I would also like to add that poor maintenance will lead to differential problems as well. When a vehicle is serviced, standard operating procedure, check the differential level, check for leaks and look for the possibility of axle seals leaking. If the gear oil leaks out and goes unnoticed eventually you'll begin to wear out the gears and as described above they will break and chip away.
You asked: What's the most probable &/or worse result over the next 10,000 miles if expensive repairs are not made?
My answer to that was: If a problem is left unattended in the differential for a long period of time it will most likely result in total seizure of the unit or a lot of noise. This will happen because parts begin to break and pieces of these parts will get caught between other gears and cause those parts to break and the domino affect begins.
I've explained what leads up to problems like this and what to expect if gone unattended for a period of time.
Good Luck!
Dan
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