How long does a washing machine last?
Typical
10 years
Range
8–12 years
A washing machine typically lasts about 10 years — premium drum-bearing designs longer, budget machines with sealed drums often less, because a £150 bearing failure writes off a £250 machine.
What decides it
- Load discipline — chronic overloading kills bearings and suspension
- Hard-water scale on the heater element
- Cleaning the filter and leaving the door ajar between washes
- Whether the drum bearings are replaceable at all on your model
When to replace rather than repair
Drum bearings or a spider-arm failure on a sealed-drum machine is the classic write-off; pumps, belts and heaters are cheap fixes.
Typical ranges from manufacturer guidance and industry surveys — individual machines vary with use and care. General information, not advice on a specific appliance.