Heavymetals-
Every other auto manufacturer on earth utilizes a rubber mounted harmonic balancer that lasts the lifetime of the engine and then some. The reason for the failures is that this design uses the outside ring of the harmonic balancer to drive engine accessories, causing added stress to the rubber. This problem is not an issue that should "have a lifetime" and be a maintenance item. It should be designed so that this is never an issue. Get the serpentine belt off of the balancer and it will never fail. Other manufactures have designs that never or very rarely ever fail.