In 1939, I was 2 years old and my Mom and Dad bought a new GE refrigerator. When my Mother sold the house 70 some years later the old refrigerator was still working in the basement keeping apples in cold storage. I bought a new oven for our new home in 1998 and when the temperature readout failed 13 years later the company told me that they stopped making parts after 10 years. Luckily my repairman found a re-manufactured part and fixed our oven. He told us that most appliances are made to last 10 years and manufacturers stop servicing them after that. Well today we are getting a new washer and dryer since our old on was having problems after 14 years and would have been very expensive to repair only to break again in a short time. The salesman at the appliance store told us that most of the higher end washers now are expected to last 7 to 10 years.
Like the old refrigerator I have friends that have had old Maytag washers that worked for30 ears and were replaced only, to get the newer technology. In the past I have had washers and dryers plus refrigerators that lasted over 20 years before problems started and then they were able to be repaired. I am at a loss that manufacturers that a century ago could make appliances that lasted nearly a lifetime and cannot do the same today. With modern technology and the availability of many new materials plus electronics without moving parts replacing the old timers and gears you would think that modern appliances would last much longer than one third of the time of their predecessors. A comparison to the auto industry that in the 40's and 50's produced engines that were good for about 80,000 miles before overhaul and now the modern automobile can travel 200,000 miles before engine overhaul. The industry has used modern technology to greatly improve their products in efficiency and durability while the appliance manufacturers have decided to sell more product by making inferior machines that last for a short time. It is not only, that they last for a much shorter time than in years past but the companies making them have made it nearly impossible to repair them with the abandonment of parts production and service. Most auto manufacturers produce some parts for 25 years and service is still available for many years after purchase. I am sure that appliance manufacturers could do the same.
This will not change until consumers demand better quality and service. I'm not sure how this will happen but probably when a new manufacturer decides to compete in this area and produces products that resemble the life expectancy of the older machines. I hope it happens soon.
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