Despite the fact that there are two main garage door spring types, the spring family is rather large. Manufacturers produce them in variations in order to meet the demands of special garage systems and in an effort to deliver a durable yet presentable product. There are springs with coils, which are so tight you could hardly manage to stretch them for just inches with your hands. Some others are very flexible, galvanized, oil tempered, thicker, larger and with different end parts for easier installation as in the case of Clopay torsion springs.
Springs might not all look alike, might have different strengths and lifespan expectancy but they're all produced to do the exact same job: to open the garage door, keep it open and close it without endangering anyone's life. So, this means that they also share similar problems. If the door doesn't open, it doesn't matter if you have torsion or extension garage door springs; what matters is that you will have to deal with spring issues and find spring solutions.
Regardless of their lifespan, springs age quickly and every time you open the overhead door. It's not accidental that their lifespan is estimated by the door's opening/closing cycles. Every time the door completes a full cycle, the springs lose some of their tension. Since one of their main jobs opening the door is to balance it, they will soon require adjustment so that the door will continue to be balanced. Let's say you have extension springs. There is one in each side of the door and the power of both of them together equals the weight of the door. If one of them is damaged, the door will eventually sag on one side.
If the spring has lost some of its tension, it would need adjustment. If it's damaged, it will require replacement. When the extension springs for garage doors start sagging when they're not stretched, they must be soon replaced. Spring replacement is needed if they are rusty or their lifespan is almost over. Their main problem is they pose a danger if not repaired properly and at the right time. So, their problems include adjustment and replacement that must take place in due time for your own safety.