The Reasons Your Appliances Die Young

Many people have a memory of some ancient, avocado-green washing machine or refrigerator chugging along for decades at their grandparents’ house. But even then, decade-spanning durability was uncommon.

Although I couldn’t find a ton of hard data on appliance lifespan over the past 40 years, nearly everyone I spoke with — service technicians, designers, engineers, trade-organization representatives, salespeople — said that kind of longevity was always the outlier, not the norm.

“Everybody talks about the Maytag washing machine that lasts 50 years,” said Daniel Conrad, a former product engineer at Whirlpool Corporation who is now the director of design quality, reliability, and testing for a commercial-refrigeration company. “No one talks about the other 4.5 million that didn’t last that long.”

“It was never 30 years,” said Richard Zilka, a 40-year veteran of the appliance service industry who runs a local repair business near Miami. Even the more straightforward appliances made three or four decades ago lasted only 10 to 15 years, said Zilka. “That was the average lifespan,” he said.

The available evidence suggests that appliance lifespans have decreased only modestly over the past few decades. Recent research from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers trade group shows that in 2010 most appliances lasted from 11 to 16 years. By 2019, those numbers had dropped, to a range of nine to 14 years. (In some cases, such as for gas ranges and dryers, the lifespans actually increased.)

Average lifespan of appliances in circulation in 2010 vs. 2019

According to an AHAM survey of appliance owners, some appliance lifespans decreased modestly between 2010 and 2019. Source: Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Most of these appliances have average lifespans of well over a decade. And a decade isn’t considered a short lifespan for other similarly complex and expensive products that people use daily, noted Jessica Petrino Ball, the former head of education for the national appliance retailer AJ Madison.

Like many other appliance experts, Petrino Ball thinks that buyers need to adjust their expectations when it comes to longevity. She suggests that people start thinking of these expensive appliances as being more like their cars, phones, or any other complicated, tech-loaded, feature-rich product encased in a sleek design that they put through hard use every single day.

In other words, she thinks that people need to stop comparing modern appliances with the mythical 30-year-old fridge in Grandma’s basement, which has been the exception all along.

Every appliance service technician I spoke to — each with decades of experience repairing machines from multiple brands — immediately blamed federal regulations for water and energy efficiency for most frustrations with modern appliances.

Regulations have improved appliances by many measures: They’ve removed leaky pilot lights in gas stoves, replaced ozone-depleting freon in refrigerators, prevented cooktop fires and burns through safety sensors and better insulation, and reduced water and power used by washers and dishwashers exponentially, saving consumers money.

But on top of that, they have generally added layers of complexity to appliances that had previously stayed the same for decades, said Zilka, the repair-industry veteran.

The main culprit is the set of efficiency standards for water and energy use for all cooking, refrigeration, and cleaning appliances. Those standards have been managed by the Department of Energy since 1987; the rules are evaluated and strengthened at least every six years. Most of the significant changes arrived in the early 2000s, and they have been updated several times since.

Before those updates, appliances were road-tested for decades, said Zilka. Brand representatives would even ride along with his technicians as they worked on appliances “and monitor the failures, and what goes on inside,” he said.

Now, the models change a lot more often. More importantly, to meet any new standard, appliances often move from analog parts to digital components, such as computer circuit boards, said Zilka.

That means precise temperature controls for refrigerators, as well as motors and compressors that can operate at variable, and therefore more efficient, speeds based on heat or humidity; computer-driven ignition systems to replace always-on pilot lights in gas stoves; and sensors and computer algorithms in dishwashers and washing machines that adjust water usage.

New standards require manufacturers to redesign and manufacture appliances by the government deadlines, said Zilka. Technicians then must scramble to get trained on new technology: “You need new equipment, new service tools, and new service procedures,” he said.

Standards have also prompted changes that max out efficiency but potentially reduce repairability, said Antonio Zuniga Paredes, a certified apartment maintenance technician and appliance-repair instructor at Wake Tech, a community college in North Carolina.

