Bosch Exx fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
Bosch’s own placeholder for every microwave code they have not defined. Their instruction is to note the number, isolate the appliance and call a technician.
Take care
What Exx means
This is not a code an appliance displays. It is the row Bosch print in their own microwave troubleshooting table to cover the entire numeric space they have chosen not to document, and it is here because a reader holding a Bosch microwave showing a number Bosch never explained deserves to know that is what has happened rather than assuming they have failed to find the right page. Their text is short: a malfunction has occurred, note any error codes that may appear on the display, disconnect the appliance from the power supply by switching off the fuse in the fuse box, and call a qualified service technician. That is the North American manual. Bosch’s UK manuals do the same thing with more to try.
The Serie 4 built-in, freestanding and Siemens iQ500 manuals print a "Malfunction" row: switch off the fuse in the fuse box, switch it back on after approximately ten seconds, and if the message appears again call the after-sales service and specify the exact error message. The Serie 8 manual prints a row headed "Exxx" — switch the appliance off and on again, and if the message returns contact the after-sales service and provide the fault code — with two special cases underneath it: E0532, open and close the appliance door; and E6501, switch off the appliance, wait for ten minutes, switch the appliance on again. So Bosch’s UK documentation names three codes across their ranges (E3 on the Serie 4, those two on the Serie 8) and treats every other number as this row.
Their troubleshooting database gives the same situation a slightly different answer, headed "Internal fault with the appliance electronics": touch the clock button, and if the message does not go out, pull out the mains plug and plug it back in after approximately ten seconds. Their manuals for the wider cooking range add the format: when an error message with E appears, for example E0111, switch the appliance off and on again; if it was a one-off the display clears, and if it returns you call the after-sales service and quote the exact message. Two practical consequences follow. Write the code down before you clear it, because it is the only thing you have that an engineer can use and it disappears the moment you cycle the power. And be sceptical of any site presenting a full Bosch microwave code table, because there is no Bosch source for one to have come from.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| A transient electronic fault | A supply glitch or a momentary bad reading that the controller latched. These are the ones a power cycle genuinely clears. | Common |
| A sensor or switch reporting implausibly | The controller has received a value it cannot reconcile and stopped rather than acting on it. | Common |
| A component in the high-voltage chain | Behind the outer cover, alongside a capacitor that stays charged with the plug out. Not an owner’s side of the appliance. | Occasional |
| Control board fault | The controller reporting on itself, which is the case where the code returns immediately after every reset. | Occasional |
| Condensation or corrosion at a connector | A degraded contact produces intermittent codes that come and go with the weather and the cooking. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Write the number down exactly as it appears, hyphens, spaces and all. It is the only diagnostic information you have and cycling the power destroys it.
Touch the clock button. BSH’s database gives that as the first move for an unlisted electronics fault, and it acknowledges the message on some models.
If the message stays, isolate the appliance — unplug it, or switch off its fuse for a built-in — and leave it at least ten seconds before restoring power. That is the UK manuals’ own figure. If the number is E6501, Bosch’s Serie 8 manual says to switch off, wait ten minutes and switch on again instead.
Run a mug of water for a minute so you find out whether the appliance heats as well as whether the message has gone.
If the code returns, book a repair and quote the exact string. BSH ask for the exact message and, on a built-in, the E number from the rating plate inside the door.
Nothing beyond this belongs to the owner. Bosch’s own instruction is to isolate the appliance and call a technician, and this is the appliance where the cover stays on because the capacitor behind it holds a lethal charge unplugged.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Bosch Exx
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0–£200
Time on site
20 minutes
Nothing if the reset holds. A diagnostic visit is £70 to £100, and repairs from there range from a connector to a magnetron or board at £100 to £200. Free inside the warranty period, which is where a coded fault on a nearly new appliance belongs.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related Bosch fault codes
- E-11Get it checkedThe one microwave code Bosch name in their North American manual. The touch keys are not working properly, and condensation on the keypad is the cause they give.Related: controls and electronics
- E0532Usually simple to fixA button pressed too long or jammed. BSH publish one answer under three labels and it is the only microwave entry where they give the owner a real fix.Related: controls and electronics
- E-3Get it checkedA fault in the automatic door opening system, in Bosch’s own words. Their UK built-in microwave manual says switch off, wait ten minutes, switch on; their troubleshooting database files the code under ovens.Related: same brand
- Key symbolUsually simple to fixNot a fault. BSH publish this as the childproof lock, released by holding the key-symbol button until the symbol goes out — about four seconds in Bosch’s manuals; freestanding models show SAFE.Related: same brand
- Demo modeUsually simple to fixBSH’s own words are that in demo mode the appliance runs cold. It lights up, appears to work, and generates nothing at all.Related: same brand
- Temperature too highGet it checkedBSH’s database publishes this and "000" flashing against one answer: the appliance has not cooled down completely, wait. Bosch’s own UK manuals read three flashing zeros differently — a power cut, set the clock.Related: same brand
Own a Bosch microwave? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Bosch Exx
What does my specific number mean?
Bosch do not say, for any microwave code except E3 (Serie 4 built-in and Siemens iQ500 manuals: the automatic door opening system), E0532 and E6501 (Serie 8 manual: open and close the door, and a ten-minute switch-off respectively) and E-11 (their North American manual: the touch keys). That is not a gap in this page — it is the state of their published documentation, and it is why every one of those manuals prints a placeholder row. If a site shows you a full Bosch microwave code table, ask yourself where they got it, because Bosch have not published one.
Is the number format significant?
Only in that BSH are inconsistent about it. Their cooking manuals give E0111 as the example, their database uses E-3 where their microwave manuals print E3, their Serie 8 manual writes E0532 and E6501, and their North American microwave manual writes E-11. Hyphens and leading zeros vary by document for the same code, so match the digits rather than the punctuation.
Why does Bosch’s website not have this?
It does have it, and there is no page that reaches it. Their microwave troubleshooting data is live on their own UK endpoint, and every support URL that ought to lead a reader to it returns a 404. Siemens publish the same answers with a working widget in front of them.
Should I keep using it if the code clears?
If it clears, heats normally and does not come back, treat it as the one-off BSH describe. If it returns, stop using it and book — a controller that keeps reporting a fault is not being fussy, and the parts it is watching are all on the far side of the cover.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
- Manufacturer support portal
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.