After playing for two days and repeated transformations my VF-1S is PERFECT!!!
It's up there with the YF-21 in terms of quality
Rock solid and tight!!!
I'll stop buying toys the day Yamato covers all the destroids, enemy mecha and other VF's from SDF Macross, DYRL? and from the Advanced Valkyrie Program
The same goes for Mospeada
I also need some other mecha from Megazone 23 and then i'll be a happy camper!!!
I have two Hikaru VF-1S with the same problem (both came without those little pegs).
All you have to do is push the back hatch in, and secure it with the Backpack white "support clip" (same as the GBP grey neck piece) that comes with the Fast Packs set
Bad news tend to spread very quickly. Two pages back this toy was the "end of all be", now it's a piece of s h i t
Like you said, it's to early to start worrying.