Have anyone seen that a faulty tape can stop TSM from expire data?!? I
dont see how that could possible happen but who knows....

Is there some situation inciting the question?

The only tape-related issue I can see is if a client backup cannot
proceed due to a tape problem, and for some reason it cannot go on
to another, fresh tape:  Expiration by versions is predicated upon
the next version of a file arriving so as to push the oldest one
off the retention cliff; so if Backup stops, no new version comes
in.  But, then, you have larger issues to attend to.

   Richard Sims