I think WJSJ 69 is on to something in terms of quality of parts. I know from talking to a buddy who is a plumber, that faucets and the like at home depot are inferior when compared to a faucet from a plumbing supply shop.

 

Gates is my preference for any rubber hoses and belts. They seem to be the best cost for performance.

 

It's not necessarily different parts numbers. It can be build date. Same part number, but defective materials are discovered mid-run in a production cycle. The thousands already run are dumped into the low bid contracts, if not useless from the get-go. Most people will assume freak accident, replace and move on. Warranty claims are processed if warranted.

 

I installed my Continental Elite belt 6 months ago and yesterday I totally removed it to examine it since reading about the problem the OP had.
I found on the edge of the belt a 1" wire protruding off the side and 2 feet down a 1/2" wire protruding on the opposite edge of the belt.
I clipped back the protruding wires with a pair of dikes and reinstalled the belt back onto the engine but flipped it the opposite way from the way It was routed it before.
I'll keep monitoring the belt.

 

IMHO, save yourself the pending headache and replace the belt with a Gates K070922 ( w/o ACE) or K071065 (w ACE) and ever look back. If you buy from NAPA (these are Gates) the part #'s are: NBH25070922 and NBH25071065.
I don't care what you put the Conti belt on BMW, Porsche, LR, etc.... they're garbage. I've had 3 fail and learned that lesson the hard way. Gates belts, no worries. Good Luck!

 

The problem is that virtually everything is 'faked' these days so you are never too sure what you are buying from car parts to pharmaceuticals.

 

Never ran a Goodyear Gatorback belt on my Disco but have run them on my Lexus GS300 with outstanding results. In my experience they are quiet and long-lasting, my last one running for 45K miles and replaced as part of regular maintenance not because of failure.

 

Gates

 

My wife was the corporate historian for Gates, many many years ago, when they still manufactured in Denver, CO. The number of prototypes and testing configurations they had for every one of their products (up until that time) was impressive, to say the least.
I can't say what their development and QC is like these days, but their corporate culture is certainly based on rigorous testing and high quality. What people are reporting here seems to confirm that.