JVC DR-MV7S . DVD Video Recorder VHS Player Combo?

I purchased the DVD Video Recorder in question approximately two and half years ago. In the time that I have owned this machine I have not used it to record or dub either from the VHS unit or a TV program. I have played commercially recorded DVD movies and movies that I have legally downloaded from the internet. Now, my VHS player works OK, but the DVD unit will not play any DVD discs instead I get a message on my TV screen that tells me that there is no disc in the DVD player when in fact there is. I E-mailed the JVC support center and told them about this problem. In turn I received JVC's reply telling me to use a DVD lens cleaner, which I have used all along. As a matter of fact I went to Radio Shack and purchased their best DVD lens cleaner, but that did not help either. Short of replacing the DVD optic lens reader is there any other way to fix this problem? I've been advised by a local JVC DVD recorder product repair facility that I probably need to replace the DVD optic lens reader unit, which besides the labor cost of $60.00+ the cost of the reader is somewhere in the neighborhood of $120.00. Based on the price that I paid for this machine, I would probably be better off buying a new unit. I have read many blogs from people that purchased this machine and they have experienced the same problem. I think JVC knew that many people would eventually experience this problem, but still put this machine on the market. I believe JVC should be slapped with a class action law suit for selling products like these when they knowingly were aware that they were manufacturing products with defective parts. I have video equipment that I have purchased in the past from the likes of Sony and Panasonic and never once have I had a problem with their products. If no one here is able to help me fix this problem, I will definitely file a complaint with my state's consumer affairs department and if JVC has not offered to repair or replace your like unit for free you should perhaps also consider filing a similar complaint with your consumer affairs department or similar governmental agency that investigates complaints such as mine. Thanks, I hope some can help otherwise.