I know you said this is a known issue with your particular Samsung machine.That said, one of the easiest ways you can avoid mold issues in washing machines is to run an exhaust fan inside your laundry room CONSTANTLY. The home we are living in now has a fan in the laundry room (first time I've ever lived in a home that has that) and it's there because it's a gas dryer and I guess building codes require it to be there to vent out gas fumes. When we moved in, there was a sticker suggesting leaving it running all the time, so that is what we did. At one point, during some wildfires, I had to shut it off because smoke was coming in. I left it off for a week. The washer started smelling like mildew. At that point, it was 6 years old and had NEVER smelled like that. As soon as I ran a washer clean cycle and turned the fan back on, it never smelled again. I honestly think the fan keeps the laundry room from getting overly humid and that helps a ton. So, if you have a fan, use it. If not, think about having one installed.
Anyway, if you absolutely have to have a top loader, I can't help you. But I can wholly recommend LG front loaders. Mine has been solid for 7 years. Had to replace the drain pump a few months ago, which is a common repair and it was done by the first service technician I called for under $200. Not bad at all, in my opinion. He said "it should run another 7 years without issues now."
I do NOT recommend Whirlpool at ALL. Both me and my sister as well as my parents had terrible mold issues with 3 different types of machines, all in under 5 years of ownership.