My wife noticed smoke right after starting the washer. She immediately turned it off and called me. I noticed a smoke smell which smelled more electrical than rubber. The basket spins easily. The washer has been working flawlessly for the past 6 years with no problems. Any ideas?

Thanks for choosing FixYa and welcome to the site. There are a few things that you can check. First, check your belt. It may have worn or the pulley may be sticking. The belt may be causing the smoke. You might want to check your control board just in case and see if you see any damaged wires. You need to try and see if the washer throws out any error codes. I really don't know what else you could check because there are no symptoms. It could have come from the water pump or the motor drive also.