The folks in Tulsa have made plenty of mistakes with the reels as well as the other service centers for VS in the past!
Their track record for repairs has been much better and continues to improve. The guy who retired, Dan, knew the product and stayed on to help train them correctly.
For the cost of the Van Staal reels each one should be check more than once in the assembly process. If it isn't then they really need a better QC department. I've seen plenty of VS from few yrs back that were made out of CT that had plenty of issues so what was their excuse then?! LOL. Self-tightening drag nuts were always fun to see! Spool just locked up once a fish started to take out line.
Two brand new VS200 B were that way: both had to get sent back to the factory. You must have opened up your VS reel before - there aren't a lot of parts in there.
I am more concerned my brakes on my car can fail and create a bigger problem for me than a fishing reel, lurch.
I always have a spare or two with me. If I know I am going to be hoofing it in a ways, I just take the spare reel in my bag.
When we have software issues at work we are told to call our service people over in India for support. Now a days when I get tech support I always ask them WHERE they are physically located just for my own curiosity.
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