Product review (1 stars): Dreaded Ribbon Problem fixed for $155
We made it to 15 months before buttons stopped working.  Normal wash went out first so we switched over to jet wash for awhile but then the Start button stopped working.  Gotta say, just really crappy of them to put out a product they *know* will fail just after the 1-yr warranty ends.

After reading all the great info here and elsewhere I started making calls armed with information but didn't get very far. Maytag number only gave me a local shop (we didn't have extended warranty) and they wanted $365 for parts and labor.  Landlord wanted to trash it, but I asked him to give me a chance.

I broke down and took it apart to find the dreaded cable, and sure enough it was precisely the issue.  Some websites tell you how to fix it ( http://tinyurl.com/mxf9u8q ) but mine was beyond repair.  Found the part locally (you can't buy just the ribbon, you have to buy control panel: mdb7749sbm2 W10398672) and bought it for $155.  It came with a lifetime warranty so in 14 months I'll be cashing it in most likely.

Installation is pretty straightforward...a few screws and some semi-precise aligning but pretty much unplug old and plug-in new.  Worth the effort if you can't get Maytag to fix it for free.