LEGO Star Wars 75313 AT-AT has a fatal design flaw

75313 AT-AT suffers from a fatal design flaw that might upset LEGO purists and Star Wars fans alike.

The problem lies with a section of the AT-AT’s legs; a part of each one is virtually impossible to take apart once you’ve put it together. Brickset drew attention to the design quirk yesterday, and it’s a striking change of pace for the LEGO Group.

This issue apparently arises when you connect a pin, bush, axle and connector together within a new Technic frame; the way the pieces sit in the frame effectively locks them in place. This assembly is then used at the top of the AT-AT’s legs; while you can (with some effort) ease the pieces apart, you risk damaging the elements in the process, particularly since a knife or blade will probably be needed.

A similar problem lies in the way the body of the AT-AT connects to the legs. A set of four axles holds the two parts together, and removing these is essentially about shaking the entire model until they work loose.

lego

Although the LEGO Group is usually stringent about quality control, the odd issue has cropped up now and then. In 2020, The LEGO Group cancelled the wide release of 42113 V-22 Osprey. While the set drew controversy for its recreation of a military vehicle, reviews of the set revealed its mechanisms actually damaged its own components when activated. The ultimate reason for the set’s cancellation remains unclear today.

The AT-AT is a slightly different situation, but it does seem to go against the grain of LEGO’s unique selling point. LEGO isn’t special because it can be put together; it’s special because it can be taken apart afterwards. It’s likely that most LEGO fans won’t disassemble this AT-AT once it’s put together, but that’s not going to be the case for everyone who buys or assembles it.

If you’ve been one of the lucky fans to snag 75313 AT-AT, you might want to think carefully about how you assemble this section. Once it’s done it can’t really be undone, and that may be a deal breaker for the LEGO purists and custom builders out there.

If you’re still interested, back orders of the set are being accepted on LEGO.com (at least within the UK: for US fans, it’s temporarily out of stock). Expect a current shipping date of December 7.

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7 thoughts on “LEGO Star Wars 75313 AT-AT has a fatal design flaw

  • 14/07/2023 at 17:40
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    Hey, I just got this set. I tried building the knockoff millennium falcon a couple years ago and it fell apart in multiple places by the time I was half way through. I’m hoping it was just a lack of quality control since it was a Chinese bootleg. My new AT-AT set is legit, so I’m hoping I don’t run into the same issues. I only plan on building it once and then displaying it in my office. do you guys ever use super glue or anything else to improve the stability, or will that be unnecessary with the legit Lego set?

    thanks.

    Nick

    Reply
    • 14/07/2023 at 18:22
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      I’ve never needed to use any kind of glue on my official models, they’re fairly sturdy unless you drop them.

      Reply
  • 04/12/2021 at 03:07
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    It is an issue for me as I will be disassembling it again in a few months. I have a solution though.

    Reply
  • 04/12/2021 at 03:06
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    I am wrapping one of those little rubber bands used on braces around the dark grey axle before inserting it and it is keeping it from fully recessing. I don’t think this is going to affect construction or functionality but it will allow me to easily lever the axle out again.

    Reply
  • 03/12/2021 at 21:53
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    Didn’t Lego pretty clearly state that the Osprey was cancelled for being more notable as a military device as opposed to a search and rescue tool? I’m not sure how that counts as “The ultimate reason for the set’s cancellation remains unclear today.”

    Reply
  • 03/12/2021 at 06:14
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    Oh nooooo!! How will we survive ?

    I know! Cancel all the Star Wars sets, and go back to original sets like Blacktron, M-tron, and Space Police!

    Reply
  • 02/12/2021 at 17:13
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    I am a lego fanatic. This simple little flaw I don’t see a problem. For one these are ucs, which means it’s a display not to be played with, secondly with having so many pieces, one needs to make sure they pay attention to detail. Others may see this as an issue, but for me I don’t mind it one single bit.

    Reply

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