If it feels like appliances do not last the way they used to and are harder to fix when they break, you are not imagining it. Modern washing machines, fridges and dishwashers pack in more electronics, are often built to be replaced rather than opened up, and their spare parts and repair information are more tightly controlled by manufacturers. The good news for Australian households is that the law is starting to push back, and a well-maintained appliance repaired by a qualified technician still beats replacement in most cases. Here is what is actually going on, what your rights are, and how to keep your appliances running longer.
At CAI Appliance Services we have repaired Perth appliances for over 25 years, long enough to have watched this shift happen first-hand. Below is an honest look at why repairability has declined, and why that makes a good local repairer more valuable, not less.
Appliances are being built to be replaced, not repaired
Older appliances were simple, serviceable machines. Many modern ones are designed around cost and features rather than repairability, with sealed or glued assemblies, proprietary components and dense electronics that make some repairs harder and more expensive than they need to be. Independent consumer bodies now put typical appliance lifespans at around eight to thirteen years, with fridges and ovens at the upper end and washing machines and dishwashers nearer eight to nine, well under the twenty-plus years the best older machines managed, and less again for cheaper units (figures vary by brand, model and usage). Sources: Choice and CanstarBlue.
The practical result is that when something fails, the repair can be fiddlier and the part dearer than it once was. That does not mean repair is not worth it, far from it. But it does mean the diagnosis matters more, because the difference between a cheap fix and an uneconomic one is harder to judge from the outside.
Spare parts and repair information are harder to get
One of the biggest barriers is access to the parts and knowledge needed to fix a machine. Australia’s Productivity Commission, in its Right to Repair inquiry, found that access to repair supplies, including spare parts, tools and repair information, is being restricted by manufacturers, which limits competition and pushes up the cost of repairs. Some manufacturers restrict the sale of replacement parts to their own authorised service providers only, and copyright rules are sometimes used to block access to repair manuals and schematics (Productivity Commission, Right to Repair inquiry).
This is exactly where an authorised service agent earns its place. Because CAI is an authorised service agent for Bosch, Electrolux and their affiliate brands, we have direct access to genuine parts, manufacturer technical information and up-to-date training for those brands, the very things that are hardest for an unauthorised repairer, or a homeowner, to get hold of. As parts access tightens, that authorised channel becomes more valuable, not less.
Software is the new failure point
As appliances get smarter, they gain a category of fault the old mechanical machines never had. A Wi-Fi fridge or an app-controlled oven relies on firmware and control electronics, and the Productivity Commission specifically flagged that it is unclear what consumer protections exist when a manufacturer withdraws software support, leaving a connected product effectively “bricked” even though the mechanical parts are fine (Productivity Commission, Right to Repair inquiry). A modern diagnosis increasingly means reading error codes and understanding the electronics, not just the moving parts, and a technician who keeps current can often tell a simple reset or a replaceable board apart from a genuine write-off.
Your right to repair is stronger than you might think
Here is the part many households do not realise. Under the Australian Consumer Law, when you buy a product the manufacturer or importer must provide spare parts and repair facilities for a reasonable time after purchase, unless they clearly told you at the point of sale that they would not. What counts as “reasonable” depends on the product: for a fridge or a washing machine, it is reasonable to expect parts to be available for many years (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, consumer guarantees).
On top of that, the consumer guarantees give you rights to a repair, replacement or refund if an appliance fails too soon or does not do what it should, and those rights do not depend on you having used the manufacturer’s own authorised repairer or parts. Momentum is building too: through 2025 the federal government renewed the push on right to repair, with the Assistant Minister for Productivity and Competition arguing the economic case for making repair easier and cheaper (Treasury, October 2025). The direction of travel is towards more repairable appliances and clearer rights, not less.
What this means for your Perth household
The takeaway is not to despair at modern appliances, but to be a bit more deliberate about them. A few practical points:
- Maintain what you own. Cleaning filters and door seals, not overloading, and clearing lint and food traps genuinely extends an appliance’s life and heads off the faults that lead to early replacement.
- Do not assume a fault means a new machine. Many washing machine, dishwasher and oven faults are still affordable repairs on a machine with years of life left. Get it diagnosed before you replace it.
- Know your rights. If an appliance fails sooner than it reasonably should, the consumer guarantees may entitle you to a repair, replacement or refund, regardless of the manufacturer’s warranty wording.
- Choose a qualified, brand-current repairer. As parts and software tighten, access to genuine parts and manufacturer training is what separates a proper repair from a costly guess.
If an appliance in your home has stopped behaving, you do not have to work out the repair-or-replace question alone. CAI Appliance Services provides appliance repair across Perth with fully qualified mobile technicians who come to you, from Beeliar to Yanchep. We hold a 4.8 star rating from more than 360 reviews and have kept Perth appliances running for over 25 years. Whether it is a fridge repair, a washing machine repair, a dishwasher repair or an oven repair, call CAI on 0415 343 413 for honest advice on whether to fix it or replace it.
Sources
- Productivity Commission, Right to Repair inquiry (findings on restricted access to spare parts, tools and repair information; software support and “bricking”; copyright barriers to repair manuals; repairability labelling recommendation).
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Consumer rights and guarantees, and the manufacturer guarantee to provide spare parts and repair facilities for a reasonable time.
- The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Productivity and Competition, on the economic case for right to repair, Treasury Ministers, October 2025.
- Appliance lifespan estimates: Choice, How long should your appliances last, and CanstarBlue, Appliance life expectancy (figures vary by brand, model and usage).
