This is something I know many have gone through..
And wonder why the new one just doesn't want to last like the old one did.

I'll start with what has changed from the old dishwashers to the new..

Hmm.. Where to start.. lol

First the pumps are nothing like the old ones.
Most old dishwashers had a motor that had the wash and drain impellers right on the motor shaft.
And the motors were either 1/3 or 1/2 hp motors.
The new ones are small pumps with the impellers built in.
And much smaller hoses going to the pump from the dishwasher to create a higher pressure with a smaller pump.

Another big change that has come... But luckily they have changed it back on some of the brand new models.
But many dishwashers has a screen at the bottom of the dishwasher to clean because it would not allow stuff to make it to the pump.

But most models that have been built for the last 10 years do not have any screens so small things like bones, Bread clips, and many many other things can get into the pump and since it's a sealed pump it jams the impeller and burns the pump.

Another thing is that most new dishwashers use much less water.. So higher pump pressures..
And since the pump motors have only gotten smaller.. They get very hot from these higher pressures.. So the life of a motor is now more like 12 years or maybe 15 instead of 20 to 30..

The old machines would still sometimes allow things to get through but all it would do in most cases is break an impeller which was a cheap fix.

But replacing a pump can sometimes cost over $200 just for the part.

Now there is a way to make sure the pump lasts for a long time.
The main thing to do it SCRAPE OFF YOUR PLATES! lol
I know many say.. Well that's what the dishwasher is for..
But there is no Food Garburator in the dishwasher..
Just a small chopper that can dissolve very soft food.

So putting anything that is hard is a big no no.

And I'm in no way telling you to Rinse your dishes as this is a waste of warm water and should not be done.
If you really want to conserve energy and water just scrape the leftovers into the garbage or Compost and then you are done.

Now the other thing that has been a problem is the Electronic Controls.
Most new dishwashers have touch pads and displays.. So this makes for some new things to fail..
We have been seeing more of them fail on the Stainless Steel interior dishwashers..
The reason is because when it goes into the dry cycle the element comes on and this causes more heat and in turn causes the electronics to fail faster.
Another thing is how much the dishwasher is used.. If it's used more than once a day. Chances are the electronic control will not last more than 5 years..
But we'll only go into the boards if need be.. Because the symptoms can be different for the same problem.. And better to have a problem to work with then to try n make up a scenario..

If you would like to know what style of pump you have..
Or have any questions then feel free to ask them.
Don't forget the Brand name and Model number.
I wont post any pictures yet as there are WAY too many models to go through.. And so I'll just wait to get some Q's and model numbers and we'll have those for everyone to see..