Do Household Appliances Really Not Last as Long as They Used to?
19th March 2025
internet searches provide copious anecdotes. News outlets generally interview repair technicians, who tell a convincing and consistent story. Appliances built in the 1970s generally lasted thirty to fifty years, they say. Today, domestic mainstays like washing machines, ovens, fridges, and dryers get replaced about every decade. Technicians blame an industry push towards computerization, an increase in the number of individual components, and the use of flimsier materials like plastic and aluminum rather than steel. The results of these trends are appliances that break more often and are harder and more costly to repair.