I think it is more fair to say that, being old and well-used, the engineering behind old-fashioned hardware is more mature and its failure modes are better unde

I think it is more fair to say that, being old and well-used, the engineering behind old-fashioned hardware is more mature and its failure modes are better understood. Embedded electronic systems of various types will reach that point as they are more widely deployed and used for longer periods. BTW, I have been through that exact failure scenario before myself (in an '81 Monte Carlo).