According to Which? (Best washing machine brands) some of the most reliable makes of washing machine are AEG | Bosch, Siemens | Zanussi and Miele. The least reliable brands were Hoover | Hotpoint and Philco. This was from a survey which is now a few years old though and their latest findings can be found online from their new web site - Which? have all the resources to review all the latest washing machines. You can obtain a 1 month trial from them which you may find useful as they review and advise on all products, not just washing machines - Which?   NOTE: The Which? reviews and consumer advice is available immediately, online.

Currently, my personal experience indicates the following -

Some of the most reliable washing machines

Miele | AEG | Bosch Siemens

Some of the least reliable washing machines

Indesit, Hotpoint, Creda, Hoover

NB This is by no means a definitive list, just some particularly worthy of mentioning and based on Which? - Best Brands reports as well as my personal experience.

For personal recommendations (so far) see my washing machine reviews or consult Which? who have considerably more resources than Washerhelp and many years of data to research - now online and with a 1 month trial for just £1 - Which? Washing machine Reviews

More things to consider when replacing a washing machine instead of repairing it.

The majority of people seem to drift into buying poor quality washing machines. Either because of loyalty to a brand that used make decent washing machines but no longer does, or because the washing machine is seen as a necessary evil and they resent spending money on one.

A washing machine does so much hard work, and is so important, that ideally, proper money should be invested in one. The alternative is noisy, unstable, unreliable and unsophisticated washing machines that you constantly have to replace - costing more money in the long run.