Kenmore Washer Error Codes List: Every Code Explained
Every Kenmore washer error code we could verify against Kenmore's own documentation — what it means, what usually causes it, and the first fix to try — in one table. Codes differ between model series, so treat your model's tech sheet as the final word.
How to read and retrieve error codes on Kenmore washers
Whirlpool platforms have a well-documented diagnostic mode. On front-load (Duet and later) models: with the machine in standby, press and hold any one button for 3 seconds, release for 3 seconds, repeat for a total of three holds — the display lights up and shows stored fault codes (F-codes with E-suffixes), which you step through with the same button. On top-load VMW models (most Maytag/Whirlpool/Kenmore top-loaders since ~2010): turn the cycle knob with a specific left/right sequence (commonly counterclockwise once, then clockwise three, counterclockwise one, clockwise one) until all status LEDs light, then use the knob to read fault codes as LED blink patterns. The tech sheet inside the cabinet lists the exact sequence and code chart for your model — use it rather than a generic chart, because code meanings shifted between Duet, Cabrio/Bravos and VMW generations.
The complete Kenmore washer error code list
| Code | Meaning | Most likely cause | First fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1E | 796-series: inlet error, the IE code shown as 1E on segmented displays. | Closed water valves or clogged inlet filters | Open both supply valves fully and clean the inlet filters. |
| CL | Child Lock status on Kenmore washers — panel locked, not an error. On LG-built Kenmores (796) it's LG's CL; the release is the marked button hold. | Child Lock activated | Hold the marked button(s) ~3 seconds until CL clears. |
| DC | Samsung-built front-load (402/592 series, shown dc): washer will not spin; load is unbalanced. | Tangled or single heavy item weighing down one side of the drum | Redistribute the load, or add towels to small loads, and restart the cycle. |
| DE | 796-series (shown dE): door error; door is not secured or locked. | Door not fully closed or faulty door lock switch | Close the door firmly until it latches; replace the door lock switch if faulty. |
| DE1 | 796-series (shown dE1): door switch error; door is not secured. | Failed door switch or door not fully closed | Close the door firmly; test and replace the door switch assembly. |
| DE2 | 796-series (shown dE2): lid or door is not locking correctly. | Failed lid or door lock switch assembly | Check for obstructions at the lock; replace the lock switch assembly if it fails. |
| DU | 110-series top-load (shown dU): lid cannot unlock. | Items pressing on the lid or failed lid lock | Remove items from the lid and wait for the basket to stop before retrying. |
| E1 | 796-series variant: drainage error, grouped with OE on some models. | Clogged or kinked drain hose | Clear and straighten the drain hose; clean the drain filter if fitted. |
| E3 | 796-series top-load: drain motor error. | Failed drain motor or loose drain motor wiring | Check drain motor wiring; replace the drain motor if it does not run. |
| E21 | 417-series (Frigidaire-built): washer is not draining. | Clogged tub-to-pump hose or failed drain pump | Clean the tub-to-pump hose and pump filter; test and replace the drain pump. |
| F20 | 110-series front-load: water inlet problem; washer is not filling or fills slowly. | Closed supply valves or clogged inlet screens | Open both valves fully and clean the inlet screens. |
| F21 | 110-series front-load: drain problem; washer takes too long to drain. | Clogged drain pump or kinked drain hose | Clean the pump and filter, straighten the hose, and clear the standpipe. |
| F22 | 110-series front-load: door lock error. | Door not fully closed or failed door lock assembly | Close the door firmly; replace the door lock assembly if the error returns. |
| FE | 796-series: overfill error; water level is too high. | Faulty water inlet valve that does not shut off | Turn off the water supply; test and replace the inlet valve if it leaks through. |
| FH | 110-series front-load: water inlet problem; no water or not enough water is entering. | Closed valves, clogged inlet screens, or failed inlet valve | Open both valves, clean the inlet screens, and test the inlet valve. |
| IE | Inlet error on LG-built Kenmore washers — the machine is not filling properly (rendered 1E on some displays). | Taps/hoses restricting | Restore flow; replace the valve if a solenoid is open; sensor hose/sensor if fill is strong but IE persists. |
| LD | 110-series top-load (shown Ld): long drain; washer takes too long to drain. | Kinked drain hose or clogged pump | Straighten the hose, clean the pump, and check the standpipe height. |
| LE | Locked motor error on Kenmore washers built by LG — the direct-drive motor cannot rotate. (On Whirlpool-built Kenmores LE-family topics route to the F-code system instead — check your model plate.) | Overload | Wash smaller loads; bulky items singly. |
