I had a single plank on one section snap in the middle (not completely severed), so I just caulked it back up on the horizontal fence plank. It IS very durable! We have a couple of extra sections we bought and instead of returning them, we kept them just in case we ever have to replace a section or two. Though I don't know how much trouble it would be. My fence was installed very snug to each section. (But we do have the fence sections since the price has gone up since we bought our fence over a decade ago.) If you live in a dryer climate, the white fencing should stay nice without needing cleaning. I have to use a scrub sponge and soak the fencing to scrub it down. A bit of a pain, but any fencing requires cleaning and maintenance. (A pressure spray did not work.)
The one disadvantage that I can think of ...
If you lean on or fall against the planks you could bust them out. Mine are hollow vinyl planks, so not as strong as wood or metal. The plank that snapped, was hit by a large tree limb when the city cleared the lot next to me. Caulking it back in place seems to have solved that issue. (I don't believe these are made out of the same material as pvc pipes.) Oh and another issue .... the posts are also hollow. They use 4 x 4 wooden post and then slip the hollow vinyl fence post over the 4 x 4s. Like a cap or cover for the wooden posts. Termites or carpenter ants can destroy the wood posts inside the vinyl posts. But I have not had that happen yet and in my yard ... that is pretty amazing!
Mine has been standing for 11+ years and is still in good shape. I have had a problem with squirrels sharpening their teeth by chewing the tops of the fence panel in some sections, but they would do that with a wooden fence, too. The only other alternative would be a metal fence (not chain-link), but the tall wrought iron fencing. I also have a white vinyl picket fence around my back patio area. You can see photos of some of it in this article:
