I think any question posed under “warranty” as compared to “failure” misses the mark. All failures are not warranty issues but most warranty issues are failures, time dependent and subject to the ACL.
Another aspect, but how can it be quantified? An increasing number of manufacturers only stock spares for the warranty period at product end-of-life. Since there are still some sales for a time after that, if a failure cannot be fixed because of insufficient spares they have the option of replacing with a “like product.” So no part is not a worry for them.
For us, eg our Asko washer, designed for 20-years service as the advertising goes, looked and worked as new but had the control board fail at 12 years. As with anything electronic in the modern world, the module was designed to be replaced not repaired. But no part available - out of production and out of stock. Asko suggested we try 3rd party parts suppliers and used machine vendors to scavenge the part.
We did not replace it with another “quality” Asko! Why pay top dollar for a product that might last 20-years, or only 12, when one can buy a product that is rated very highly for what it does that might last 12 years or maybe longer if lucky, or perhaps just 6, but for half the price?
I had the same problem with a top of the line Bosch dishwasher, only mine lasted 5 (!) years - just out of warranty - before the power board failed. Even taking the dishwasher in for repairs, it was going to cost me almost as much as a new LG, the brand suggested for reliability by every repair person I spoke with. My point is, until the power board failed, I would have rated this machine with high marks in every category. I agree that reliability has to cover many years in order to be useful.
In the last 12 months I completed a Choice survey. It asked all the relevant questions on all appliances we currently have in our home. I wasn’t sure how these survey responses were used until today, but I think a section on member reviews and product reliability could be consolidated on the Choice website as a separate menu item. Maybe in a spreadsheet type format?
Our Council has a “bulky goods” collection twice a year. All sorts of stuff gets put onto the nature strip for collection. One item I have become aware of that appears with great regularity is Barbecues. There seems to be a great variety of brands and models. I was wondering if Choice did some ‘reverse’ product testing of tossed barbecues to see if there were obvious common faults. Inspection of tossed barbecues is one way but also a quick Consumer survey where there is a barbecue on the nature strip asking why it was thrown away. For example, Rust seems very common, gas controllers not working is another. If Choice could find out what causes barbecues to be thrown out and then take that into account when testing the next new lot it may provide some interesting ideas on what to check.
