Stop using it for now. Carrying on with this fault risks further damage or a leak. Switch it off at the wall until it has been looked at.

What F03 actually means

The machine hasn't managed to pump the water out, so it has stopped rather than carry on with a drum full of water.

F03 on a Bosch washer is a drainage fault ot emptying within the time the control board expects. You'll usually find the drum still full at the end of a wash, or the cycle stuck before the spin. It's closely related to F18, which is the other drain-related code on these machines.

What usually causes it

Blocked pump filter \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ah in the pump filter \ coins, hair clips, screws
Kinked or blocked waste hose, or a blocked sink spigot where the hose connects
Blockage in the sump hose between drum and pump
Damaged pump impeller \ the pump runs but shifts no water
Failed drain pump or no power reaching it

What you can safely check yourself

Work through these in order. Anything beyond this — panels off, testing parts, anything to do with the wiring — is an engineer's job, and not one to attempt with the machine plugged in.

Switch off at the wall, then open the small hatch at the bottom front and clean the pump filter \ check for coins, clips and threads wrapped round the impeller housing
Make sure the drain hose isn't kinked, squashed behind the machine or pushed too far down the standpipe
If the hose feeds into a sink trap spigot, check that spigot isn't blocked with grease \ it's a common one
Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then restart on a short cycle to see if it drains

When to call someone

This sometimes clears with the checks above. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, and it's £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it — £84 in total if it's repaired on the visit with no parts needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Outside our area? The explanation above still stands — take it to a local engineer and tell them the code. Knowing it saves them time and you money.

Bosch F03 error — washing machine

What F03 actually means

What usually causes it

What you can safely check yourself

When to call someone

Other Bosch washing machine codes

Need it looked at properly?