klroger - On a Toyota assembly line, the whole dang line would stop if a part were to not be assembled. The've got it all figured out. Most tools are tethered and connected back to a computer to count the number of times it hits the required torque. Even on small unimportant screws into plastic. It's not that the torque is important. But "a torque" equals a fastener that has gone into position. Nothing is perfect though. I'd be curious as to how Mitsubishi does it in the Thailand plant where the Mirage is built. I'd love to walk that assembly line. It's possible to leave a part off, but very much not likely. At least not the Japanese assembly lines I've been on.
Now the Hyundai-Kia plant ... that's a whole nother chitshow. We used to have a Sonata pool car that was missing a large vital suspension component. Luckly they found it before it shipped to the dealer. Rather than fixing it, they just gave it to my group just to ride around the plant inside the FTZ. Due to the Korean engineers leaving the windows down and letting it rain in the car several times, and then farting in there after eating raw everything, kimchi and dried worms (their digestive system created a potpourri aroma that was unfathomable) that pool car smelled like the nastiest sewage imaginable. I walked to the other side of the plant rather than getting in that car. But that was how Korean engineering a manufacturing was. Perhaps his cover might be out of place or something, but not likely missed.
Chumbo - You may be the only person to have pollen exposure this time of year. Perhaps klroger has snow or ice collecting in his glove box?
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View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.5 mpg (US) ... 18.1 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.0 mpg (Imp)