Should you repair or replace your broken washing machine?

Consumer Reports tackles the washing-machine version of repair-versus-replace, noting that service calls typically start at $100–$150 and the median out-of-pocket repair runs around $155 — manageable for a newer machine, harder to justify for an aging one. Age, as usual, is the swing factor: a sub-eight-year-old washer with a modest fault is usually worth saving.

What that guidance can’t tell you is what’s actually wrong with yours — and washers fail in wildly different ways. A $25 drain pump or a worn door boot is an easy yes; a failed transmission or control board on an older unit is a clear no. OwnWise closes that gap: it identifies the likely fault, estimates the real repair cost, flags whether it’s DIY-able, and checks warranty coverage, so the $155 average becomes your actual number.

CR frames the decision; OwnWise gives you the diagnosis that settles it.