I've got a variable pressure Generac unit from Menards. Certainly not the bees-knees of pressure washers, but it does perfectly fine for washing vehicles and most other things. I've never had a problem with it. My wife and teen-aged daughters use it occasionally without issue. We just keep the instruction manual in a mesh bag tied to the frame by the handle. It's pretty easy, and has served us well for a few years now.
I'm sure I don't need to say it, but... Online reviews need to be taken with a healthy dose of reader beware. In my opinion, most people who have even a minor problem are really quick to hop online and complain about anything. Or they bought something that didn't meet their needs, and blame the product. Or they broke it, didn't put it together right, modified it beyond it's design limit, or didn't follow instructions - and then knock the product. True, there are bad products that deserve bad reviews, but those are the exception in my observations, not the norm.
Conversely, most people who are satisfied don't bother to post reviews. Again, just my opinion. I've tried to make it a point to write positive reviews, when earned. But even with this in the forefront of my mind, I sometimes just don't get to it. That, and Amazon blocked me from writing reviews. Because I did write one bad one. It was bad. Earned, but bad. So, I'm blocked.