That's probably the best case scenario on what really happened at the assembly line.
The lead man in charge of the division is directly responsible.

Same thing happened in TFU 2.0
Remember Blue Faced Ironhide? People leading the paint-app division had a problem with color Blue vs Silver/Gray.

Here's the thing, you don't want your toy producing "stress marks" on the plastic and transforming back and forth by default.
Which is incorporated in the design. Miss-assemblies will produce unwanted stress marks on the affected parts in the short span of time upon multiple plays of the figure because it wasn't designed like that.

For those who managed to fix it, good. Consumers want a well represented bot and alt mode. Clean and Flush.
We don't want a clunky look for both modes right?

Can someone posted pics of the car mode of fixed and unfixed versions?

 

This is an unfixed version. I had no trouble at all transforming Punch into alt mode. And his tabs in shoulders are exactly like people have said all day. Since i had no problems i dont feel a fix is warrented in my figure..he'll be in bot mode the majority of time anyways.

 

Did the fix myself, everything feels so much better.

 

Fix vs no-fix and the “fixed” orientation proved much better for me. Just seems the way it should’ve been.

 

I think everyone is just jumping the gun and fixing something that doesn't need to be fixed becausue if you go back and look at the earlier this month in hand images of punch counterpunch you'll note that the shoulder joints are actually rounded side up not the flat side up.


In-Hand Images of Power Of The Primes Punch / Counterpunch with Prima Prime. - Transformers News - TFW2005

 

Let me guess, made in Vietnam again?

 

Is the front grill look like that by default? Seems not lined up completely.

 

Had a similar issue with mine.  It could be transformed but it felt like I had to force the pieces together too much.  Did the switch and it works much better.

Thanks!

 

bro, let me be a Transformers fan that tries to put you at ease. You found something great that tons of people appreciate and are going to continue to appreciate about a figure that has been waited on for years. Be proud you did that for the community. I know it's hard, but don't pay attention to those who would disparage your goodwill.
carry on...

 

Well the fix does make everything a little tighter and connect a bit better with the arms into the body for car mode, but no, it is not something that absolutely need to be done. You can still transform the figure just fine either way, and frankly if no one had ever pointed it out, it would probably have gone unnoticed by most everyone.

 

CHock me up for another p[erson who has done the mod and it can CLEARLY be seen that the arms were definitely installed wrong from the factory.  Maybe not ALL of the figures are wrong, but if you have the round side up then your shoulders are in wrong. 

The mod is easy, you just unclip the head and push the front and back apart to the get pegs out, took me 2 minutes to do once I saw the video.
 

 

Had a similar issue with mine.  It could be transformed but it felt like I had to force the pieces together too much.  Did the switch and it works much better.

Thanks!

 

Ok, I get that I'm not taking my own advice here about leaving it alone, but I just got both of my Punch Counterpunch figures and it is painfully obvious by my own handling that IronMagnus is correct. In my picture, I turned the piece in question around on the figure's left side and the right side remained as assembled by the factory. The left side of the figure easily tabs into the side while the right side has to be forced and STILL pops out on mine. Can we just start taking a COUNT on how many people the fix works for? I would really love to see the numbers and how far up it climbs...or if it climbs up at all.
carry on...

 

If you look at the instructions, which are based on the cad file, the shoulder is oriented like it is after you do the mod. So it is indeed misassembled.

Also, I took mine apart by removing the two pins, as I didnt want to stress the plastic, and its very clear it was designed to be the way it is when flipped. The swivel joint has a locking nub on it that is supposed to mate up with a slot inside the shoulder. Out of the box this little nub is unused and actually prevents the arm from going up further, flip it and suddenly it has a purpose and the arm goes up further allowing transformation.

If you also want to take the figure apart and you have a automatic center punch its super easy to take it apart. One pin is holding on the faux windsheild at the hinge and the second pin is hiding in the hip balljoints.

Pop them out, making sure to pushed the burred side out first and not through the hole, then separate the crotch followed by the torso. Then just flip the shoulder parts and reverse your steps.

 

I wasn't arguing it wasn't. In fact, I linked the image of the CAD file in the aforementioned Reddit thread because the OP was misleading people claiming there was no misassembly. (And I got downvoted for it. Jerks.)

Anyhow, I did tbe fix on mine as soon as I opened the box, and it is indeed super easy to do. I didn't even need to pry with a screwdriver – flipping down the faux car roof and pushing on his yellow chest from inside was enough to get clearance.

 

Don't act surprised. Reddit is filled with keyboard warriors and children.

 

Fixed mine just now, thanks, its so much easier to finish the car mode now

 

+1 just swapped mine around. Much easier to get to alt mode

 

Well after getting and fiddling with the arms i have come to the conclusion you do not know how to postion a arm on a balljoint so you have now claimed Hasbro for wrongly assembling a toy, sorry blunt but direct and honest. The flat part of the joint is ment to meet the flat part of the armpit, that is why it\'s flat. As for car mode well teh flat part is not interfering with anything if you have the arms lined up properly and the legs togteher so not to be touching the hands the arms stay in position with no issues. Over reassembling the joints you could of tried wiggle the upper shoulder part and watch the magic happen the arms stay in postion ready to enter car mode, it was that hard of a fix......wiggle the upper arm on a ball joint so the arm fits snuggly on the side of the chest dose not take much force at all just a light try foward nope okay lets try backwards and hey it locks in just fine.

 

I couldn't get the car mode flush without switching the shoulder joints, no matter how much I massaged the joints. But hey, thanks for the condescension!  

Nice, easy fix. Thanks to the OP (and others) for figuring this out!