I have a trusty 18 year old maytag washer that filled the laundry
Room with smoke and was making a weird sound.. I unpluged it
And am trying to decide if this serious sounding problem is worth
A service call or if I should head my wheels to the appliance store to
Buy a new one.. anyone ever had a similar problem?

I would try to find out where the smoke is coming from, then make a derterminatio from there on what to do next, such as replacement or repair.