| ND | No Drain — the Kenmore washer is not draining (Whirlpool-built Kenmore rendering). | Debris at the pump | Clear the pump/hose path (access from below/rear, unplug first); replace a dead pump; confirm with an empty drain. |
| NF | No Fill on Whirlpool-built Kenmore washers — the machine is not filling (fill fault, letter rendering; F8E1/LF siblings). | Supply restriction | Restore flow; replace valve if a solenoid meters open; sensor hose check if fill is visibly strong. |
| OE | Drain error on LG-built Kenmore washers — the machine is not draining. | Clogged debris filter | Clean filter; clear pump/hose; replace a dead pump; confirm with Drain+Spin. |
| PE | 796-series: water level (pressure) sensor is not working correctly. | Failed pressure sensor or disconnected pressure hose | Check the pressure hose and sensor wiring; replace the water level sensor. |
| SUD | 110-series: suds routine; excess suds detected in the drum. | Too much detergent or non-HE detergent | Let the suds routine finish; use measured HE detergent. |
| UE | Unbalanced error on Kenmore washers — the load couldn't be balanced for spin (both LG- and Whirlpool-built platforms use UE/UL-family balance codes). | Single dense item / clumped load | Rebalance; level; replace suspension rods/dampers when the bounce test fails. |
| UL | 110-series top-load (shown uL): unbalanced load detected during spin. | Load bunched on one side of the basket | Redistribute the load evenly and restart the spin. |
| tE | Thermistor (temperature sensor) error on LG-built Kenmore washers — the water temperature sensor circuit is faulty. | Thermistor failure | Clean/reseat connector; replace the thermistor if out of family; repair harness if the sensor meters good at its pins. |
How to reset / clear error codes on Kenmore washers
Whirlpool-built washers clear most codes with a power reset: unplug for 1 minute (top-load models with a cycle-status display sometimes need the lid opened and closed 6 times within 12 seconds after power is restored — the well-known lid-sequence calibration/clear procedure on VMW top-loaders). Codes stored in the control's fault history remain readable in diagnostic mode even after they stop showing on the display, which is why a code that 'went away' can still be found by a technician.
How to diagnose any Kenmore washer code
Work the problem in this order: (1) write the code down exactly as displayed — photograph it, because opening the door or pressing pause can clear it; (2) ask what the machine was doing when the code appeared — filling, washing, draining, spinning or heating points straight at the fault family; (3) run the external checks for that family first: taps and inlet screens for fill codes, the pump filter and drain hose for drain codes, load size and levelling for balance codes, the door seal and latch for lock codes — these cure the majority of washer codes without a single part; (4) clear the code and run the shortest cycle that exercises the same function (a rinse-and-spin for drain faults, a small wash for fill faults) while you watch — a code that returns in the same phase is an active fault, not a glitch; (5) only then test or replace the component the code monitors, and re-test under the same conditions that produced the fault. Skipping to step 5 is how good parts get replaced for a clogged filter.
Two Kenmore families, two code languages
Kenmore washers were built for Sears by different manufacturers, and the model-number prefix tells you which: 110-series machines are Whirlpool-built and speak the Whirlpool family language — two-part F/E codes on electronic models and two-letter codes (LD, UL, LF) on VMW top-loaders — while 796-series machines are LG-built and use LG's two-letter codes (OE, IE, UE, LE, dE). A code list only helps if it matches your machine's builder, so the table below groups the codes by the family that uses them, and the meaning text names the platform wherever a code is family-specific.
Finding your model prefix
The prefix is the first three digits of the model number on the rating plate (under the lid, behind the door, or on the rear panel). With the prefix known, cross-check any code against that builder's own list on this site — Whirlpool washer codes for 110 machines, LG washer codes for 796 machines — because the builders' documentation is the primary source and Kenmore manuals often summarise it.
Same fault, different code — the Kenmore translation table in words
The faults are identical; only the labels change with the builder. A drain failure is F21 or LD on a Whirlpool-built Kenmore and OE on an LG-built one. A door that will not lock reports in the F5 family on Whirlpool-built machines and as dE on LG-built ones. An unbalanced load is UL on one platform and UE on the other. When a forum answer or a video names a code your Kenmore never shows, check the builder of the machine in the video before doubting your own display — mismatched-platform advice is the single most common wrong turn in Kenmore troubleshooting.
