How Long Do Washing Machines Last? Repair or Replace

When a washing machine stops mid-cycle, most Perth households ask the same two questions: can it be fixed, and is it worth fixing? A major 2025 study has sharpened that second question. Washing machines are not lasting as long as they used to, e-waste is piling up faster than any other household rubbish, and Australia’s right to repair movement is gathering momentum. Underneath them sits one bigger question: how long do washing machines last? Here is what the research says, and how to use it next time an appliance breaks down.

How long do washing machines last? What the 2025 research found

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) analysed decades of appliance data, published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology in 2025. The headline finding: washing machine lifetimes have fallen by 45 per cent, from an average of 19.2 years down to 10.6 years. Ovens dropped too, from 23.6 years to 14.3 years, a 39 per cent decline.

The surprise was everything else. For almost all other appliances the study looked at, including fridges and dishwashers, lifetimes stayed roughly the same across the decades. So the feeling that “nothing lasts any more” is only half right.

So how long do washing machines last in 2026?

For a machine bought new today, the research points to roughly 10 to 11 years. If you are wondering how long do washing machines last compared with the rest of the laundry and kitchen: noticeably less than your parents’ machine did, while the fridge beside it holds its ground.

Why is washing machine lifespan shrinking?

The researchers found no evidence that manufacturers deliberately build machines to fail, the theory called planned obsolescence. The data points to a simpler explanation: we use washing machines far more than earlier generations. In the Norwegian records, an average family of four ran two loads a week in 1960 and eight by 2000. A machine doing four times the work wears out in far fewer years, even if it is built just as well.

That distinction matters for the repair-or-replace decision. When Perth customers ask us how long do washing machines last, our answer is that the figure measures accumulated wear, not a use-by date. Individual faults along the way, a worn door seal, a failed pump, a drainage blockage, are exactly the kind of thing a technician can fix, often adding years of service to a machine that is mechanically sound everywhere else.

Repair or replace: a practical way to decide

There is no single rule that fits every breakdown. Is it worth repairing a washing machine? The answer starts with how long do washing machines last on average, then comes down to three questions.

1. How old is the machine relative to its expected life?

Age is your baseline. Given the current answer to how long do washing machines last is roughly a decade, and around 14 years for ovens, a five-year-old machine with a single fault has plenty of life left to justify a repair. A machine well past its expected lifespan with a major drum or motor failure is a weaker candidate, though even then a professional assessment beats guessing.

2. What kind of fault is it?

Faults are not created equal. Blocked pumps, worn seals, faulty inlet valves, damaged door hinges and many electronic faults are routine fixes. As a rough guide, a fault in a single replaceable component is usually worth repairing; widespread corrosion or a cracked outer tub is usually not. A technician handling washing machine repair Perth wide every day can tell you which category your fault falls into within one visit, and we always give an honest assessment rather than repairing something that will not go the distance.

3. Are parts available for your brand and model?

Parts availability varies by brand and age. This is where a repairer with genuine manufacturer relationships helps: CAI Appliance Services is an authorised service agent for Bosch, Electrolux, LG, Miele, Beko and other major brands, which means access to genuine parts and current service documentation for the machines Perth households own.

The e-waste case for repairing first

According to Clean Up Australia, Australia generated 511,000 tonnes of e-waste in 2019, and the national total is projected to rise by nearly 30 per cent to 657,000 tonnes by 2030. The average Australian produces about 20 kilograms of e-waste a year, nearly three times the global average of 7 kilograms. E-waste is the fastest-growing component of the municipal solid waste stream.

Every appliance repaired instead of discarded keeps tens of kilograms of metal, plastic and electronics out of that stream. Repairing first also changes the practical answer to how long do washing machines last, one machine at a time, and it is the convenient option: a technician comes to you, and the machine you already own keeps working.

Right to repair Australia: the rules are moving

Repairability is also becoming government policy. The Productivity Commission ran a full right to repair inquiry, and its recommendations are now producing results. The Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme, which since July 2022 has required car manufacturers to share repair information with independent workshops, has been associated with a $2.4 billion annual increase in automotive industry turnover, according to a February 2026 government review. The government is now consulting on extending the same approach to agricultural machinery, estimated by the Productivity Commission to lift annual GDP by $97 million.

Household appliances are not yet covered by a scheme of their own, so watch this space. But the direction of travel in right to repair Australia policy is clear: repair information and parts are being opened up, category by category, because repair keeps money in consumers’ pockets and equipment out of landfill.

The consumer rights you already have

While appliance-specific legislation is still to come, the Australian Consumer Law already does real work. Under the consumer guarantees explained by the ACCC, if a product has a major problem you can choose a full refund or a replacement. For a minor problem, the business must repair it for free; if it cannot do so within a reasonable time, you can have it fixed elsewhere at the business’s expense, or take a refund or replacement. If your machine is relatively new, check these rights before paying for anything.

How long should a washing machine last in your home? Habits that help

Whatever the averages say about how long do washing machines last, day-to-day habits stretch or shrink an individual machine’s life. A few that genuinely help:

• Do not overload. Overloading strains the bearings, motor and suspension, the exact components whose failure ends a machine’s life.
• Clean the filter and detergent drawer regularly. Blockages force the pump to work harder and are behind many avoidable call-outs.
• Use the right amount of detergent. Excess detergent builds residue in the drum and seals, encouraging mould and corrosion.
• Fix small faults early. A slow leak or a noisy spin cycle is cheaper to address now than after it has damaged the parts around it. Regular washing machine servicing catches these before they escalate.

The study’s oven findings mean oven faults are worth assessing early too, and since fridges are still lasting as long as ever, a fridge repair is very often the economically sensible call.

How long do washing machines last with regular servicing?

No study gives an exact number here, because the published figures for how long do washing machines last reflect average care rather than best care. Machines that are loaded sensibly, cleaned regularly and looked at promptly when something sounds off routinely outlast the averages.

Talk to us before you replace

The research points one way: modern washing machines wear out faster because they work harder, most faults are repairable, and both the environmental numbers and Australian policy now favour repair first. If you have been weighing how long do washing machines last against the age of the one in your laundry, we can assess it honestly and tell you whether a repair makes sense. CAI Appliance Services provides washing machine repair Perth wide, from Beeliar to Yanchep, along with repairs for ovens, dryers, dishwashers, fridges and more. Get in touch and we will help you make the repair-or-replace call with the facts in front of you.