So which brand is currently the most reliable? The drain pump on our 10-12 year old LG front loader just died so it's time for a new one. My wife would prefer a front loader, but it's not a necessity. Just looking for the most reliable brand. Thanks

There was a simalir thread not long ago, and I can tell you my next one will be a Speed Queen.

Here is the thread.

Wife and i found a set of Samsung for $400 off craigslist. I had to pick them up from a lady (in her 40s, very easy to look at) moving from her condo - she didn't their size. The set was 2-3 years old and retailed for $1,200 when new.

Admittedly though, it took us about 2 weeks to find.

Plain Jane, minimal foo-foo, minimal electronics Speed Queen. Not cheap @ $900 but about the only thing out that that will last more than 5 years and doesn't cost more to keep running than it's worth.

What Maytag used to be 40 years ago.

I have nursing a +15 year old Kenmore along with a few relatively inexpensive repairs, but at the next major / costly breakdown, it will be replaced with a Speed Queen.

 
We are quite happy with our year-old Speed Queen. The wife insisted on the model with the electronic control panel. It is nice, but may cause us grief down the road. If it were just me, I would have picked the model with manual controls. Nice to have a tub full of water, be able to pick up the lid to stop the cycle, and add items. It also "sounds" robust when it goes through the cycles.
 

Thanks for the advice. I decided to spend $30 and ordered a new drain pump from Amazon this morning. I've already got the old pump out and I'll be installing the new one tomorrow after work. If that doesn't fix it I'll be looking at a Speed Queen front loader.