Mode attachment

A Transformer suffering from mode attachment has become particularly attached to their alternate mode, and will resist upgrading or reformatting to a new one, even when circumstances may merit it.^[1]

Mode fidelity is an even more extreme example, where a Transformer will resist any changes to their body, right down to their eyebrows.^[2]

Examples:

• Ratchet rebuilt Goldbug back into Bumblebee because ol' Doc always preferred his original form. His, uh, original Earth form, anyway. Skin Deep
• It is stated that Kup resisted upgrades and never bothered to keep his systems up to the current technology level. This might explain why he still transforms into a weird piece of crap truck thing. Spotlight: Kup
• After receiving a new, tougher body in preparation for an important mission, Orion Pax revealed a desire to go back to his original body later. Omega's Conundrum He followed through on that desire. The Transformers: Stormbringer (He was also upset when his upgrade caused him to lose his faceplate.)
• Rung admitted to himself in a quiet moment that he suffered from mode fidelity, remaining how he had always looked down to the last detail, even as all his comrades had changed and often grown as big as their systems would allow. Signal to Noise
• Leviathan considered her giant harvester mode her primary form, and refused to convert into robot mode unless the situation was absolutely life-or-death. Tremors

References

1. ↑ Glossary of terms in Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye #8
2. ↑ Signal to Noise