F5E3

How to Fix It

1. Open and firmly close the door.

   Open the door completely and check that no clothes are caught in the rubber door gasket or between the drum and the door. Close the door with steady, firm pressure until you hear the latch click. Do not slam — apply even pressure until the mechanism engages.

2. Reset the washer.

   Press Pause/Cancel twice to cancel the current cycle, then press Power to turn the machine off. Unplug from the wall socket and wait 60 seconds. Plug back in and select a new cycle. This clears any temporary control board fault that may have triggered F5E3.

3. Check for child lock.

   If child lock is active, the door and controls are disabled. Look for a key or padlock icon on the display. Deactivate child lock by holding the designated button combination — usually two buttons held for 3 seconds (check your model's user guide for the exact combination).

4. Inspect the door latch and strike.

   Examine the plastic latch hook on the door and the metal strike plate on the machine body for wear, cracks, or damage. A worn latch may not trigger the door-locked microswitch fully, causing F5E3. Replacement door latch assemblies for Whirlpool front-loaders cost £20–£50 and are straightforward to replace.

5. Check the door hinge.

   If the washer has been used heavily for years, the door hinge can sag and misalign the door with the lock. Open the door and observe whether it hangs slightly lower than its original position. A sagging door can be corrected by tightening or replacing the hinge — or by a service engineer checking the door alignment.