Dishwasher: repair or replace?
Most dishwasher problems are cheap, common parts. A few genuinely aren't worth fixing at any age. Here's how to tell which one you're actually looking at.
A dishwasher that stops draining properly, leaks, or refuses to run through a cycle rarely means the whole unit has failed. Most of what goes wrong inside a dishwasher is a handful of well-understood, inexpensive parts, and the honest answer to whether it's worth fixing usually comes down to two things: how old the unit already is, and whether the specific failure is a wear part or a sign the tub itself has given out.
Dishwasher lifespan varies more by brand than most appliances
A typical dishwasher lasts 9 to 12 years, but that range hides a real split by brand tier. Budget units often show genuine wear by 6 to 9 years, while premium brands, Miele specifically, are engineered toward 15 to 20 years of service. Knowing roughly where your unit sits in that range matters more here than for most appliances, since a repair that's clearly worthwhile on a well-built 8-year-old unit might not be on a budget model of the same age.
The one failure that isn't a decision at all
A cracked or corroded tub is not repairable in any cost-effective way. Every source on this specific failure agrees: once the tub itself has failed, structurally or through corrosion, replacement is the only sensible path, regardless of the unit's age or how much you've already spent keeping it running. This is a different category from the wear-part failures below, the same way a cracked engine block is a different problem than a worn belt.
What the common failures actually cost to fix
Several of the most frequent dishwasher complaints cost nothing to fix. A unit that isn't level just needs its leveling legs adjusted, and dishes coming out dirty is often the wrong detergent or a clogged filter, both free fixes that buy 5 to 10 more years since nothing was actually broken.
A worn or dirty door gasket, the rubber seal around the door, is the most common actual leak source and runs $20 to $60 to replace, typically buying 3 to 6 more years. The bigger repair category is an internal pump, hose, or valve failure, which runs $150 to $400 and buys 2 to 5 years depending on which specific component failed.
The pattern worth noticing: the cheap fixes here are genuinely cheap, and the expensive fix is still well under replacement cost. This is one of the more repair-favorable appliances on this list, as long as the tub itself is sound.
The math that actually matters: cost per year, not just cost
A $300 pump repair looks easy to justify against a $1,000 replacement. But the comparison that actually matters is what each option buys you per year. A full replacement resets the clock to a fresh 9 to 12 year lifespan, averaging out to roughly $50 to $150 a year depending on the unit you choose. A $300 repair that only buys 2 more years on an already-aging unit works out to $150 a year, which can be worse value than just replacing it outright, even though the sticker price looks smaller.
This is why age matters as much as the repair estimate itself. The same repair can be an easy yes on a 4-year-old dishwasher and a genuine toss-up on one that's already at 10 years.
What a full replacement actually costs
A new dishwasher, standard delivery and installation included, typically runs $500 to $1,700, with the wide range reflecting genuinely large differences in build quality and features across that price band rather than installation complexity. If you're already leaning toward replacement, this is also the moment to decide whether to move up a tier, since the brand-lifespan gap mentioned earlier means a modestly more expensive unit can meaningfully change how long you go before having this decision again.
FAQ
Common questions
Is a leaking dishwasher always a tub problem?
No, and it usually isn't. A worn door gasket is the most common source of a dishwasher leak, and it's a $20 to $60 repair. A cracked or corroded tub is a real possibility on an older unit, but it's worth confirming which one you're actually dealing with before assuming the worst.
How do I know if my dishwasher is a budget or premium build?
Price at time of purchase is a reasonable proxy, but brand reputation for longevity matters more than any single feature. If you're not sure, how it's held up so far is a decent indicator: a unit already showing real wear before year 8 or 9 is behaving like a budget build regardless of what it cost new.
My dishes aren't coming out clean. Does that mean it's failing?
Not usually. This is most often the wrong detergent for your water hardness or a clogged filter, both free to fix yourself. Genuine mechanical failure inside a dishwasher tends to show up as leaking, not draining, or the cycle not completing, not just poor cleaning.
Is it worth repairing a dishwasher that's already 10 years old?
It depends heavily on which failure it is. A free or near-free fix, like a detergent switch or a leveling adjustment, is always worth doing regardless of age. A genuine parts repair on a unit already past 9 or 10 years is worth running through the cost-per-year math above rather than assuming either answer by default.
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Ready to see the numbers for your unit?
The calculator below weighs your unit's specific age against the repair cost, so you get a straight answer rather than a general rule of thumb.