Dishwasher door will not close

What is actually happening

An integrated dishwasher door carries the weight of a cupboard door on its hinges and springs, and those take a lot of use. When a hinge spring or cable breaks the door drops slightly, stops meeting the catch square, and will not latch — which the machine reads as an open door and refuses to run.

The usual causes

• A broken door hinge spring or cable on an integrated machine
• A misaligned or dropped cupboard door front
• A worn or broken door catch
• Racks or a tall item fouling the door as it closes
• The machine not sitting level in the housing

What you can safely check yourself

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

1. Pull the racks out and check nothing is protruding to catch the door
2. Watch the door as it closes — a door that falls the last few inches rather than closing smoothly has a broken spring
3. Check the cupboard front is still square on its fixings

Common questions

Why is my dishwasher door will not close?

The door will not latch shut, so no cycle can be started. An integrated dishwasher door carries the weight of a cupboard door on its hinges and springs, and those take a lot of use. When a hinge spring or cable breaks the door drops slightly, stops meeting the catch square, and will not latch — which the machine reads as an open door and refuses to run.

Can I fix a dishwasher door will not close myself?

Pull the racks out and check nothing is protruding to catch the door. Watch the door as it closes — a door that falls the last few inches rather than closing smoothly has a broken spring. Check the cupboard front is still square on its fixings. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.

How much does it cost to repair a dishwasher door will not close?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Other dishwasher faults

• dishwasher not draining
• dishwasher will not switch on
• dishwasher not cleaning the dishes
• dishwasher not drying the dishes
• dishwasher leaking
• dishwasher not heating the water
• dishwasher lights flashing
• dishwasher beeping mid-cycle

Repairs we cover near you

• Dishwasher Repairs — what we charge and how it works
• Dishwasher Repairs in Nottingham
• Dishwasher Repairs in Arnold
• Dishwasher Repairs in Beeston
• Dishwasher Repairs in West Bridgford
• Dishwasher Repairs in Bulwell

Written by our own engineers from their repair notes. If your appliance is showing a code as well as this fault, our error-code guides cover 708 codes across 24 makes.