Are you taking off the brush part and wiping the components dry after each use? I find that if you keep that gap area dry, it lasts for years. Otherwise, the gunk builds up and leaks into the insides.

Luggage Works Aurora line. It's not made of steel, and would be perfect for a passenger. I'm a flight attendant and have been using it for 3 years and it still looks brand new. Plus, it has a very convenient water bottle holder.

I second this! I'm a flight attendant and I switched from TravelPro to the Luggage Works Aurora. It's sleek, the pockets are super useful, and the construction is great. The best part is that some of the sizes have cup/bottle holders and that was a game changer for me as someone who always has a water bottle on hand. The steel frame Luggage Works is going to be way too heavy for everyday passengers to pack. Plus if you want to check it, you may have to pay extra if your bag is too heavy, and if you're starting out with a 15lb bag, you won't have much room to play with. TravelPro is good too but they tend to be bulky and I've seen many of them break. I hear Briggs & Riley are great, but they are much more expensive than the Luggage Works.