It is true. I used to work in Supplier Quality for some time. During that time it made me sick to my stomach for some of the stunts pulled. I got out of there before going postal or losing my wife. Best one was changing primer on a drawing and not informing supplier, then issuing CAR to supplier for not meeting drawing. Was even admitted on CAR what the root cause was, but supplier still felt the impact of the "ding" via financial penalties. There was no way they were going to be vindicated and a CAR is a CAR. The words on it were meaningless so far as removing fault from the supplier per the Metrics. Unfair doesn't begin to describe things.
To the young engineers working there. What you are experiencing is NOT normal, and NO it is NOT the same everywhere else.