Ouch. I just noticed that Soundwave's roof stripes had started to crack like bad Transmetal chrome. Then I discovered that they smoothed right out when I rubbed them, leaving barely any sign of the breaks. Weird.
...and then I saw the blue paint all over my fingers and the multiple spots where the base paint had come right off off the edges of his roof.
It looks like his paint-over-clear parts are subject to the same gradual softening as some people's Prowls. That must have caused the lighter blue details to buckle a bit, but the base coat was soft enough to smooth them back down.
So ye few, ye proud, ye Soundwave-finders out there...
...be careful!