Paredes cited refrigerator cooling systems as an example. These used to have copper components that a technician could weld and repair to address a leak in the cooling system. Now they’re made mainly of aluminum, which more efficiently removes heat (it also resists corrosion and is more affordable and lightweight). “But most of the time you can’t fix it,” Paredes said. “You have to replace the part.”

Regulation-driven design changes can detract from repairability in other ways too, said Jill Notini, a spokesperson for AHAM. For example, manufacturers now often use more lightweight modular plastic components instead of metal parts. Lighter parts, such as a tub in a washer, take less energy to move, for instance.

Once those plastic components break, they must be replaced rather than repaired. But they also don’t rust — once a common cause of leaks or failure in washers and other large appliances. AHAM research data shows that consumers prefer durability over repairability, said Notini.

In the future, the ongoing updates to efficiency standards may end, or even revert to previous guidelines. (At this writing, the Trump administration had moved to eliminate or roll back many requirements.) However, most experts agree that any potential loosening of regulations would take a significant amount of time to change how appliances are designed.

A broken fridge or stove isn’t the only reason people buy a new appliance. Just as often it’s because they want the fancier, higher-tech, or simply better-looking new models that companies seem to be churning out constantly these days.

Planned obsolescence means designing with an end-of-life in mind — typically based on cost constraints and whichever components will fail first. But it’s actually those new machines that make “you feel like what you have is obsolete,” Alex Lobos, the director of the School of Design at Rochester Institute of Technology, told me.

“It’s a marketing strategy,” said Lobos, that “drives product replacement.”

Some who study product design consider this to be “psychological obsolescence,” or when people replace otherwise workable machines because they want the trendy new product or the one with the most fashionable style.

In a 2023 article in the scientific journal Heliyon, researchers found that designers categorized product obsolescence into six main types, including planned, psychological, technological — when the technical components of products become outdated — and economic, as in when it costs too much to keep using a product.

A focus on getting consumers to buy new machines has been the standard in the appliance industry since World War II ended the Great Depression, said Lobos. By the 1960s, many companies were already developing features that promised either increased convenience or a sense of surprise or delight.

In 1963, GE introduced a self-cleaning oven; two years later Frigidaire launched a refrigerator with an ice maker that automatically dispensed into a storage bucket in the freezer door.

But by the late 1990s and early 2000s, when appliances began to modernize to meet government regulations and computer circuit boards were conveniently getting smaller and easier to produce, the push for new features really took off, said Lobos.

Many people prefer or even demand appliances with features, even if they don’t think of themselves as the type to be wooed by a refrigerator with a huge flat screen. Such features also include seemingly basic functionality like that self-cleaning oven, a third rack in a dishwasher (invented by Miele in 1987), a digital oven timer, convection baking, a delicates setting on your washing machine, or a water dispenser in the door of your fridge. (I’ve noticed a new focus on custom colors and finishes as features lately, too.)

Lobos recalls working for a major US appliance manufacturer between 2005 and 2008, during its transition from mostly analog models to computer-driven appliances with digital touchscreens, a move made primarily because “they wanted more features than competitors,” he said.

Touchscreens were already a draw because of their modern appearance, explained Lobos, but they also gave production designers the ability to add even more features. “People want super-quick freezing or night modes, and they want eight types of ice,” said Lobos of modern refrigerator design. Analog control panels couldn’t keep up. “We ran out of space to put buttons,” he said.

And people’s desire for new things only appears to be growing. Petrino Ball said her sales research at AJ Madison showed that today consumers are buying new appliances every eight years, even if what they had before hasn’t fully failed.

Appliances are replaced for countless other reasons, said Petrino Ball, who has since become an account brand manager for Samsung. They are dented or dirty, or they don’t match. Maybe you renovated, or you moved into a new home and don’t want a used machine. (“We hear all the time, ‘Someone else used this dishwasher,’” she said.)

Whitney Welch, a spokesperson for GE Appliances, told me that its research showed consumers are often replacing appliances for aesthetic reasons.

