2-10 years is an extremely short lifespan for white goods; 20-30 years is more like it, and 40-50 years is not uncommon.

In the case of consumer white goods the business case is that expensive mechanical components and security mechanisms are replaced by electronic ones that are cheaper.

It's not just that, but even mechanical components are deliberately made weaker to use less material and thus cost less. Sometimes manufacturers push that boundary a little too far, Samsung's "exploding" washing machines being one of the latest examples of this.