Sorry, I don't buy that. I've been involved in injection molding of far more complex parts than this. The plastic is fed into a molding machine and parts coming out are dumped into a bin, no labor involved. Literally millions of these parts were made for all the models of the dishwasher over the years and the mold would have been depreciated long ago. As to the cost for maintaining inventory, it shouldn't cost more than maintaining an inventory for a custom bolt. The part is unique enough that they have you by the short hairs and they know it so they gouge you on price.