AHAM’s Jill Notini said the organization’s data showed that “80% of products are replaced because they died or because it is too costly to repair,” while the remaining 20% were by choice, as people just wanted a new machine.

The catch is that any feature — even a dishwasher rack, which doesn’t require touchscreens or computer circuit boards — adds complexity to a machine and potential for problems, said Daniel Conrad, a former product engineer at Whirlpool Corporation who is now the director of design quality, reliability, and testing for a commercial-refrigeration company.

“Simpler things have fewer issues just because they’re simpler,” said Lance Hussey of RKS Design. “It sounds silly, but it’s true.”

It is telling that luxury appliance manufacturers incorporate mostly basic features that they know will work and are well used, said Petrino Ball. “It’s purposeful rather than entertainment-driven,” she said.

For example, the luxury refrigerator company True Residential took four years to add an ice maker to its side-by-side fridge, said Steve Proctor, the company’s director of sales and marketing. And when it did, it chose to install a basic model in the freezer, the type least likely to have issues, he said. “We don’t do the ice maker in the door, and we don’t do a dispenser,” he explained.

Appliances are even cheaper than they were 50 years ago, when adjusted for inflation, and that also affects longevity, said Petrino Ball.

In 1972, Sears sold a clothes washer for $220 and a dryer for $90, per 2022 research by AARP Magazine. That’s about $2,389 in 2025, adjusted for inflation. Today you can get a washer-and-dryer pair on sale from Sears for around $1,200.

International brands, such as South Korean companies Samsung and LG, changed the market when they began selling home appliances in the United States about 15 years ago, Petrino Ball said. They offered higher-tech, feature-laden products, sometimes for far less than the price of US competitors.

“It really kind of shook up what the industry did,” said Petrino Ball.

“There are so many companies that are trying to build market share and selling for cheap,” said appliance repair instructor and technician Antonio Zuniga Paredes, adding that this forces more established companies to sell at the same price.

Matching prices often means slashing material costs, said Paredes. One example: the switch to aluminum components from copper in motors or refrigerator cooling systems. “Copper is more durable,” he said, because it can be repaired, “but it is more expensive.”

Over the past few decades, there has been a decline in durability in parts in particular, from oven-temperature control mechanisms to gas valves, said Carlita Belgrove, a veteran service technician who now repairs and restores vintage stoves at Belgrove Appliance. “They’re not made to last,” she said of modern appliances. “They’re made to throw away.”

One key way in which product designers lower material costs without hurting performance is by reducing repairability, said Alex Lobos of the Rochester Institute of Technology. For instance, they may use one large modular polymer or plastic component rather than 15 smaller pieces that must be screwed together, he said, or use heavy-duty glue as a fastener instead of screws.

These types of material changes do have other benefits, said Conrad. Plastics don’t rust, for example, and fewer parts mean fewer things to mess up or go missing during the manufacturing process.

The race to match costs may be one reason why durability is now determined model to model and year to year rather than brand to brand. Dean Landers, who sells and repairs appliances in Baltimore, used to keep the same reliable models on hand for when customers needed speedy replacements.

But as companies release new versions of appliances or add features more frequently, he now asks his service techs on a yearly basis to tell him what models are dependable. “I have changed the mix five times over the last three years,” said Landers.

Over the past two decades, many of the mostly generic, fully analog, easy-to-find-and-fix appliance parts have been replaced by digital, proprietary versions, said Nathan Proctor, who leads the Campaign for the Right to Repair for the Public Interest Research Group, a consumer-advocacy nonprofit.

As a result, appliances are harder and more costly to repair than ever.

“Twenty-five years ago, you didn’t have appliances with computers in them,” said Landers. “Now some of them could have nearly 20 computer circuit boards.” That’s “outrageous,” he said.

If you’re lucky, your issue may require only a software update, he said, but you generally have to replace the whole circuit board. Actually fixing a computer circuit board requires a specialized expert who can recertify it on behalf of the brand, a step that is so expensive, it makes sense only for the priciest luxury appliances, Landers explained.

