Are more products designed to fail?

Appliances and other consumer goods may have life expectancies that seem way too short, but you can save money even when obsolescence is built in.

By Liz Weston, MSN Money

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23Comments
American Car owner260
Aug 13, 2012 8:32PM
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I don't think the products are being designed to fail. Just have gotten cheaper and cheaper until their failure rate becomes a factor. I have an old Kenmore microwave oven, that I bought 35 years ago, and the only repair I had to make on it was the light bulb inside burned out 14 years ago. I think it took me longer to locate a new bulb than it took to replace it. New microwave ovens seldom last two years, and then you have to throw them away because nobody knows how to fix them.
Just My two cents22222
Aug 14, 2012 5:54AM
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I think part of the problem is appliances have added fancy electronics and microprocessors.  I am an engineer, done lots of embedded systems and other work, so I am no tech hater.   But when you add a bunch of printed circuit boards, processors, and software, there is much more to go wrong.

 

I had a power surge (due to a poor ground) in my RV.  The Washer/Dryer, Microwave, and DVD player all simultaneously blew out ... even though none of them were turned on!  No breaker or fuse blew.  But the fancy capacitance control panel is "always on", and always ready to blow out. The Washer/Dryer literally lit up like a fourth of July sparkler.   The Microwave and DVD player just smelled of burning insulation and were dead.  All of these have capacitance control panels, not a physical button to be seen.

 

We got a new Fridge and it had the repair man out 3 times replacing electronics as it COULD NOT KEEP THE TEMP!  Now we moved to a new place, and that fridge is stuck saying "power fault", and wont dispense ice or water, and it is also a problem with the electronics.

 

I am no luddite, but in the old days there were simple mechanical switches, off meant off, and there were not any computer chips and circuit boards were big, with beefy components and a simple design. 

 

This new tech brings some good things, but reliability is not one of them.

 

Mr. Anthrope
Aug 14, 2012 9:31AM
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I think Just My two cents is absolutely right.  It is largely the complex electronic control systems and features that fail on new cars, appliances, etc.  In many cases, simple is better.  For example, I have never seen a car with window cranks fail in that area, but electric windows quit all the time.  If we didn't have to have everything automated so much, reliability wouldn't be such an issue.  I'm surprised we don't have automatic hiney wipers.  Heaven knows toilet paper is so old fashioned.
SARCOMANIAC
Aug 14, 2012 12:19PM
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I had a Samsung TV that died 2 days after the factory warranty expired...completely​ unrepairable was what the technician said.  He also said that I should have bought the additional warranty, it would have covered the repair.  What?  I thought he said it was unrepairable?  I took the thing back to Costco, and they gave me a full refund toward the purchase of a new one, which by the way is Costco policy.  Why buy anywhere else?
postfreedom era
Aug 14, 2012 11:26AM
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I bought a slightly upscale stove/oven range a few years ago and it had the electronic part that went bad.  It only lasted about 2 years, but the major company (I'll skip the name, but it's one that everybody knows) that sold it to me thought they were doing me a favor offering to repair it for around $250. The burners still worked and we started using our slow cooker and mini-oven more often, but it got to be a pain when we wanted to roast something larger. Ultimately, I told them to shove it and bought a brand new one without the electronics for little more than it cost to fix the previous one. All we want to do is cook food, and honestly I didn't want to give them a dime more of my money.  Besides, we don't need a science project to make a meal. Unfortunately, all these useless gizmos do nothing to enhance your life (including cars, TV's, etc) but cost a fortune to fix when they break, and disallow you from using it for its' basic purpose. It makes me think of the oldest common sense concept: Form follows function. As a society, we seemed to have confused that with all the marketing BS. Oh, and the food doesn't taste any different except that the basic oven range still works 4 years later and longer than the more expensive one.
Mathen George
Aug 14, 2012 7:15AM
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Unscroupulos business practices. Deliberate gliches built into what we buy. There was a time when Mercedez Benz, though expensive, was one High Quality Automobile. A Two Generation Car. No longer so. Example:- The built in Tire Pressure Sensor/ Transponder is powered by a CR3025 battery. The Life Expectency of this battery, is, assuming it is FRESH STOCK is a maximum of 3 years. Mine died of natural causes within 1 year of purchasing my S430. Replacement cost, I was told is $400/- per wheel. Effectively, this means $400 X 4= $ 1600 every 3 years!!! Off course, the dealer is quick to seize the opportunity to RIP YOU OFF. SHAME ON YOU MERCEDEZ for resorting to such practices. I thought your reputation was more important to you. I am not done as yet.
fedup with washington
Aug 14, 2012 10:28AM
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I bought a new washer 5 years ago which was highly ranked and given 5 stars for energy efficiency, it was a piece of junk. I walked into my local appliance shop fed up and requested a washer not made by W415pool. He told me everything thing he had in his store was made by them except one brand which was an old design and had a 2 star rating for energy efficiency. I bought it and quess what my water bill dropped by $10 per month. So much for the rating of Consumer Distorts.
Mike B
Aug 14, 2012 11:50AM
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We have an older deep freeze made back in the 70s maybe? Still works. :)
1toxictexan
Aug 14, 2012 2:13PM
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Everything built in the US used to be built to last as long as possible. Now, regardless of where it comes from, everything is designed to (maybe) last as long as the warranty.In the cases of failures, they have had your money to earn interest from it, so they still win. Some warranties are not worth the paper they are printed on, too. Good luck dealing with "customer service" personnel who speak English poorly, too. All jobs are being 'outsourced'. A friend of mine called a crisis hotline, and was connected to somebody in Pakistan. When he told them he was feeling suicidal, they said " Good, good; can you drive a truck?"
Mr. Herbert (Mr. Herbert)
Aug 14, 2012 10:23AM
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If you go out and find an American made product, it will last, but thanks to the idiots who run retail outlets, it all Chineese made junk.  God I hate that country, it truely is the cess pool of the world.

Just My two cents22222
Aug 14, 2012 11:03AM
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What in the world is the connection between interracial dating and appliances???  Sounds very racially insensitive if you ask me!
Upatree
Aug 14, 2012 6:31PM
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I'm glad I can still come to MSN comments board and find more dating scams than comments - It's a fresh relief to find +50, +40, Gold diggers.  We need lovin too.....
CornFedUp
Aug 14, 2012 7:18AM
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This is ALL Paul Ryan's fault !!!  He is behind this, according to Obama.
j blanco
Aug 14, 2012 12:20PM
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Can't fix Obama. Get rid of him.
Impeach Obama71
Aug 14, 2012 12:19PM
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Designed to fail-- like Democrats!
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