Do washing machines have built-in obsolescence?

This perception is very similar to the one regarding are new washing machines only built to last 5 years?

My view is that they aren't intentionally built to be irreparable, but ultimately the result is the same as if they were. Many modern washing machines are built to be sold as cheaply as possible because that's what most customers demand or it's at least what manufacturers believe they demand. The result is washing machines that do not last long and are relatively very expensive to repair. So is the cheapness an illusion? Are they actually more expensive in the long run? I believe that unless you are lucky, they are likely to work out more expensive in the long run.

The cheaper washing machines become, the smaller the gap between repair and replacement costs. Many cheap washing machines wont last longer than 3-5 years because the first time they break down, it can cost over half the purchasing costs (or more) to get it repaired. Cheap washing machine manufacturers (ironically) can have the most proportionately expensive replacement parts, which increases this gap even more than necessary.

Example : I attended a Servis washing machine recently. It was 18 months old and had cost just £180 to buy. I diagnosed the fault to be the control module, which due to the silly price of the spare part would have cost £120 to replace. Maybe the customer should have bought an extended warranty? However, with the combined cost of the cheap washing machine and the (expensive) extended warranty she could have bought a much better quality washing machine. The washing machine was scrapped, at 18 months old. [ Washing machines are expensive to repair but are extended warranties the answer? ]

[ Related: Unlike many modern washing machines the ISE washing machine promises to have spare parts priced reasonably so that the washing machine has the prospect of being more repairable in the future ]

Summary: Buying cheap washing machines these days could well cost much more than investing in a quality washing machine when you look at the big picture. Over a period of say 20 years, you may have to buy several of the cheap washing machines whereas a quality one could still be going strong (even if it may have needed the odd repair). Some people seem happy if they get just 3 or 4 years from a £250 washing machine but these days the environmental implications are also causing people to rethink this strategy.