018 @ 4:33pm CDT

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
chuckdawg1999 wrote:I think another issue with the set was the toy was designed during a time where a higher quality plastic was used. Has/Tak has been using a lower grade plastic for years that something like God Fire Convoy just can't handle.

Mold degradation may have a part in that as well. It's now 18 years old, and used quite a bit in the first 5 years. Most notably is the Cybertron gift set from 2005, which IIRC had this off feeling already.

Yes, it does, I have that set. It also didn't help the instructions weren't clear on how extended Optimus' legs have to be for combined mode.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951939)
Posted by Overcracker on April 9th, 2018 @ 4:43pm CDT

You mean his waist? Legs don't actually extend. They just plug into the Magnus boots.

The waist should be at the middle notch, so Prime's head is hidden, but the crotch piece (from Magnus's chest) matches up with Prime's crotch. In other words not fully extended. Just enough so Prime's head does not block the Magnus torso piece from sitting flush with the shoulders.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951944)
Posted by megamanfan on April 9th, 2018 @ 5:02pm CDT

i got mine a few days ago. here's some problems i've encountered:
1: prime's cab doesn't fit together perfectly. the arm panels are actually to blame for this, they're slightly warped and don't sit flush with the top of the truck.
2: one missile really, REALLY likes to fire off even if you don't touch it.
3: the panel that covers the hole the combined mode head leaves behind doesn't sit flush, in either combined or vehicle mode.
4: UM's hands don't peg into prime's without sanding them down first.
5: plastic quality in prime's vehicle back end feels... off. if you try to move the ladder ,it bends the connection points between pieces. not in a way that permanently damages it, but enough to cause worry
6: prime's legs leave a small gap in the cab when in vehicle mode.
7: the pieces that are screwed together to make prime's base shoulders don't line up with each other.
8: some of the plastic parts on UM split along the seams, where they'd normally be glued to held together. he still holds together and transforms fine, but it's worth mentioning.

i haven't tested the electronics because i didn't care about putting in batteries.
now, a few things to note:
1: the plastic quality overall feels good. a few parts seem worrying, but they'll likely disconnect before breaking.
2: paint is good
3: the joints are all solid, and i found not a single one that needed tightening.
4: everything still transforms and combines perfectly fine.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951966)
Posted by fenrir72 on April 9th, 2018 @ 8:19pm CDT

I initially owned the Hb version of Prime and UM way back in 2002. The Omega Prime mode was a floppy fall down go boom mess. So unstable that he can't carry his weight.

Then back in 2009, I purchased a 2nd hand Fire Convoy off ebay. My first ebay purchase. The chrome was a bit discolored but joints wise, very stiff. When combined with the JP God Magnus ( I later ditched my Hb versions), the JP God FireConvoy was very stable with no tilting( I repeat, my Fire Convoy was pre owned already.

So in a period of 2 years from car Robots and RID, the Fire Convoy mold already degraded.

What more after 18 years.So issue like this are no surprise (Heck, even the Bruticus mold (Onslaught especially had those flash marks)

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951989)
Posted by william-james88 on April 9th, 2018 @ 10:34pm CDT

We recently wrote of the possibility of Takara recalling some Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy (RID Omega Prime) sets in Japan. Due to the high price tag for a toy may fans already have in one way or another, not many had experienced this rerelease to know exactly what was wrong with it. And fans who were saving for this set or wondering if they should get it were left confused as to what might be wrong and if it was still worth getting it.

Well, fellow Seibertronian megamanfan wrote down all the issues this rerelease has, from experience with the toy. So, if anyone is still wondering if this is worth getting and what the fuss is all about, here are the words from megamanfan:

megamanfan wrote:i got mine a few days ago. here's some problems I've encountered:

1: prime's cab doesn't fit together perfectly. the arm panels are actually to blame for this, they're slightly warped and don't sit flush with the top of the truck.
2: one missile really, REALLY likes to fire off even if you don't touch it.
3: the panel that covers the hole the combined mode head leaves behind doesn't sit flush, in either combined or vehicle mode.
4: UM's hands don't peg into prime's without sanding them down first.
5: plastic quality in prime's vehicle back end feels... off. if you try to move the ladder ,it bends the connection points between pieces. not in a way that permanently damages it, but enough to cause worry
6: prime's legs leave a small gap in the cab when in vehicle mode.
7: the pieces that are screwed together to make prime's base shoulders don't line up with each other.
8: some of the plastic parts on UM split along the seams, where they'd normally be glued to held together. he still holds together and transforms fine, but it's worth mentioning.

I haven't tested the electronics because I didn't care about putting in batteries.
now, a few things to note:

1: the plastic quality overall feels good. a few parts seem worrying, but they'll likely disconnect before breaking.
2: paint is good
3: the joints are all solid, and i found not a single one that needed tightening.
4: everything still transforms and combines perfectly fine.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1951998)
Posted by william-james88 on April 9th, 2018 @ 11:44pm CDT

Holy Shit, someone just posted this on our facebook page:

Just FYI: Yeap, there was product recall email sent out last Friday by Hasbro Singapore to all Singapore retailers. The recall was due to IC Chip Issue, but there was more than that. You can go to Amazon Japan and see their product feedback on this item. 69% of the feedback is 1 star. Amazon Japan has stopped selling this item.

More detail about product recall. Takara Tomy will issue official statement on April 11. Customer can return this product on voluntary basis, by no later than April 20. No replacement will be offered.

Re: Quality Issues on Takara Tomy Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy, Possible Recall in Japan (1952002)
Posted by SpikeyTigertron on April 10th, 2018 @ 12:43am CDT

So being recalled.... would that up the value if you held on to it? Or would it be known as a lemon.... and worth less in the long run? I have the original RiD release; but the non-chrome and sword are tempting.

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