Hey Tom,

Yes, they will get moisture in them and rust out. Does not happen all the time, but once in a while. Have you removed the kick panel and checked all connections going to the VSM. This is the black box mounted on the right side under the kick panel. The bottom connector supplies power to everything. Should have all red wires. Make sure there is no damage to the outside of the lift where the step is at. Wire harness routes around panel and can be damaged.