Are there any recorded instances of this happening? A turbine falling apart when taken past its design lifetime?
Transmissions and bearings are more of a problem. "Turbine gearboxes are typically given a design life of 20 years, but few make it past the 10-year mark."[4]
[1] https://www.enr.com/articles/42352-are-four-wind-turbine-fai... [2] https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/118222161... [3] http://fairwindres.com/wind-industry-maintenance/blade-repai... [4] https://www.windpowerengineering.com/wind-turbine-gearboxes-...
That's why the biggest and best are direct drive.