Mine bricked itself on an update. No way to hard reset it. Apple would repair it only for $1 less than the full cost of the device.
And the out-of-warranty repair cost is $279. Perhaps they got it on sale at $280. https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/12/17003296/homepod-repair-i...
Going by what you feel the news cycle should have done may not be reliable for a less popular product like HomePod.
I have a whole army of Google Homes, and not one has bricked or had any problems. However, at their price point (bought the Home for $100, Home Minis were mostly free or $20) I wouldn't mind shelling out for a replacement. Considering the starting price of the HomePod, it's nuts that Apple would charge that much to fix (for something that was their issue no less).
Once your Product is out of warranty they have very little interest in helping you.