Much of the time, he said, prices on most new models are so low, his first suggestion to customers is to just replace the appliance. “If the cost of repair is 50% of replacement, throw it cleanly away,” he said. “If it’s 40%, consider the option.”

“Labor is highly skilled,” he added. “It can’t compete with low prices.”

In many cases, it can’t compete with lost time, either. Repairs often require waiting a few days or weeks for parts, said Petrino Ball. “Even one day without a washer-dryer or fridge is really hard for many families,” she said, “but if you buy one, you can have it the next day.”

Plus, determining what is wrong in modern machines can be tricky even for experienced techs, said Heather Dyer-Yoder, who runs the Dyer Appliance Academy outside of Fort Worth, Texas.

Each brand has custom diagnostic instruments required to service computer circuit boards, and repair companies must buy more than a dozen of those tools or get certified to receive them, or else they can’t even download error codes to diagnose issues, said Dyer-Yoder.

Not every repair person has the access, money, or bandwidth to do so for all manufacturers, she explained.

“When we started 13 years ago, we used to teach the basics,” said Dyer-Yoder. “When you leave, we wanted to teach you to be able to work on any brand. Now, they’re starting to all be so different.”

I reached out to several appliance brands, including Bosch, GE Appliances, LG, and Samsung, and they confirmed that technology has added more complexity to repair. But they also echoed the sentiments of Dean Brindle, the head of product management for home appliances at LG Electronics North America: More technology has led to a need for more tools and training, he said, but it is “a double-edged sword.”

On the plus side, he said, the same technology can correctly identify issues very quickly. And if the appliance is Wi-Fi–enabled, it can automatically download fixes for bugs, send out maintenance reminders, or even download all the new features developed for more current models.

My investigation did reveal that if you want an appliance that will last more than a decade, you have two options: Go low or go high.

Stripped-down, fully analog, easy-to-repair appliances at the low end of the price spectrum are more durable because they are mostly mechanical, with few features — or really any extras at all — and far fewer parts that will break. These include some basic top-freezer fridges, freestanding ranges, and top-loading washing machines.

There’s a reason these low-end models are typically the versions you see in used-appliance stores or apartment buildings with lots of turnover. They also tend to have generic parts that can be replaced easily and affordably for long periods of time, said Proctor of the Campaign for the Right to Repair.

The downside to these models, of course, is that they’re generally not quite as fast, powerful, accurate, or nice-looking as even slightly more expensive appliances.

Conversely, at the high end of the price spectrum — as in, the most expensive appliances available, often with five- or even six-figure price tags — I found that luxury appliances also tend to have a longer lifespan.

These appliances — from brands like BlueStar, ILVE, Monogram, Sub-Zero, and Wolf — use more robust materials, such as higher-quality stainless steel, double-hung glass, and commercial-level hinges or gaskets. (Carlita Belgrove, who restores vintage stoves that have already lasted several lifetimes, said that she also repairs models from many of the above brands because they’re akin to older appliances.)

For example, Terry Hoffmann, the vice president of design engineering at Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, told me that the key internal components in those appliances include more robust electrical wiring encased in a protective sleeve, or computer circuit boards with “redundancies,” so that if one piece fails, the appliance will keep working.

Such models also have longer warranties, and many owners buy service plans, in which the company manages the regular maintenance that keeps issues at bay. These appliances are also largely designed to be easily repaired, including their computerized components, where the higher cost of the repair makes sense considering the initial investment.

The real drawback is their high cost: Prices typically start at the high four figures and rise well beyond that. These appliances also often require custom cabinetry and shelving.

Yet a higher price tag alone does not ensure durability. Beyond those truly luxury appliances, I found that more money may buy you more features and higher-quality finishes, components, or design, but it does not guarantee more reliability or durability.

For many people, that might be enough. Wirecutter’s reader surveys over the years have shown that the way an appliance looks and feels is one of the most important factors in a purchase for most shoppers, which makes sense — dishwashers and fridges and stoves are a focal point of many people’s homes.

