TL;DR: Kenmore error codes by model prefix is the only reliable way to read them. The brand name is a label; the appliance inside was built by Whirlpool, LG or Frigidaire, and each uses its own code language. On our site, 110 and 665 numbers are Whirlpool-built, 796 and 795 numbers are LG-built, and 587 dishwashers are Frigidaire-built. Find the number on the tag, read the first digits, then look up the code in that family.
Why can one Kenmore code mean different things?
Kenmore is a retail brand that has sourced its appliances from several manufacturers over the years. The display on your washer, dryer or dishwasher belongs to whoever built it, so it speaks that builder’s language. That is why searching only for a letter and a number, with the word Kenmore in front, can send you to an answer written for a different machine. A code can be a harmless reminder in one family and a part failure in another.
The good news is that the model number tells you which family you are in before you read anything else, and it takes ten seconds to check.
How do you read the prefix on the model number?
Look for the tag on the edge of the door, inside the door opening, or on the back, and find a number with a decimal point, such as 796.4044 or 665.13213K902. The digits before the decimal point are the prefix. On our site, 110 is the Whirlpool block for laundry, 665 the Whirlpool block for dishwashers, 796 and 795 the LG block, and 587 the Frigidaire block for dishwashers. Our Kenmore model number decoder explains the rest of the number, and who makes Kenmore appliances gives the background. For dishwashers, whether your Kenmore dishwasher is Whirlpool or Frigidaire built goes through the split.
Which washer codes belong to which builder?
Washers show the clearest split. A 110-prefix, Whirlpool-built washer reads Sud, a suds lock, and F8E1, a long or slow fill. A 796-prefix, LG-built washer reads OE for drain, IE for inlet, UE for an unbalanced load and dE for the door. Two more LG codes are documented on our site: E6, a clutch error often caused by a coin or other foreign object, and D3, a coupling problem between the motor and the drive. If your washer is a 110 and you find an LG-only code in a search result, you are probably reading the wrong family’s page.
What about dryers and dishwashers?
For dryers, Whirlpool-built 110 units show PF for a power failure and F1 for a control failure. LG-built 796 units show d90 and d95 for a vent blockage, tE for the thermistor and dE for the door. Notice that dE appears in both the LG washer and the LG dryer families, which is why you should also name the appliance when you look a code up.
For dishwashers, a 665 unit is Whirlpool-built and shows F2, a water leak, plus the F#E# control family, while a 587 unit is Frigidaire-built and uses an i-code system instead. The guide on F8E1 covers one of the F#E# codes.
What are the most common mix-ups?
Three come up again and again. The first is reading a dE on a dryer as a washer door fault; both are LG door codes, but the appliance decides which door you check. The second is treating PF as a failure. On a Whirlpool-built dryer it reports a power failure, which is an event, so the first step is to confirm the power came back and restart the cycle, not to order a part. The third is assuming a letter you saw on an older Kenmore applies to a newer one. Builders change, and a model from one decade may belong to a different family than its neighbor in the showroom. When in doubt, go back to the prefix and treat the number on the tag as the only fact you can rely on.
It also helps to know that several Kenmore models are discontinued legacy units. They are still serviceable, and the same prefix rules apply to them, but searching by the full model number often finds the right page faster than searching by the code alone.
What should you do once you know the family?
- Write down the model number, the serial number and the exact code as it appears, including capital and lower-case letters.
- Look the code up on a page for your appliance type and builder, not on a general list.
- Do the safe owner-level checks that page gives: a breaker reset, an inspection for a stuck object, a vent or filter check.
- If the code returns, stop and book service. A technician matches parts to the full model number, so what you wrote down saves time.
Our Kenmore washer repair and dryer repair pages describe what a visit covers, and you can book a visit with the tag details ready.