Long production runs mean code drift
Kenmore badges stayed on sale across decades of underlying platforms, so two machines with near-identical badges can run different controls with different code lists. Codes were added as platforms gained sensors — suds and leak detection, for example, only exist on later electronic models — and a code that means one thing on a 2008 machine can be absent, or reassigned, on a 2018 one. The rating-plate model number and the manual printed for that number outrank any list, including this one, whenever they disagree.
The most searched Kenmore washer codes, in detail
CL — Child Lock status on Kenmore washers
CL = Child/Control Lock active. The washer is healthy; its panel is deliberately disabled. Kenmore owners meet it as a 'dead' washer with CL lit. Release: hold the Child Lock–marked button (or marked pair) for ~3 seconds — the panel prints which.
Most likely cause: Child Lock activated — Deliberate or stray long-press.
First check: Lock icon lit; buttons beep without effect.
If it keeps coming back: Self-engaging CL = sticking panel key suspicion.
LE — Locked motor error on Kenmore washers built by LG
Kenmore is a badge, not a factory: Kenmore washers were built by LG and by Whirlpool, and LE is the LG-built machines' motor code — the rotor didn't turn as commanded. Overload is the leading cause (LG direct-drive reads a packed tub as a locked rotor), then the Hall sensor, then motor/bearing issues. If your Kenmore's model number starts with 796, it's LG-built and this page is yours; 110-prefix machines are Whirlpool-built (see the F-code family).
Most likely cause: Overload — The classic LE trigger — reduce and retry empty first.
First check: Empty Rinse+Spin test: LE gone = load was the fault.
If it keeps coming back: LE creeping into normal loads + growing spin rumble = bearings.
ND — No Drain
ND on Kenmore top-loaders (Whirlpool-built, 110-prefix models) is the drain fault: pump ran, level stayed. Debris at the pump (top-loaders lack user filters), hose/standpipe blockage, or a failed pump. LG-built Kenmores show the same fault as OE — platform first, code second.
Most likely cause: Debris at the pump — Coins/buttons lodge at the pump inlet.
First check: Bail the tub; inspect hose run; pump listening test on Drain+Spin.
If it keeps coming back: Recurs with clear path = house line or dying pump.
OE — Drain error on LG-built Kenmore washers
OE is LG's drain code, and LG-built Kenmores (796-prefix) wear it too: pump ran, level didn't fall. The LG-platform front-loaders have the user-cleanable debris filter behind the lower flap — check it first — then hose/standpipe, then the pump.
Most likely cause: Clogged debris filter — The front-load filter mats with lint and traps objects.
First check: Drain via the emergency hose; unscrew and clean the filter; hose run check; pump listen test.
If it keeps coming back: Clean filter + recurrence = downstream blockage or weakening pump.
UE — Unbalanced error on Kenmore washers
UE means redistribution attempts failed: the tub can't spin safely with the load as arranged. Single dense items, tiny loads, an unlevel machine, and worn suspension (rods on top-loaders, dampers on front-loaders) are the causes — identical across both of Kenmore's builders, because physics doesn't care about badges.
Most likely cause: Single dense item / clumped load — The classic.
First check: Redistribute + towels for single items; corner rock test; bounce test the empty tub.
If it keeps coming back: Frequency growth on normal loads = suspension wear.
tE — Thermistor (temperature sensor) error on LG-built Kenmore washers
tE on a 796-prefix (LG-built) Kenmore is LG's thermistor code wearing a Kenmore badge: the temperature sensor reads out of range, so the control stops heated operation. Sensor, its connector, and its harness — in that order. (Whirlpool-built Kenmores report sensor faults in the F3 family instead.)
Most likely cause: Thermistor failure — Open/shorted/drifted.
First check: Meter the sensor for a plausible smooth NTC value (model-family dependent, typically ~10k–50kΩ at room temp); reseat its connector.
If it keeps coming back: tE with proven sensor+harness = board input (rare).
Less common and model-specific codes
Search data shows owners also meet these codes on Kenmore washers: D5, E2, EE, Washer. They are not part of the core code list Kenmore publishes for most models — several are series-specific, abbreviated display readings, or codes carried over from a sister platform — so we do not publish meanings for them rather than guess. Treat them by symptom: note what the machine was doing when the code appeared (filling, draining, heating, spinning), run one full power cycle (5 minutes off), and if the code returns, match the symptom to the closest documented family in the table above and check the tech sheet stored inside your machine for the model-specific definition.
Related guides
Facts on this page were checked against manufacturer documentation: searspartsdirect.com · www.searspartsdirect.com · www.lg.com · www.lg.com