This is true and is done all the time, you'd be surprised how many warranty claims I see that are done in "good will".
So many go undetected but some are sloppy and it is obvious, for instance a component with a date code stamp signifying build date that is after the build date of the vehicle another easily detectable "good will" repair is when we get competitor parts sent to us for analysis.
It's a huge issue keep in mind this particular OE has a much higher incident rate.
What I'm saying is good will repairs happen, it's worth a shot.
