Aftermarket A/C Heater Blend Door Actuator

Back In late November the factory original blend door actuator went bad in my 2012 Tacoma and started making a knocking noise. I replaced with a Santech brand one from AutoZone. Easy enough install and cost about $50.00 with a lifetime warranty. About a month later the knocking noise started again and I removed the actuator and exchanged it at AutoZone for another one, another Santech. This one lasted about two weeks and I repeated the process for a third that this morning.started knocking just like the others did.
Three replacement actuators since late November but the original factory one lasted more than ten years. There's really no way to put the part in wrong as it only goes in one way and each time it works as normal for 2-4 weeks.
Has anyone else experienced this? Am I encountering a string of poorly made, defective aftermarket parts? Should I have just bought a factory one in the first place for about twice the price?
I did examine the inside of the original one I replaced and it appeared ok except for possibly a slight bit of damage on the teeth of one of the gears. Possibly.
The knocking stops when I switch to recirculate, hot or cold.

 

Yea the aftermarket ones are junk, multiple people have had issues with them including this guy.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/obnoxious-clicking-in-dash-board.740460/

 

Gotcha, thanks.
Although the part falls under a lifetime warranty from Autozone I'm debating taking it out and repeating the process for a third time and if I do I'm in no hurry to do so. I'll just leave the controls on recirculate so I don't have to hear the annoying knocking sound.
It's just sad that the original lasted over ten years and these aftermarkets don't last a month.

 

Yea I've ran into issues with aftermarket actuators on many vehicles at the shop, we try to get OE when we can. Many Chryslers won't even complete an actuator calibration with aftermarket ones.

 

knowing the after market ones are of lower quality .

You have checked the blend door is free and moves easy ?

I had one some time back that was worn enough it would shift enough to no longer move causing the slipping knocking noise.

Just a thought.

 

The blend door opens and closes easily and smooth. After the first time I replaced the actuator I checked it manually without the actuator in place and after installing the new one I physically watched it opening and closing before I reinstalled the glove box.