I have a 12 year old Kenmore Elite washer. One day, suddenly, I heard a grinding noise and the washer abruptly stopped. I called a repair service and was told it could be the bearings in the drum of this front-load washer, or it could be the washer's drain pump, which automatically shuts down when the drain pump fails. The repairman said, if it is the drum, it wasn't worth fixing for the age of this washer. It would cost $85 for him to come out and diagnose the problem, then if I decide to fix it, the cost of repair would be additional parts & labor. The total cost for the repair for a drain pump, including initial visit, would be over $350.
I took the cheaper route and attempted to replace the drain pump myself. If couldn't fix it, I would junk the washer and buy a new one. I figure the repairman's visit would cost as much as the part. So, I went online and found AppliancePartsPros.com. Three things convinced me to purchase from them: I could return the drain pump if it didn't fix the problem; the helpful video convinced me it was a doable project even for someone like me with limited mechanical skills; and when speaking to customer service, the representative was helpful and friendly.
Well, I can tell you that it was a success story. The part came within the week after I ordered it. It wasn't difficult to change out the drain pump assembly (took about an hour), and the old washer is firing on all cylinders (hopefully!) again.
So, for you DIYers, if your washer suddenly stops, and if it's not the belt or bearings, check out the drain pump. Sometimes it is as simple as a small sock that got out of the drum in the spin cycle and is clogging the pump. In my case, it was a worn out drain pump.