I'm sort of surprised about the Fisher Paykel's too. I've had one about 2 years with no problems, and my repair guy says he can get the parts for them no problem. He also said the most frequently failing item is the diverter valve, which is a fairly easy repair and not expensive if you do it yourself. He said other than that there really aren't any issues with them.
Anyway, I love those General Electrics that you have. I'm wanting to get me an older GE.
See ya.