So...I tried to call Weber this morning to get the updated welded auger and ran into a sorta rude customer service agent from the start and then got the "We're not sending out parts unless you have a definite problem" line. I informed her that when I do encounter temp problems, due to her response, I would likely request to return the grill rather than accept replacement parts since it should have come with the updated auger to begin with and they've been giving the parts to others without hassle. I also asked to speak to a supervisor and am waiting for a call back.
Not 100% sure what I'm going to do when I do run into problems getting to high temps. I'm a little frustrated at the moment, but I may insist that they do an in home repair. Calling in before the problems started, I was going to happily install it myself.