Yes, possibly a manufacturing flaw.
The way you have it set up looks fine.
Should still be under warranty. Write the supplier and ask for a full gasket kit to try to mitigate the issue or send it back
On my 2 fx6s on my 125, the only o-rings I've replaced were the motor assembly o-ring. I've done an o-ring on each once in the past 2 years. With that said, I only break each filter down 2-3 times a years (pre filter helps).
Every o-ring is lubed with silicone grease to prevent pinching and cracking. But I keep 4 o-ring kits just in case as I also have other fx filters on other tanks.