Why modern appliances don’t last as long

Wirecutter examines a frustration a lot of owners share: modern appliances often seem to fail sooner than the ones they replaced, thanks to more electronics, thinner components, and design choices that complicate repair.

Whether that means “fix it” or “replace it” depends entirely on the specific failure — a $40 control board or a $30 pump can rescue an otherwise good machine, while some faults genuinely aren’t worth chasing. OwnWise gives you that specificity: it pinpoints the likely fault, estimates the repair cost, tells you if it’s a DIY job or a pro visit, and checks for warranty coverage — so you can weigh a real number against a new unit instead of defaulting to replacement.

Appliances may not last like they used to, but plenty of “dead” ones are a cheap part away from years more service.