Newer model bikes headsets do go bad. Sometimes in a few years or less, due to sweat, weather, etc. What makes it even worse, that headsets now have gone to the point of ignorant. There is no longer a standard, and some are proprietary even to model of bike. Many times at the bike shop, we had to order a headset directly from the bike manufacturer, just to be sure it would fit. Mainly it is the cause of integrated headsets, a useless "innovation".,,,,BD