Trying to determine age of refrigerator?

Hi,
Refrigerators can last over 20 years, but more recent ones are giving faults at around 8 years.

You can sometimes tell by the control system and display. LCD are the most recent, then green LED, older is Red LED, and older still is fewer and fewer lights, then mechanical thermostats.
They used the electronics available at the time - so compare this to other household appliances like videos.

Next is the brand. Good brands tend to outlast others 2x - 5x, and spares are easily available.

If it is a large unit, it may be cost effective to have an engineer replace the compressor or service it rather than scrap it, and just judge the price of parts vs a new (cheaper quality) unit.

Usually the older the unit is, the more reliable it is thesedays.

Hope this helps with your decision.