As for repairability of domestic appliances, we have very good experiences with our local repair company who have been able to repair Bosch washing machines, dishwashers and ovens for what were often economical prices, and rather more than five years after the original purchase. Our Miele drier and washing machine never needed repairs thus far, after more than a decade.
By and large I am not convinced that modern good quality appliances are more prone to break, on the contrary. I still remember only too well the washing machines or televisions of my youth. So perhaps what we are witnessing is the growing market share of very low price stuff. In the old days the Dutch market was dominated by products from quality manufacturers like Philips and the major German brands, but nowadays you see more and more ultra low price appliances from brands you had never heard of until recently. I recently saw a regression analysis of price versus longevity for household appliances, and here at least you get what you pay for. It convinced me that buying the better appliances is worth the money because at least statistically you are buying more longevity, and hence also less hassle.
