Gulp, Found this Last Night, Dang

Was getting ready to pull my LBGE from its home in the table to refinish the table last night and on the back side of the grill I noticed this long crack, it measured 7.5" from the base upward.  I pulled the internals and cleaned the loose ash and sure enough it was straight thru and the base is also cracked from almost the center to the side wall.  Overall 13.5" long.  I emailed Bruce last night and am waiting his reply, I assume there will be no issue getting this replaced.  Wonder how this could have happened.  Egg sits in table on paver with the 3 ceramic feet that came with it (2011 vintage).  I do cook pizza's once per week in the 500 degree range and have for over 3 years could the higher temps have something to do with it?  The grill has not come out of the table since it was new.

I have been around a few other mfg.'s kamado's the past few years and note that some of them ship with a small round disc that sits in the fire box on the base of the grill below the fire grate.  I believe this is to add more thermal mass from the small hot coals that can fit thru the fire grate adding another level of protection. Curious why BGE does not do this as well.  The other thing I noted with all Kamado mfg.'s is that things break with the high heat and stress, fireboxes, fire rings all crack no matter who makes the grill.  Bases are much less frequent.  Guess the really important thing when selecting a kamado is customer service and it's support of their warranty.  I'll update the outcome.