I went to an appliance store (not a big box store) to find out about the new washer/dryers for future reference.
The sales person told me that the new ones go unbalanced a lot, which eventually breaks the plastic parts. They said the expected lifespan is about 6 years for the new models. Six years?
They said that Speed Queen is much better, more like the older models, better build, longer lifespan.
And they said to keep my 1998 washer/dryer alive as long as possible.