"You were lucky. I'm still throwing out all sorts of worthless electronic parts from VCR days. "

I have seen motor drive ICs go bad, after all they are a power output. End and reel sensors as well. Never a microprocessor. I suspect something in the system control circuit, but the IC last, after all other relevant things are checked.

I have only seen one SMPS transformer bad. It was putting out too much voltage and would not achieve regulation. I figure its resonance was high, inductance low possibly due to a cracked core. I had that once in a TV which produced too much HV and a narrow raster. the pulses on the collector of the HOT/LOPT transistor.

The last time I saw alot of bad non-power ICs was in Sylvania Alpha tuners and the old Magnavox "digital" tuners which were not PLL, just voltage synthesis.