I bought a 3 car FS freight set in 2021. Two sliding wall and one sliding tarp wagon. One axle has a wheel with a ground flat flange. It rolls, but you feel the drag and out of round spot. Outer box says Hungary.I just noticed yesterday.
Second is my 36182 mrce Vectron I bought in 2020. Twice the shaft on the bogie without traction tires has fallen out. It was actually not connected new out of the box. I was able to get it back in, so didn't have to return it. I ordered a torx driver set to remove the decoder board screws so the motor can be raised.
I realize that it is a basic model at a budget price of $290 but still! My newer Gruen Vectron has a completely different buildup and die cast frame.
Anyone else have any quality issues lately? I can't imagine a person missing a defective wheel upon assembling a model.

All unacceptable, and contrary to "M" Quality and status quo. I think Simba Dickie has the resources to do better. I know things have been tough since covid, and in other industries also, but some corporate leaders seem blind to changes made that while save the bottom lines, have made it very hard for their employees out in the field and factories.

That does not work in the long run.
Recently most of my MRR budget went to Piko. I had too many disappointments with locos from Märklin and Roco in the past years.

I’m at the point where if I purchase something totally new, it’s usually the annual Museumswagen and Insiderwagen, with very few exceptions. I figure there are plenty of items I passed by when getting back into the hobby about thirty years ago that can be found at reasonable prices and, with a little cleaning and maybe a new decoder, run just as well — if not better — than some of the newer items coming out today.

I too picked up a new G 2000. It too has a gearbox problem where it stutters once every revolution of the wheel. I sent it back to the dealer for repair.

Hi
Like you, sometimes I am mad because of failing Märklin items but when comparing with older models many things come to mind:
- very old model were totally metal (ST800, DL800, G800, CCS800) but very robust and quite expensive (100 to 150 DM which were WAY WAY more than 100 or 150€ today) even though manufactured by low-pay people
- new models are extremely fine (compare a RM 800 with a 3003 or a nowadays 36246, same BR24, entry model but what a progress!) and especially the distribution and rod systems. So they are more fragile
- the inside intelligence is totally different today as in the old days I have a Turmtriebwagen (catenary maintenance vehicle) very compact and with sound, MFX, FOUR motors and two different decoders. So this added compexity is fragile
- the workforce used to produce these products at a competitive price cannot be German anymore, so it is replaced with automation or with foreign production (Hungary and elsewhere so the result is less verification.
- consider the huge price cascade between a german competitive market price (a deluxe Steamer is often approx 500€ of which less than 300€ are for Märklin
- at long distance export (Australia, USA, etc) the additional and custom duties adds up to the long shipment which augment the risk of failure when arriving.

So, don't get me wrong, I am not happy to pay a nice loco 500 or 600€ from a competitive German retailer but the question is: is the competition really better ? I think not.
Am I happy when one of my beauties fail? Certainly not!
From a different angle, this year, I had to send back 2 Insider models to Germany (Failed motor, failed decoder) but this was free of charge to me because less than 5 years old.

Cheers
Jean

I think David summed it up, a little less of the gadgets and gimmicks, and little more quality!

I bet the dealer was MacKay models. I used to use them quite a bit - certainly a big loss when the closed.

I can't help but chime in here:

- Like a new car, you shouldn't have any trouble with your new Marklin

- Also like a new car, the level of electronics, bells and whistles involved mean the odds favor the fact you are going to have some issue. Knowing this, I actually give Marklin some credit for quality control.

- The problem goes back to my car analogy: service and aftersales. My car can go to the local dealer and it is fixed near instantly on warranty. With marklin there are extra layers, most notably highlighted by the fact many of us do not run that locomotive every day like the new car, so problems may not be obvious early on. And our dealers are rarely set up to fix much of anything on the spot - no parts, factory training etc...

There is one very obvious fix for this: dealer/retailer inspection and testing before shipment.

I have begun asking for it on everything new I buy. (which lately has not been Marklin, no good reason for that though) I can tell some some dealers have not done so, and others have gone as far as to put a note in the parcel to the effect of "tested and all ok". Thankfully no issues in a few years though...

In defense of nice detail on car/coach bottoms, interiors, etc., is what makes them models and less toylike.

The consumer can't be blamed for having their point of view, and altering their buying accordingly.

Yet as can be seen; If you make enough product, everyone turns out a turkey.




I would not lump EU production (Hungary) in the same bucket as 'elsewhere' (China, Vietnam etc,...)

At least in Hungary they can duplicate their factory set-up with the exact same machinery, same processes, even the exact same grade of raw materials used: i.e. Plastics/Electronic components.

Ideally in such a set-up, is is a matter of maintaining procedures.

Dealing with a vendor or partners halfway around the globe you get more potential variables...

Is the machinery the same? Are the plastic grades and various electronic components the same? Are you sure your vendors will not change the composition of said components without telling you? (Seen it happen).

And who then do you have managing production over there? One of your people? Someone else that you choose to 'trust'?

In theory the product should be no different, but many have found with practical experience that you need to be more on the ball when dealing with production facilities one has to take a long plane ride to, vs one that you can drive to in a couple of hours.


Here's one of the real issues in the hobby as well:






How much 'less toylike' do they really need to be?

Is the product that Marklin released in the 80's now considered 'toylike' by today's standards?

Or has it all become a self-reinforcing loop; that as technology has gotten better, the hobbyist have demanded ever increasing detail, shifting expectations? (Which also drives costs...)

Who out there actually uses all 24 functions on their locs on a regular basis?

Or has it all become a costly prestige game of one-upmanship? Doing things just because they can, without stopping to think if they even should?

In my opinion; advancing technology is all well and good, but it must be balanced with a strong sense of practicality as well.


.

The Chinese are not the substandard manufacturers they were three decades ago. They can in most plants do and usewhatever materials, and specifications that are asked and paid enough for.

I was not talking about three decades ago.

These are all know issues and problems I have witnessed, and been personally privy to in my current work experience.

Having your manufacturing halfway around the world in countries with different languages and customs will always come with issues that need to be accounted for.

Companies still choosing to 'decouple' from China in recent years is not just about the long supply chain.

In fairness; it also depends on what you are making. For some products, some of those issues are just not that big of a deal, or are non-existent entirely.





Owning the factory, and being directly run by them is a plus in Roco's favor.


Marklin - well that's just what happens when your people are not there. And is it just me, or have they always been fuzzy on the details when it comes to their manufacturing outside of Germany and Hungary?





That's an issue when you are continually trying to drive down labor costs. The impact of labor turnover, and having to constantly re-train workers is one that's never thought through all that well by those just looking at the bottom line.

Penny wise, Pound foolish I believe it used to be called...