Samsung Dishwasher Door Won’t Close? – Complete Fix Guide

Sometimes the Samsung dishwasher door won’t close. That prevents you from starting a new washing cycle. Also, how will the dishes get cleaned?

We have all the answers you are looking for!

A Samsung dishwasher’s door that refuses to close can have a glitch on the Auto Release function, or the number of dishes loaded is preventing the closing. On the other hand, the issue can be on some components, such as the hinges, gasket, or door latch.

A mechanical issue may prevent the correct function of your dishwasher’s door. The guide below will help you determine what is happening and teach you how to fix it.

Samsung Dishwasher Door Won’t Close – Reasons

Why won’t my Samsung dishwasher door close? That is a common question made by plenty of dishwasher owners.

Fortunately, that is not a significant problem and should not involve much hassle fixing.

However, before going to the solutions, let’s check what the potential causes are:

✅ Auto Release Setting

This setting opens the door after a cycle finishes. If the setting glitches, the door might not close at all.

✅ Improper Loading

You must ensure that you have correctly loaded the dishwasher. You may have put too many dishes or done it clumsily.

✅ The Door is Not Aligned

The door might not be aligned correctly due to some mechanical reason. 

✅ Door Latch

The door latch or some other component responsible for holding the door in place might be poorly aligned or damaged.

Fix The Samsung Dishwasher Door

As you can see, the Samsung dishwasher not closing likely involves a mechanical, practical reason.

Perhaps you will need to investigate the mechanisms very closely, even disassemble and test some components.

Below we will help you with all the steps to ensure the door works again.

1. Turn The Auto Release Off

Some newer Samsung dishwashers have a setting called Auto Release. Such a feature will unlock the door after the cleaning cycle finishes.

However, it will prevent the door from getting closed for a while.

If the system glitches, the setting might not release the mechanism to allow the door to close.

So you must deactivate the function:

1. Turn the dishwasher on;
2. Hold down both the “Delay/Start” and “Sanitize” buttons;
3. Release only when U1 or U0 shows up;
4. Click the “Sanitize” button multiple times to select the necessary setting;
5. The Auto Release is identified with A0 and A1;
6. Select “A0” to deactivate the Auto Release function.

After changing this setting, check if you can close the door successfully.

Alert: It is important to note that Samsung recommends that the Auto Release option remain enabled. If you see that disabling it doesn't solve the problem, enable it back and investigate the issue further.

2. Check The Loading

Even though this might look like a simple matter, it is crucial. For example, if you load your dishwasher with too many dishes or load it incorrectly, the door might fail to close.

Perhaps the dishes don’t block the door, but the weight makes the internal mechanisms fail. Testing this suggestion will help you identify where the issue lies.

1. Remove a few dishes from inside the dishwasher;
2. Put dishes only on the back of the rack;
3. Check if the door will close;
4. If it does, then the issue has to do with weight or rack alignment;
5. The issue can be alignment or a faulty mechanism if it doesn’t.

Next, remove all dishes and push the rack(s) into the dishwasher. Does it get stuck? If it doesn’t, now try closing the door.

Does it close only a bit or nothing at all? If only a bit, you must check the next steps to find the culprit.

3. Check The Door Hinges

Since the issue is not on the Auto Release or the loading, it is time to consider mechanical issues.

If the hinges are cracked or severely damaged, the door might not close. Can you confirm that the hinges are damaged?

Then it is time to replace them (or only one if only one is damaged).

1. Unplug the appliance and turn off the water supply;
2. Remove the screws of the lower access panel;
3. Detach the panel;
4. Remove the box cover’s screws and pull the cover out;
5. Unplug the wires you see;
6. Disconnect the strain relief;
7. Remove the drain hose;

After removing the drain hose, you can start working on the door:

1. Open the dishwasher door;
2. Unscrew the inner door panel from the outer panel;
3. Lift off the outer panel;
4. Secure the latch with tape;
5. Remove the screws securing the right or left panel (depending on which hinge is defective);
6. Detach the panel;
7. Pull the string down so you can disconnect its cable;
8. Remove the hinge;

How To Install The New Hinge

After the damaged hinge has been removed, it is time to install the new one in place:

1. Transfer the old bushing and bumper to the new part;
2. Place the hinge on the inner panel;
3. Lock the bushing on the hinge pin;
4. Install all the securing pieces again;
5. Reassemble the panels and the door;
6. Test to see if the door closes through.

Tip: When you install the hinges, it might be necessary to adjust the screws when you first try closing the door. You might need to tighten or loose them a bit.

4. Inspect The Gasket/Seal

If the hinges are fine, then perhaps the problem lies in the gasket (also called the seal).

It is the rubber on the dishwasher’s door that prevents water from leaking out. Over time, the gasket will wear out, and that can cause leaks or the gasket to slip out of its place.

If it slips, it might prevent the door from closing correctly.

1. Open the dishwasher door;
2. Check the gasket’s length;
3. Examine if it is damaged or out of place;
4. Also, check if the gasket is firmly attached to the door. 

If the gasket doesn’t look damaged but is a bit lax/out of place, try this:

1. Get a flat-head screwdriver;
2. Use the flat head to push the gasket back into the proper place;
3. If it can fit back, try closing the door.

Replace The Gasket

Is the gasket too worn out and won’t fit into place anymore? First, remove the old gasket by pulling it out. It is very simple.

Then, measure its length and buy a new gasket with the same specifications.

Next:

1. Extend the new gasket over the proper place;
2. Check that a few millimeters are allowed out of the channel’s bottom;
3. Fit around six inches into the opening;
4. Its lips must face outward;
5. Check all of its length, adjusting where necessary.

After replacing the gasket, the door should close without issues.

5. Investigate The Latch

Finally, the issue may lie in the latch. The latch can break or become unaligned, requiring you to check and fix it if necessary.

To test if the latch is defective, see how far the door goes when you try closing it.

If it only stops when you try to lock it, then it is the latch! Here is how to replace it:

1. Unplug the dishwasher from power;
2. Remove the screws that secure the inner door panel to the outer panel;
3. Separate both panels;
4. Slide the damaged latch off its mounting screws;
5. Don’t remove those screws fully;
6. Detach the wiring;

Install The New Door Latch

Once the old latch is no longer attached to the dishwasher, it is time to place the new one:

1. Connect the wiring;
2. Align the new component on the screws;
3. Join the panels back;
4. Tighten the mounting screws;
5. Put all removed screws back in place.

What We Learned

When the Samsung dishwasher door won’t close, you have many possible culprits to examine.

Even if you must replace a damaged component, it is cheaper than buying a new dishwasher or calling a professional. 

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