The truth of the matter is that all new airframes go through these issues. The F-16 was called a Lawn Dart when it was first tested and it’s been a workhorse ever since. The F-22 had oxygen problems until just a couple of years ago, causing hypoxia in its pilots, and now it’s the star of the air war over Syria. The Osprey was also a mess when it was in development. This article indicates the F-15, the AWACS and the C-17 were also heavily criticized during development: http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2010/August%202010/0810failures.aspx
In wartime, the debugging of the F35 would be happening in the field. At least there is time to try to get it right without worrying about combat failures. Unfortunately, this also lets everyone milk the budget.
The F-22 is the star of the airwar over Syria? What airwar, and if there is one wouldn’t it be such a low intensity affair that even a warmed-over F-104 Starfighter from the late 50s/early 60s would also be a ‘star?’