A guide · Editorially reviewed

Dishwasher won’t start

A dishwasher may not start because of power, door latch, controls, delay settings or a water-supply problem.

Start diagnosis →

What this evidence points to

Confirm the door latch and control state before internal testing.

Confirm the door latch and control state before internal testing.

Free and low-risk checks first

Likely next actions

General order until you add inputs
1

Verify power and control state

Check power, delay, control lock and the documented reset.

$0–$05–15 minEasyLow
2

Inspect the door latch

Check that the door closes squarely and the latch is unobstructed.

$0–$17015–50 minModerateLow
3

Confirm water supply

Check the shutoff valve and inlet hose.

$0–$1010–20 minEasyLow
4

Professional control and wiring diagnosis

Have the latch circuit, control and power path tested.

$130–$52060–120 minAdvancedPro only
Personalize by symptoms and previous attempts
Moderated first-party evidence

What matched FixEvidence outcomes show

Outcome data is still growing

No moderated outcome currently matches this page closely enough. Reviewed technical guidance remains separate from user outcomes.

Add a repair outcome →
Know when to stop

Is another repair worth it?

Compare appliance-specific life, spending, likely repair cost and observed repair evidence.

Run the calculation

Frequently asked questions

Should I replace a part based only on an error code?

No. A code identifies a detected condition, not necessarily the failed component. Rule out safe, inexpensive causes and confirm the exact model.

Why ask what I already tried?

The best next action changes when earlier checks fail. The engine removes repeated actions and applies prerequisite rules before ranking what remains.

Are success rates verified?

Every rate shows its denominator. Photo, receipt, invoice, technician and follow-up verification remain separate signals; none converts a small sample into high confidence.