We bought this washer and dryer set this past summer (2013) as a way to prepare for our expectant child. About 2 months after we bought it, the door locked shut with wet clothing inside. We followed the troubleshooting guide and instructions that the whirlpool representative gave us on the phone. Nothing worked.
8 days later a tech came to break the lock off the door to get our clothes out. He said he will be back in the next week or so to replace the lock but until then, our washer would be unusable. He also said that when he come back, he will show us how to get the lock off the door should this ever happen again, so our wet clothes would not be trapped. I asked "so this will likely happen again?", He said "yes".
Meanwhile, our clothes were 8 days wet, our brand new washer (which I had been taking care to leave the door open in between loads as per instructed), smelled mouldy and stunk up our whole house. it is now the middle of the third week without our washing machine working. We haven't heard back from whirlpool, and we have a huge pile of musty, dirty clothes waiting to be cleaned. We feel incredibly ripped off as a young couple who has saved for a long time to buy a washer and dryer set.
Do not buy this washer! The reviews look good but this machine had not been on the market long enough to prove that it stands the test of time (Tech's words)...If you must buy it, get the warranty like we did. At least that way, every time it breaks down, you can have someone come and break the lock off for you and replace it several weeks later.