Our tumble action front-loader washer just recently started leaving black marks in the pattern of the holes on the inside of the washer drum- We ran it twice without anything in the washer, and it still made the black marks.

I would say No it can't, perhaps in a top loader with its twisting action but not in a front loader with its tumbling action. Unless you have a pinch point in one or more of the baffles in the drum. More likely worn out material, or rotten stitching. Having said that, overloading won't have helped the situation. Never more than 2/3rds full.

FWIW, I wore dress shirts to work for 9 years and always had them dry cleaned after a hand made, made to measure shirt came back with a black grease mark on it from the automated wet washing laundry process. It never did come out, and I had them dry cleaned after that.

Likely the cause is grease from a failing rear bearing.

Unfortunately, it's cheaper to buy a new washer than to fix this one. That's pathetic for a washer that's only 8 years old, and completely negates any environmental and economic benefits of buying a front loader.

I assume from your comment that your old washer was a top loader. Yes, front loading machines typically have longer cycle times than top loaders. There are several contibuting factors... first of all, the wash action of a front load is to oscillate the drum back and forth as well as provide a slow tumbling motion whereas a top loader w/ agitator or impeller has a more aggressive action. The more aggressive action rolls and tumbles your clothes more often and therefore cleans faster. Also, because front loaders spin very fast (up to twice as fast as top loaders) to reduce the amount of moisture left in the clothes, they need to have balanced loads. They accomplish this by testing and rebalancing your load several times during each cycle before beginning to spin.

That was a long answer to your question- no, you are not doing anything wrong.

Good luck.

operate one quick cycle with not load with hot water and detergent to clean the drum

Inspect the rubber seal, and steel drum to make sure there is no foreign object sticking out, which could be tearing holes in your clothes. Also check to see if any of the holes in the steel drum are dented in. or out or misshaped, as this could cause the tumbling action of the drum to tear clothes.

kenmore tumble action washer model#417.44152400,
Washer is approximately 3 years old. Will not drain or spin. When it tries to spin, clicking noise heard inside of unit. Would a clog insie the lines disable the spin cycle ?

Our Sears repair guy says the tub bearing needs to be replaced. Get a new washer? Don't buy another Frigidaire... 

I am a recently retired engineer of 20 years once you have ruled out anything getting inside the machine by accident etc, like something in pockets or greasy overalls, then its likely to be the drum bearings, has the machine started to get noisy on the spin the drum bearings are covered by a rubber seal, this seal gets damaged or worn and water leaks into the bearings themselves washing out the grease back into the drum where the washing is, you could also notice slight water marks on the floor underneath the machine on the floor, take the back off and look for water marks coming from the drum outer casing behind the pulley, these marks will be brown and will originate from a small drain hole, if any of the above change the bearings before any real damage is done, either to the clothes or the machine, as repair can be expensive? sorry, hope i have helped you as to where to look at least,

throw a clean pair of old sneakers in the dryer with the clothes. this should not allow the clothes to stay in one place during the entire dry cycle

how do i fit felt gasket on front of dryer?