When I read through those, I was left with the impression that there 3 issues:

1. The possible real problem with the electronics -- probably from getting damp.

2. People buying the heaters without paying attention to what the requirements were.

3. People making incorrect assumptions about how the heaters would work.

Only the first is really Hayward's problem. The others are a result of less than full informed consumers purchasing complex equipment without taking the time to understand it. Those problems would have existed, no matter which heater they purchased.

I probably should add: gas or propane pool heaters are, in my own local experience, the single piece of pool equipment most likely to go unused after the first season. Often they are turned off after the first large gas bill. Due to fracking, natural gas prices are down, relatively speaking, from what they have been historically. Because fracking is still growing, prices are likely to remain down. Heat pumps -- when applied correctly (= only in cool, not cold, climates!) -- offer a potentially more economical solution.

But, heating outdoor pools is EXPENSIVE. The ONLY method of heating that is not, is solar heating, and in the East, it's a very hit or miss method.