Changing spark plugs should be considered preventive maintenance. Do this to avoid engine issues. In general, old spark plugs will work fine and the engine should run normally. As a spark plug gets near the end of its useful life, first cold-start may get worse, and then idle quality will begin to suffer. Change the plugs on a schedule according to the owner’s manual and you should never have an issue. You don’t expect a big benefit or even a noticeable benefit, you just avoid ever having a poorly running engine condition that just keeps getting worse.