Repair or Replace? General rule of thumb is... IF the appliance is more than 50% through its lifespan and IF the repair will cost half or more of the price tag of a new machine, it's probably time to replace it. The average appliance repair costs around $260. This is a customer experince from this past week: She called stating that her washer was not working and needed help. Josh went out next day and diagnosed the issue. 3 year old Front Load Washer (average lifespan 10-14 y