An incidental product characteristic refers to a feature or aspect of a product that exists but is not necessarily intended or required by the customer and does not impact the primary function of the product.

Meets Most but Not All of Its Intended Functions:

Refers to a partially functional product characteristic, not incidental.

Fails to Perform the Intended Function:

Indicates a defective product characteristic.

Causes a Critical Failure:

Refers to a characteristic leading to a critical failure, not incidental.

Is Transparent to the Customer:

An incidental characteristic does not affect the product's primary function or customer satisfaction and may go unnoticed by the customer.

References: Product design and quality engineering principles.