You heard wrong. The technology for LTO is basically derived from another IBM Tape technology called Magstar which is used in the Petroleum/Gas industry. So, in terms of speed as well as reliability, IBM is going to be faster and as reliable if not more.
Who did you hear this from ?
If there is a problem with data loss, I suggest that you check your tape cartridges to see if they are ok. Same goes for the drive. But IBM drives do come with ECC checking so the possibility of errors in backups are very minimal. Even if there is any errors, you would definitely know about it.
Regards.