How long do dishwashers last?

Typically 9 to 12 years, which is shorter than most other major kitchen appliances. Water hardness, how heavily the machine is loaded and whether the filter is cleaned regularly all move that figure.

Where is the serial number on a dishwasher?

On the edge of the door, visible only when the door is open — usually the left edge or the top edge. Some models put it on the inner tub wall instead.

Is it worth repairing a 10-year-old dishwasher?

For a cheap part such as a door seal, spray arm or drain pump, yes. For a control board, a circulation pump or a leaking tub, the repair often approaches half the cost of a replacement, at which point a new machine with better efficiency and a warranty usually wins.

How old is my dishwasher?

Dishwashers have the shortest typical service life of the major kitchen appliances, which makes dating one genuinely useful when a repair quote arrives.

Date your dishwasher

The label is on the edge of the door, which means you can only see it with the door open. Look along the left-hand edge first, then the top edge, then the right. On some models it is on the inner tub wall just inside the opening instead. It is almost never on the front face of the door, so if you are looking at the outside you are looking in the wrong place.

Dishwashers typically stay in service around 9 to 12 years, shorter than refrigerators or ranges. Water is unkind to them: hard water scales heating elements and spray arms, and the door seal, pump and diverter valve all live wet. Water hardness is probably the single biggest external factor in how long a particular machine lasts.

Bosch dishwashers are the easiest to date accurately, because the FD number gives an exact month and year with no ambiguity. Whirlpool and KitchenAid dishwashers give the production week. Frigidaire dishwashers give the week but not the decade, and the product code letter H is a useful confirmation that you have the right serial.

The economics are usually clear-cut. Dishwashers are among the cheaper major appliances to replace, so a repair quote approaching half the price of a new machine on a unit near ten years old rarely makes sense. A door seal, a spray arm or a drain pump is a different matter — those are worth doing at almost any age.

Where to find the label on a dishwasher

Work through these in order — the first two cover the large majority of models.

1Open the door fully.
2Look along the left-hand edge of the door, from top to bottom.
3Check the top edge of the door.
4Check the inner tub wall just inside the door opening.
5On Bosch models, look for a line beginning FD — that is the date, not the E-Nr.

Full guide to finding model and serial numbers

Manufacturers we support for dishwashers

Only brands with a source-backed rule for this category are listed.

Typical service life

Dishwashers commonly remain in service for roughly 9 to 12 years. Maintenance, how hard it is used, water quality and build quality all move that figure considerably in both directions.

This is a typical range, not a prediction. Plenty of appliances run well past it, and a small number fail early. Nothing here says your appliance is about to break.

Date-code limitations for this category

Frigidaire dishwashers do not encode the decade.
Kenmore dishwashers need the model prefix — 665 and 664 are Whirlpool, 587 is Frigidaire.
GE dishwashers reuse the year letter every twelve years.
The build date is not the installation date, and built-in dishwashers are often installed months after manufacture.

Common questions

How long do dishwashers last?: Typically 9 to 12 years, which is shorter than most other major kitchen appliances. Water hardness, how heavily the machine is loaded and whether the filter is cleaned regularly all move that figure.
Where is the serial number on a dishwasher?: On the edge of the door, visible only when the door is open — usually the left edge or the top edge. Some models put it on the inner tub wall instead.
Is it worth repairing a 10-year-old dishwasher?: For a cheap part such as a door seal, spray arm or drain pump, yes. For a control board, a circulation pump or a leaking tub, the repair often approaches half the cost of a replacement, at which point a new machine with better efficiency and a warranty usually wins.