That’s exactly what Oceana Baity, an acupuncturist in New York City, was thinking when she bought a stainless steel French-door refrigerator from a more expensive appliance brand, despite knowing that it had a reputation for issues.

When that fridge broke down shortly after her five-year extended warranty expired, she said, she bought another just like it.

My research uncovered many ways that you can make smarter decisions when it comes time to purchase a new appliance. The following tips may help you both before and after you buy:

1. Skip the features you can live without. Any feature adds a layer of complexity to an appliance and makes it more susceptible to breaking. Many are legitimately valuable for their added convenience, such as a digital control pad or an air-fry mode on a stove, specific custom laundry settings on a washing machine or dryer, or an ice maker or water dispenser in a fridge — and they’re probably worth the extra risk. But you may not need more than one ice maker on your fridge, or a dishwasher with an app-controlled spray arm.

Opt for the appliance that gives you the features you know you will truly use with the fewest extras. You’ll typically pay less in that case, too.

2. Think twice before buying a newly released model. New models, which are typically labeled as such by most big-box stores and brand websites, typically haven’t been fully road-tested in real homes. (A low number of online reviews often signals a new model.)

Experts told us that a new model may also be the product of manufacturers’ rushing to meet new regulations; they also said that service technicians may not be up to speed on how to repair these models, and that replacement parts may not yet be available. This also applies to brands new to the United States.

Be particularly cautious with new models from brands that are first and foremost technology companies — Hisense, LG, or Samsung, for example — which tend toward yearly innovation with technological features. We see this play out regularly at the annual CES trade show, where brands show off new appliances flush with everything from large screens to AI functionality.

3. Invest in extended warranty and maintenance plans. These plans should work just as they would for your cell phone, reducing the cost of repairs, ideally to the point where repair makes more sense than replacement.

4. Learn how to use and maintain your appliance. Most people rarely read the manuals to learn how to use their appliances properly, and they tend to forgo regular maintenance. Simple maintenance, such as vacuuming away dust and pet hair from behind a fridge or replacing water filters, can prevent many problems, said Heather Dyer-Yoder, who runs the Dyer Appliance Academy outside of Fort Worth, Texas.

It’s also important to understand what you shouldn’t do. For example, putting foil under your cooktop coils to catch drips could short out the safety sensors, said Antonio Zuniga Paredes, the appliance repair instructor and technician.

5. Research service companies in your region. Ideally, the technician fixing your appliance should have at least three years of experience, said Dyer-Yoder. That’s about enough time for even a part-time technician to have had hands-on experience with a variety of brands, she said, and to understand how to diagnose problems without introducing new ones.

6. Consider making some repairs yourself. Many appliance experts I spoke to predicted that economic pressures would drive more Americans to try to repair appliances on their own. (In Europe, retailers are required to show repairability information on product pricing labels.)

Robert Coolidge of Encompass Supply Chain Solutions said that his company’s data on part orders shows that this is already happening. To prepare, Encompass is building out a consumer repair database on Centriq that includes schematics and links to parts for a variety of appliance models, as well as intel on how easy or safe a repair may be for an amateur. Other similar sites include iFixit and Fixit Clinic.

A few states have also passed laws requiring companies to give out the detailed repair manuals that are designed for service technicians to anyone who owns a machine, said Nathan Proctor, who leads the Campaign for the Right to Repair for the Public Interest Research Group.

If you live in a state where this is the case, said Proctor, you should be able to get documentation and buy tools and parts to fix your appliance. If you can’t, he said, you can file a complaint on Repair.org, which also curates repair rules that are currently in place in each state.

7. Live with some minor flaws. You might also choose to take minor appliance failures in stride, just as Lance Hussey did when his refrigerator’s ice dispenser broke.

Rather than replace the entire unit, he removed the delivery mechanism and started pulling the ice from the maker manually. His daughter is the one who used the dispenser, he said. “Now, she just gets ice and puts it in the basket.”

This article was edited by Ingrid Skjong and Christine Cyr Clisset.