Reader instability detection and recovery

The invention discloses reader instability detection and recovery. A method includes detecting a read error during a first read operation by a read sensor on a first track on a data storage medium. The method also includes, upon detecting the read error, performing, by the read sensor, a second read operation on the first track, performing an error code value (BEV) measurement for the second read operation, and determining whether the read sensor generates a marginal BEV based on the BEV measurement, the marginal BEV is between a first predetermined BEV threshold and a second predetermined BEV threshold. In response to determining that the read sensor generates the marginal BEV, a third read operation is performed by the read sensor on the first track, and BEV measurements are performed for the third read operation. When the BEV measurements from the second read operation and the third read operation satisfy at least one predetermined read sensor instability criterion, it is inferred that the read sensor is u