Product review (5 stars): Nine years of trouble-free use.
I bought my double-drawer model in 2002 when I remodeled my kitchen.  My neighbor had the original model and was and still is very happy with it.  In these nine years, I have not had any trouble with the washers whatsoever.  I get consistently clean dishes on the short cycle, and I never pre-rinse.  Once I had a bit of water spillage, and I noticed that I had put a tall cup on the upper rack, which prevented the upper lid from lowering and sealing properly.  And even then, it was a very small amount of water.  Since then, the only repair I have had done is the replacement of the solenoid valve, which usually lasts about five years and these lasted over nine years.

Every few months, I remove the spray-arm and filter, and also take out the motor and make sure there is no buildup in that area.  It's an incredibly simple operation, which even a child could do.  I also make sure that the heating plate is also clean and free from calcium buildup.  With this routine maintenance, I can see this machine lasting many more years.  The design is quite ingenious and simple with very few moving parts.

I routinely use Cascade Complete, and now that even in Missouri, Cascade is phosphate free, I have started to use institutional Cascade, which uses the old phosphated formula.  I have also tried Finish Powerball which worked well in the dispenser, and Finish Quantum, which did not dissolve in the dispenser but worked perfectly well on the short cycle when placed in the cutlery rack.  I sympathize with folks who have had problematic machines, but my own experience with this machine has been extremely satisfactory.  The only improvements I can think of would be a soap dispenser which would work better with the current detergent tablets and a bigger reservoir for the rinse agent.