I heard from a local appliance dealer that *some* of the Haiers have tended to break down a lot and need repair parts frequently, but parts are difficult to get. I would have to guess that their simpler designs are more reliable than their more complex ones such as front loaders.
For compact automatic top-loaders, see also Danby DWM-99-W. This also has an American-style agitator instead of a pulsator, and pumps out the water into the sink (rather than relying on a gravity drain into a bucket).