TOPIC: Who is designing appliances?

The same guys that are jamming engines into todays cars.....Washing machine needs simple belt and belt tensioner.No access for either.Like this is not the first thing to go on a washing machine.The whole motor has to be ripped out for 25$ in parts POS.Reminds me of GM certain year Blazer that you had to take engine mount out and pry motor up to change plug.
New Whirlpool Fridge with WhirlP add on ice maker. Alleged correct model.Took to store and compared with another one same unit wrong plug,they could not GRASP it. Male/Female plugs do not mate,[squarehole round peg]spend 1 hour on phone with Whirl and store.WE can send someone out for 150$. Really after being told its plug and go. So I take the male plug and remove all plastic from connector,then hardwire them into female unit.Hope it catches on fire so I can sue them! Just kidding but what a bunch of BS to get to that point.

Just an engineer "oversite" Looks good on paper.

Well, most of the popular models of washers use a direct drive transmission, when ours went I got rather lucky, we had a unfix-able top loader that had the full electronic board control panel that was "left" in the basement that I do not have a clue how it got in to the basement but I know how it got out, in pieces.

one piece got left behind, the transmission.

well on day, genny came up and asked me to go look at the washer because it stopped doing the spin cycle...which you can guess what I said..

went down with a flash light, look around it and under it just to find a stream of lube oil...

first thing off the bat I all ways punch in the make and model number and 99% of the time with a little search I can pull a parts list up and drawings of the the mechanics and the electrical.

I did some quick readings of failures of spinning and it pointed to the direct drive transmission and to it lower seal, went and look at a drawing of it and a real picture and there was that POS that I was putting off taking to the curb, but the funny part was I couldn't remember where I left it because of my surgery, but I knew that transmission was one of the things I was smashing my toe on "somewhere" which after a good look it got shoved under the basement stairs. 2 4x4's later and some fresh lube oil change and a new seal and a print out step by step procedure removal and reinstall check off sheet that I typed up the machine was back up and running with a down time of 2 days which at the time I was -no way- ready to do such a complicated task being back when I was in a phase myself which is why I made a check off list.

with anything,I always do a make and model search, for if and when I do end up calling about -a- part I am on the same page as of the people taking the order for them and if there is something -wrong- I can see it there, most of the time there is a reversion parts list, and or probably in your case they made a modification after manufacturing that would have included a different wiring harness for the plug-in-use.

want fun, try calling in for parts for a 30 year old snow-blower, which surprise..they still make stuff for but the original parts have now long been up graded to different new parts with totally different numbers, some two or three times.

Yep, I can still get parts for my old Yardman Snow Wolf snowblower.
Seems this one takes special belts. Can't just go to the local hardware store or automotive store for the belts this machine uses.