Sourcing the right Kenmore dishwasher parts has one wrinkle no other brand has: Kenmore doesn’t build its own machines. Sears rebadged units made by Whirlpool, Frigidaire (Electrolux), and LG, so the first three digits of your model number tell you who actually made it, and that determines which parts fit. Most Kenmore dishwasher parts repairs cost $15 to $120 and take under an hour once you’ve identified the true manufacturer.
- The Model-Number Trick That Saves You
- Not Draining: Work Through These Parts
- Rack Parts: The Most Common Order
- Spray Arms and Wash System
- Door and Seal Parts
- Electronic Parts
- Common Kenmore Parts and Prices
- Heating and Drying Parts
- Float, Fill Valve, and Overfill Parts
- Detergent Dispenser Parts
- Where to Buy
- Tools You’ll Need
- Bottom Line
Before any work: shut off the breaker and close the water supply valve under the sink. The sump holds a little water even after the supply is off, so keep a towel down.
The Model-Number Trick That Saves You
Find the model number on the sticker along the door edge or the left tub wall. It’ll read like 665.13469N410 or 587.14259400. The prefix before the period is the key:
- 665: Made by Whirlpool, uses Whirlpool/KitchenAid-family parts.
- 587: Made by Frigidaire/Electrolux.
- 630: Also Whirlpool-built on older platforms.
Order parts cross-referenced to that manufacturer and you’ll get an exact fit. This one check prevents the most common Kenmore parts mistake, buying a “Kenmore” part that was built for a different maker’s chassis.
Not Draining: Work Through These Parts
Water standing in the tub after a cycle is the top complaint. Diagnose cheapest-first before buying anything.
Filter
Most modern Kenmore tubs have a removable filter in the floor. Twist it out, rinse the fine mesh under hot water, and clear the coarse screen underneath. A clogged filter starves the pump and looks like a drain failure. Replacement filters run $15 to $35, and monthly cleaning prevents the problem entirely.
Drain Pump
Clean filter but still standing water points to the drain pump, the motor that pushes wastewater out. Pull the pump cover and check the impeller for a glass shard, fruit sticker, or toothpick jamming it before you condemn the pump. A replacement drain pump runs $40 to $110 and typically installs with a quarter-turn mount and a single wiring connector.
Drain Hose and Disposal Knockout Plug
Check the drain hose for kinks behind the machine and grease clogs at the lower end. If you just added a garbage disposal, inspect the knockout plug, new disposals ship with a solid plug in the dishwasher inlet that has to be tapped out with a screwdriver. Leave it in and the hose drains into a sealed dead end, which is indistinguishable from a broken pump. A new drain hose is $20 to $45.
Air Gap
If a chrome air gap sits on your sink deck, food debris can clog it and back water into the tub. Twist off the cap and cover and clear the chamber. A cracked air gap fitting is a $10 to $20 replacement.
Rack Parts: The Most Common Order
Kenmore rack wheels and tines wear out first, the vinyl chips, the steel rusts, and dishes start tipping. Rack roller and wheel kits run $12 to $30. Tine repair caps to cover rusted prongs are $8 to $15 per set. A full upper or lower rack replacement is $60 to $180 depending on who built the machine. The upper-rack adjuster mechanism, which raises and lowers the top rack, is a frequent $15 to $40 fix when the rack won’t hold its height.
Spray Arms and Wash System
Gritty dishes usually mean clogged spray-arm jets. Unclip the lower arm and unscrew the upper one, then clear each nozzle with a toothpick. A cracked spray arm is $25 to $70. The circulation (wash) pump that drives the spray is a larger job at $90 to $250, and unless you’re confident pulling the machine and handling wiring, that one is worth a technician.
Door and Seal Parts
A Kenmore that won’t start often has a failed door latch, the cycle won’t fire until the latch switch confirms the door is shut. A latch assembly is $20 to $60. Door springs and cables that control how the door lowers cost $15 to $40 and are obvious when the door drops hard. The tub gasket that seals against leaks runs $20 to $50.
Electronic Parts
The control board and touchpad are the expensive components at $90 to $250. Don’t jump to replacing them, a dead-looking machine is far more often a tripped breaker, bad outlet, or failed door switch. Rule out those cheap mechanical causes first, and only order a control board once everything simpler checks out.
Common Kenmore Parts and Prices
- Filter: $15-$35
- Drain pump: $40-$110
- Drain hose: $20-$45
- Rack wheel/roller kit: $12-$30
- Tine repair caps: $8-$15
- Upper or lower rack: $60-$180
- Spray arm: $25-$70
- Door latch: $20-$60
- Circulation pump: $90-$250
- Control board: $90-$250
Heating and Drying Parts
Dishes that come out wet or never feel hot point to the heating element or its thermostat, on Kenmore models that use an exposed element rather than condensation drying. The element runs $30 to $70 and mounts with two nuts under the tub. Test it with a multimeter before buying: a working element shows low resistance across its terminals, a failed one reads open. The high-limit thermostat that guards it is a $15 to $30 part and a frequent culprit when the water heats inconsistently. Frigidaire-built (587-prefix) and Whirlpool-built (665-prefix) elements differ, so confirm your maker before ordering.
Float, Fill Valve, and Overfill Parts
A Kenmore that overfills, leaks, or won’t fill often has a stuck float. The float is a small plastic dome in the tub floor that rises with the water and tells the fill valve to stop. Debris jams it; clean around it first at no cost. If it still sticks, the float switch below is a $15 to $35 part. The water inlet valve it controls runs $30 to $70 and is the fix when the machine won’t fill despite good household water pressure. Replacing the valve means shutting the supply, disconnecting the inlet line, and swapping the solenoid, straightforward with power and water off.
Detergent Dispenser Parts
If detergent stays caked in the cup after a cycle, the dispenser door isn’t releasing. The dispenser assembly, with its wax motor or solenoid, runs $30 to $80 and mounts behind the inner door panel, which comes off with roughly eight Torx screws. While you’re in there, check the rinse-aid reservoir cap and seal, a cracked one leaks rinse aid into the door and is a cheap $8 to $20 replacement. Match the dispenser to your model prefix, since the Whirlpool and Frigidaire versions aren’t interchangeable.
Where to Buy
Because Kenmore is a rebadge, you can often buy the equivalent Whirlpool or Frigidaire OEM part for less than the Kenmore-labeled version, same part, same fit, once you’ve confirmed the manufacturer from your model prefix. Appliance-parts retailers cross-reference these automatically if you enter the full Kenmore model number. Compare the old and new parts side by side before installing, and run a full cycle to confirm the fix before you toss the packaging.
Tools You’ll Need
A basic kit covers nearly every Kenmore parts job: Torx T15 and T20 drivers for the inner door and kick panel, a Phillips screwdriver, a quarter-inch nut driver for the heating element and tub nuts, needle-nose pliers, and a multimeter to test elements, thermostats, and switches before you spend money. Have a shallow pan and towels ready for sump water. Pulling the machine to reach the pump or drain hose adds an adjustable wrench for the compression fitting on the water line and a screwdriver for the under-counter mounting brackets. Because a Kenmore may be a Whirlpool or Frigidaire underneath, the fastener types can differ slightly between makers, so check what your model uses before you start.
Bottom Line
The secret to Kenmore dishwasher parts is identifying who actually built your machine from the model prefix, then ordering the matching OEM component. Cut power and water first, diagnose from the cheapest likely cause upward, and you’ll handle filters, hoses, racks, and latches yourself for a fraction of a service call. These machines are simple under the panel, treat the model number as your map and the repair gets easy.
