I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same experience. Do I need a
new coffee maker, or is there something else I can do?

It seems like my coffee maker just wont come clean. The coffee, which
once tasted great, now tastes like it's been sitting in the pot for
months. I've poured through the newsgroups to find out how to get the
thing fresh, but nothing works. I've tried everything to clean it
including vinegar and store-bought coffee maker cleaners. I must have
run vinegar through it about 10 times in the past month and a half, but
the basket and the dripper still smell like something is seriously
wrong. The plastic has absorbed some nasty coffee odor and it's making
it into the coffee.

I must admit that I never cleaned the coffee maker for the first three
months. It it possible that it's too far gone now, and I need to buy a
new one? I'm open to that, but I'm afraid the same thing will happen
in time.

Any advice would be appreciated.

-Jno