Help! I have a Whirlpool Washing Machine that was purchased in July of '04 and has since had 3 direct drive pumps replaced on it. Can anyone tell me why this is happening? I am almost to the point of being afraid to use the machine because when this happens, of course, water starts leaking! What am I doing wrong, or is the machine a lemon?

Are you saying that perhaps the gear is slipping after a certain period of time? A new pump has been installed once a year, basically for a machine that is only 3 years old. It does not sound like making a repair to the gear will be worth the money! Or, do you think that in another year, the pump will go out because of this neutral gear slip? (I have not noticed that the machine tries to spin while draining-repairmen keep saying that a string or dust is clogging the pump causing the bearings to fail)

Water is not going over the tub--it is coming out where the direct drive pump is located at the bottom of machine. I watched the most recent repairman--he said he pulledsome type of string out of the pump/bearing case and perhaps this was the culprit. He also added that perhaps I wash too many clothes-HA! Something is causing this pump to fail--if it is the gears, should I suggest this the NEXT time the thing breaks?