Considering that the "sabotage" was intended to bring the company extra revenue by having non-faulty parts replaced and by requiring maintenance to be carried out by them and never third parties, it aligns with the company's own interests too much so to say "some employee did this without authorization".

"Deliberate by manufacturer" 100%.

The scarier part is that had this happened in the United States, DMCA would likely have protected them from prosecution, and the government might be liable for damages.