HRX217HYA versamow problem with adjustable deflector baffle

[farmMD]

I bought my Honda HRX217HYA less than a year ago and have been happy with performance except it has never started well - turned out to have a defective automatic choke which dealer is replacing under warranty. My other problem is that the baffle that blocks the chute no longer blocks it completely - it spits grass out the back even when in the fully closed position. I opened it up and found that the edge that is supposed to seal up against the side of the chute when closed has been worn off back about 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the original shape, leaving a corresponding gap through which the debris is escaping. I do not mow over gravel, wood chips, or large sticks - all I did was follow the instructions for leaving the baffle half open while mulching leaves into the bag to reduce the size of the pieces collected in the bag last fall. I am sure there were some small sticks in the leaves, but there were no dings in the blades to indicate I hit anything unusual that would have broken the baffle. Honda is going to replace it for me but I wondered, is anyone else seeing this, or did I get a bum piece? The regional Honda rep said he had never heard of any problems with it.