What happened to quality control?

I had another bad experience with no QC and modern autoparts today. Replacing a CV axle on my F150. Done it a few times so I can knock it out quick. Got the axle from NAPA, new, not rebuilt is all that's available anymore. Got the old one out, new one in, torqued all the hardware, go to put in the cotter pin and..... there is no hole in the axle for it 🤬. Call up Napa near me, they dont have another, had to drive about 45min round-trip to get another. Same exact part number, this one had the hole like it should. Extremely irritating, I planned on finishing the job in an hour or so while I had some shade. Ended up being over 3hrs and finishing in the hot sun. I will definitely be more closely inspecting CV axles now. Also stinks that Napa is just another junk parts pusher now.
 
I had another bad experience with no QC and modern autoparts today. Replacing a CV axle on my F150. Done it a few times so I can knock it out quick. Got the axle from NAPA, new, not rebuilt is all that's available anymore. Got the old one out, new one in, torqued all the hardware, go to put in the cotter pin and..... there is no hole in the axle for it 🤬. Call up Napa near me, they dont have another, had to drive about 45min round-trip to get another. Same exact part number, this one had the hole like it should. Extremely irritating, I planned on finishing the job in an hour or so while I had some shade. Ended up being over 3hrs and finishing in the hot sun. I will definitely be more closely inspecting CV axles now. Also stinks that Napa is just another junk parts pusher now.

NAPA certainly doesn’t make any of their own parts. They never have. They’ve always just been a parts pusher.
 
Looks like the machine injecting the rubber dispensed too much. Almost certainly, the entire batch was made this way that day. Too much rubber will still seal, but not enough means immediate scrap. No doubt, they error on the overfill side of the equation.

What I'd like to know is if the factory has limit samples, defining how much is too much, from an appearance standpoint? I suspect the filter in question is perfectly functional. Maybe, diminished slightly in ultimate durability (surface area) is all.
 
Does it look sloppy?
Yes.
Is it perfectly functional?
Yes.
Should the factory pay more attention to the completed aesthetics of their output?
For $27.00 retail, I'd say that they should, and maybe the seller (Walmart) should.
 
QC was abandoned when corporations discovered it was cheaper to expect a percentage of defects during the manufacturing process and just provide a replacement item for those few customers who bother to return to the store seeking restitution.
 
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