A typical call starts the same way: one spouse says the garage door is "dying" and needs a whole new opener, the other says it just needs a spring or a tune-up. The technician gets there, runs the door a couple times, and nine times out of ten the real problem is sagging springs, dry rollers, or a track that's packed with winter grit — not the opener motor at all. The opener gets blamed because it's the part that makes noise and has a light on it. Here's what actually determines how long each piece lasts, so you can settle the argument with facts instead of guesses.