Lifetime..
According to appliance repair guys, the lifespan of a washing machine is expected to be 10 years.
BUT!
That is the *average* estimated lifespan. Meaning they combine the estimate for people who care for and use their machines properly, getting 30 years from a set, with the estimates for people who use and abuse their machines, destroying them in 3 or 4 years, and it all ends up averaging out to about 10 years.
I for one think if people use and abuse their poor machine, they have no right to expect it to last much longer than the warranty, but if someone takes good care of a machine, I feel 20 years should be the minimum for it's lifespan.