aninhumer pointed out the main flaw in this line of reasoning but it&#x27;s not just the lack of long term data. Many companies change models frequently or make quiet design changes – e.g. the blender given a good reliability review changes a couple of years in to replace metal gears with plastic, which requires a teardown to see. If you go to Costco, Sam&#x27;s Club, etc. count how many things have slightly different specs and model numbers than the ones you can find reviews for, etc. The last time we bought a washing machine, only one of the models which Consumer Reports had recommended a little over a year before was still offered for sale in our region – everything else had changed and most online reviews were just “we got it last week and it&#x27;s great” comments which don&#x27;t tell you anything about long-term experience.<p>In some cases, you can simply conclude that an entire brand is either unreliable or trustworthy (e.g. Apple doesn&#x27;t sell Walmart edition devices which break within 18 months) but in most cases you have to do a lot more research to know what level you&#x27;re getting.