Tech Nonsense

NXT Bricks with faulty displays to be replaced

According to RJMcMamara.com, if you are in possession of an NXT Intelligent Brick with a faulty display, LEGO Customer Service will now replace them at no charge.

Do you own an NXT ‘Intelligent Brick’ with a flickery or non-working display? Steven Canvin, LEGO’s Community Manager for LEGO MINDSTORMS, has asked us to pass on this message –

“Unfortunately, some of the NXT Intelligent Bricks manufactured in-between 2006 and early 2008, may have a faulty display, resulting in a flickering or non-working display.

“LEGO Corporate Management has decided that any NXT Intelligent Brick manufactured with this malfunction of the display will have an extended guarantee beyond the standard guarantee. The LEGO Group offers to replace NXT Intelligent Bricks with the above-mentioned faulty display.

“The NXT Intelligent Bricks would be found in:

  • Retail set 8527 (version 1.0 and 1.1)
  • LEGO Education set 9797
  • Item 9841 NXT Intelligent Brick (or similar sold through LEGO Education distribution)

“If a user wants to have a NXT Intelligent Brick replaced based on this quality issue, please ask [them] to contact LEGO Consumer Service, contact information available on the web for your country. Please note that the display needs to be defect[ive].”

Steven has asked that if you think your NXT suffers from this problem, please check the battery first before contacting LEGO customer support, as similar issues are seen when the battery is running low on power. Only NXTs with a genuinely faulty display will be replaced.

Previously, this replacement policy was only available for bricks purchased through LEGO Education.

This is great news considering how prevalent reports of this defect have become. Apparently, there are a few surface mounted capacitors under the buttons that lose their solder connections over time as the buttons are pressed on the brick. Rough handling probably accelerates the demise of these displays. Until now, the only other remedy available to users out of the regular warranty was to reflow the solder on these capacitors.