well look at it this way, even if the PS3 has a failure rate of just one percent, that's 280 000 machines that can or have been eligible to kick the bucket.
That seems like a lot, but it's still just 1 out of 100
Of course, the fail rate is probably higher, but with even 280 000 bleating people on the web, it's going to seem like it's an epidemic.

At the moment my 60GB console is giving me some concern with game crashes. Im afraid I might have to upgrade to a PS3 slim which 'does everything' after I dust off the old PS2, get a usb memory stick reader and a USB hub.

The original 60GB PS3s use early generation Blu Ray technology and it runs quite hot relative to the recent models. I believe its something like 200W so it does seem plausible that the hardware may not last as long as more recent models which are simpler and more refined whilst running at a lower temperature.

To everyone saying there is running prefectly, id have said that the night before mine broke lol

My friend's 80GB PS3 died a few weeks ago and he purchased a PS3 slim. Not that I agree with the OP, just thought it was kinda topical.

I actually have my B.S. in business administration with an option in marketing so I understand a little bit about business and the concept you are trying to speak of. It's a form of a loss leader. However what you are proposing is fundamentally flawed. Ask yourself where does sony make their money? They make it from selling games. How is making someone buy a second PS3 increasing the sales of games? It doesn't. It's actually doing the complete opposite by reducing the amount of disposable cash customers have to spend on games because they have to spend it on a new PS3. Not to mention it could result in a complete cease of PS3 game purchases from those people because they can't afford a new PS3 or they just decide to buy 360/Wii games instead of fix their PS3. In no way does it put that customer in a better position to purchase more PS3 games then they would have been if they didn't have to buy a new PS3. 

The only thing it would do is reduce the profitability of the PS3 brand. All Sony wants to do is sell 1 console to every customer, which gives them the ticket to sell that person games, and then have them spend all the rest of the money they have on buying games. If any of that money goes towards anything else including another PS3 then they are losing money. Sony and the 3rd party publishers don't really care about userbase like all the fanboys care about it. They care about software sales and profitability. Even selling accessories are just to get people to buy more games. They don't want to have to sell accessories but if it gets people to buy PS3 games and can differentiate the PS3 brand or help it compete with other consoles then they will produce the accessories, but they are in the business of selling software so they can collect licensing fees, not selling hardware.

Now if this was the Wii which makes a profit on their hardware then your argument might have some merit but even then they realize it's not a smart idea to have to force someone to buy a replacement console when they could just sell them games at a higher margin instead.

On a side note my 60gb is still working perfectly fine, so if you are keeping a tally go ahead and mark my down for still working. Not that I'm arguing about the failure rate or anything, I'm simply stating that whatever it is Sony would not purposely make their PS3 fail in order to sell another PS3 to that person. 

^^looks like you know more than me then, i only did business studied in school so yeah i don't know everything, but i do know some things. Yeah I can understand your point of view when you put it that way.

Edit: by the way don't be shy to disagree with this htread people, its all good.

i never had a single problem with my PS or PS2,so when i hear people talking about a bad record for those two machines it never effected me,

i had to get my 60gb fixed recently but to be fair to the old fat thing,i rarely watch tv so use it alot for films and games and it can be on for an awful long time,it must be the blu-ray lenses for alot of people i think,as my ps2 was given the same treatment but never failed me,

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner.

I've a launch PS3 since... Launch.

And i aint had a single fault on me yet...

the more working original PS3's i see, the happier I am, carry on cheering me up people. I wonder how much longer my Slim is going to take getting to me lol.