To expect a washing machine to last longer than 3 years?

[MrsPear]

I bought a washing machine - £599 3 years ago - and it has started making a terrible noise upon spinning. Been told it is the drum bearings and it will cost around 299 for the repair. So I rung customer service and they told me tough in so many words and sometimes we just get the "bad egg." I am sorry but shouldn't a machine last longer than that?

It's difficult to judge the lifetime of a machine when the usage varies so much. It would be far better to count the number of wash cycles, if that were possible.