We love our Frigidaire front-loader workhorse -- it can handle quilts, jeans, and all the pet blankets and towels we can stuff into it. But when it stopped going into the final spin cycle, and left a load of sopping wet blankets, we were afraid we would have to pony up the $2k for a new heavy-duty machine.
Fortunately, the internet revealed the likely cause of the problem, where to get the new part, and how to install it. About the only thing we didn't find right away was where to recycle the old board, but I think we have a local place for that. I can't recommend this site enough: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/642885/
The fix was as simple as pulling out the washer (actually, this was the hardest part because the washer and dryer are stacked), then turning off the power and the water to the units, disconnecting the water supply hoses, and removing the back panel for the machine. Then, all that remained was unplugging the old board, taking out two more screws, plugging in the new one and screwing that into place, and replacing the panel on the back, re-connecting the hoses and turning on the water and power, and running a test load to make sure everything was working before pushing it back into place.
While I had everything open, I checked the suction pump and the drain hose for clogs and leaks, but there were no issues.
Everything is fine now. We're only out about $160 for the part plus the two-day shipping, but it's a lot cheaper than a new machine. My husband is very pleased, since there was almost no interruption in the flow of laundry, and I saved us the price, and the pain, of a new washing machine. Although I am the mechnicly-minded person in our household, except for the physical moving of the machines, a child could do this.