sounds like a bad Door Lock assembly 34001265 about $ 122

Its a shame they called so many different machines Neptune. From thier US made rear control front loader, to the Korean made front control, to the US made top loader. They went from getting real close to right original front loaders to disastrous "after the class action suit" replacements. Now that they are out of business you are stuck with more Whirlpool clones. Hope you can resolve easily and find parts for your Korean models mkkristen! Or good luck on your next purchase!

I know Whirlpool is trying real hard to drive off all the old original Neptune owners by charging outrageous prices for replacement parts. Like almost 500.00 for the outer tub, almost 400.00 for a control board etc. Nothing like discouragine people from fixing their machines. Fortunately if you shop Ebay you can find lots of replacement parts for a fraction if you preplan.

As I read all the posts on problems others are having with their Neptune front loading washers (and dryers), I thank my lucky stars that I have not had any problems whatsoever with my Neptunes. I purchased my Neptunes in May 1999. These are the second model Neptunes that Maytag came out with. They have worked flawlessly and I have no complaints about them.

Almost 10 years service mr jms, thats more that a lot of folks are getting from a lot of other makes.

I'd like to see how much water the Maytag Neptune 1999 uses! Too bad it doesn't have a window on the door. That ruins the fun, you can't see what's going on inside. The geek in me wants to see it in action.

Yeah, that has been a real neat thing about those that have the viewing door. The thing about the rear control neptunes is that part of the door is used as a balancing device with a spring plate inside. Also there is and integral ventilation system built into the door with a large vent duct and holes at the top on the sides to help keep down mildew. This device has helped me keep my door closed all the time and with proper use of detergent and hot water, no mildew at all.

Man, I wish I still had my Neptunes! Bought them in 2001 and they worked flawlessly for 7 years until the movers damaged the dryer. I replaced them with the Whirlpool Duet Steam -- problematic from the start -- vibrate too much, dryer makes funny noises and won't shut off, steam is worthless... And to top it all off, I recently found out I won't be getting my $200 conservation rebate because the 2008 program ran out of money. Ugh!

I too have hated my 1st Generation Neptune washer/dryer, almost since the day i started using it Dec'99! For the past 6 years, I have purchased a home warrantee, and only pay for the service calls. This week I found out the main bearing in the washer needs replacement, and the company (AHS - god bless 'em) wants to give me $$ toward a replacement. I guess I shouldn't complain about replacing it after 8 yrs, but you'd think when you pay as much as I did for these, it would last longer.
The repairman told me that the new steam models aren't worth the extra money for the # of times I'd probably use it. I too am at a loss for which machine to pair w/ my old Neptune dryer. I've heard bad things about the Duet, the newer Maytag has some kind of holes that are too big, allowing for coins to slip into the motor...there seems to be a problem w/ almost every machine that I read about. Consumers rated the LGs highly, but I've heard that if they break, they take weeks to fix. Does ANYBODY out there love their machine? (but I guess if they do, they're not reading this!)

It's a support group for Neptune-ites! Ours is dying- in fact it sounds like a 747 taking off when its spinning these days. Repair guy said it's a bearing issue and NOT worth repairing so we are seeing how long we can make it last. Repair guy also said they are a disaster (he bought one too in the hopes of energy efficiency which made me feel a tiny bit better!)
It also leaks, smells mildewy cause water gets stuck in the rubber gasket area near the front door.
Argh. We spend lots of $ on it trying to be energy efficient...

Its probably not worth it if you pay the the 500.00 price for the Whirlpool parts plus outrageous retail labor, but there are kits you can get on Ebay to replace the bearings in the outer tub that cost about 1/5 the price including new seals and I have read threads on other sites from many people who did it themselves. But for the average person who can hardly wield a screw driver, yes a new washer is likely the best choice.

Our aged (9-10 years) Neptune FL had a loud tub bearing
last 5 years of its life. Used to scare the cat. But
when the motherboard died, that did it. Bought a new
LG. Seems to do the job just fine. It's taking us a
bit to learn the drawer vs hatch for adding soap and
stuff, but it spins WAY faster (1200 vs 900 rpm??)
and the cycle times seem similar. Still using the
same old Purex liquid with no suds probs and nicely
clean clothes. Oh, and coming out of the spin cycle
the clothes need way less drying time.

Now if it just holds together .....

>>I've heard bad things about the Duet, the newer Maytag has some kind of holes that are too big, allowing for coins to slip into the motor...there seems to be a problem w/ almost every machine that I read about. Consumers rated the LGs highly, but I've heard that if they break, they take weeks to fix. Does ANYBODY out there love their machine? (but I guess if they do, they're not reading this!)

I don't know where you read all that stuff from, but of course you'll hear lots of horror stories here since this is a support forum where people come to report their problems. Now, Maytag FLers do have a significantly higher repair rate in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys due to past problems with the Neptunes, but pretty much every other brand of FL has a similar repair rate of about 10-15%, which isn't that much higher than toploaders.

A couple things to keep in the back of your mind:
A) If you dig long enough and hard enough you'll find someone who has had GOOD luck with virtually ANY machine.
B) If you dig long enough and hard enough you'll find someone who has had BAD luck with virtually ANY machine.
C) As an old appliance dealer used to advertise It's service AFTER the sale that COUNTS!

If you really don't like the machines, then maybe for peace of mind it's a good idea to look elsewhere. If you can get it fixed for a couple hundred and it lasts a few more years, maybe that's a good value for you.

Tough decision and very frustrating. Some will scream MIELE for when money is no object, but there's people with problems with their Mieles too. I guess maybe then it's time to look at Wasco or Huebsch, but that's probably overkill. Or maybe a $200-$300 basic unit will serve the needs too? When you consider a washer wets clothes and spins some water out of them, it should be a lot less complicated than it is, wouldn't you think? LOL

Good luck on your decision.

Mark: Once the Neptune fills up with water, you can always push the stop button, wait until it unlocks, then open the door to see the water level.
CMCR: The first generation of Neptunes came out in 1977; the second generation came out in 1999.

CORRECTION: The first generation Neptunes came out in 1997, not 1977 as I previously posted. Sorry for the error.

My Neptune has been great so far. I recently bought a Fisher Paykel and it is pretty good but no where near as good as the Neptune for cleaning. It is faster but doesn't get clothes as clean and seems to be a little rougher tearing up delicates a bit more and piling regular clothes. My Neptune was flawless and is in my garage unused for right now. Also I could was my Queen comforters in the neptune. I tried in in the F&P and shifted the stuffings all around. Will probably go back to the Neptune soon.

Has anyone else had problems with the washer door not shutting without slamming it several times? Also, inside door developed a small hole in the plastic (from what?) which leaks water down the outside front of the machine then a 2nd symmetrically placed hole developed about 5" from it. I had to cut a piece of plastic from a butter tub lid & tape over it with strong clear packing tape for it to stop leaking. Just the tape alone only worked temporarily & the hole would eventually push through the tape, again from the inside of the door! Now it's leaking from somewhere underneath the machine. Ugh! I want a new washer! P.s. this is the 1st gen model that had the recall for the inside seal that turned moldy so they replaced it. It still gets black gunk inside the detergent dispenser that I can't seem to do anything about. :(