Most automotive components usually have a defined shelf-life. However, this isn't necessarily the case with tie rods. In the real world, tie rods are designed to last years at a time. For the most part, many vehicle owners may never need to replace tie rods at all. However, tie rods can fail prematurely and wear out due to the driving conditions that you've subjected them to. For example, constantly driving over potholes, patchy roads, or trekking rough terrain can put a lot of stress on the tie rods. Thus, causing them to fail and require a replacement much earlier than they're intended to otherwise. In addition, accidents or collisions can also damage the tie rods, causing them to fail. So, it usually is a good idea to have them checked every now and then.