Most of the winches I have seen fail were due to lack of use. I make it a point to pull all the line out and respool it at least once a month to ensure everything works and the heat generated from respooling keeps moisture in the motor to a minimum.
I just picked up a Warn XD9000i that sat on the front of a truck for probably 10 years or so without ever have being used. I dismantled it for service and 2 of the bearings in the motor were rusted bad enough to require replacement.
