Bosch E16 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The door is not locked properly. Bosch group this with E34, F16 and F34 as one fault, and washing caught in the seal is the usual reason.
Take care
What E16 means
The useful thing to know about this code is how Bosch classify it. Their official index does not treat E16, E34, F16 and F34 as four faults — it collapses all four into one entry with one meaning, the door is not locked properly, and names laundry caught in the door as the cause. Several third-party tables split them into separate diagnoses with different remedies, which manufactures a distinction Bosch do not make and sends people hunting for four problems where there is one. If you have cross-referenced two guides and got two answers, that is why. Bosch machines also add a behaviour that produces false alarms on this code. Many models permit a pause to add forgotten items, and the door will not release during that pause until the machine is satisfied the drum has stopped and the water is below the glass. An owner who interrupts a cycle, waits a few seconds, then pulls at a door that has not yet released can leave the catch sitting proud of the frame. The result reads as a lock fault on a machine where nothing has failed at all — and it clears by closing the door properly and returning the programme selector to Off.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry caught in the door | Named first in Bosch’s own guidance. A sleeve or a corner of fabric between seal and glass, holding the door fractionally open. | Common |
| Drum overloaded | Washing pressed against the glass stops the door pulling square onto the catch, so the latch never fully makes. | Common |
| Door interlock failed | A wear part that heat-cycles thousands of times. The door can look and feel perfect and still not be confirmed. | Occasional |
| Hinge dropped or catch worn | On an older machine the door sits slightly low and the catch no longer aligns. You can often feel it wanting a lift as you close it. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Open the door fully and run a finger right round the seal, checking between the rubber and the glass for trapped fabric. This is the cause Bosch name first.
If the drum is full, take a third out. An overloaded machine cannot close its door squarely no matter how hard it is pushed.
Close the door firmly until the catch clicks, lifting very slightly as you push if the machine is old enough for the hinge to have dropped.
Turn the programme selector to Off and back to a programme. If the door is genuinely shut and the code stands, the interlock has failed.
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What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0–£150
Time on site
15 minutes
Free if it is trapped washing or an overloaded drum. A replacement door interlock on a Bosch is around £90 to £150 fitted.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated August 2026. Your quote may differ.
What other owners found
Nobody has shared what worked for them on this code yet. If you have had it, you would be the first — and it genuinely helps the next person.
Related Bosch fault codes
- F06Get it checkedA door lock fault — and the one code on this machine with an open safety recall behind it. If yours was built between October 2014 and February 2018, check the recall before anything else.Related: door and interlock
- dEGet it checkedThe machine cannot confirm the door is locked, so it will not start. On an AddWash there is a second hatch with its own interlock to check.Related: door and interlock
- E40Get it checkedThe door is open or not closed correctly — four beeps on a machine without a display. Overloading is on the manufacturer’s own cause list.Related: door and interlock
- dEGet it checkedThe door could not be locked, so the machine will not start. Usually something in the seal, occasionally the interlock itself.Related: door and interlock
Common questions about Bosch E16
Is E34 a different fault from E16?
Not according to Bosch, who group E16, E34, F16 and F34 together under one meaning: the door is not locked properly. Some third-party tables split them, which implies a distinction the manufacturer does not make.
It started right after I paused it to add something. Coincidence?
Almost certainly not. Bosch hold the lock through a pause until the drum has stopped and the level has dropped, and pulling at the door inside that window can leave the catch sitting out of line. Turn the selector to Off, close the door properly and start again before concluding a part has failed.
Could the child lock be doing this?
No, though it is worth ruling out because from across the kitchen the symptom looks similar. Child lock stops the controls responding rather than producing a door code, so if the display is actually showing E16 you are looking at the latch and not the lock-out.
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 support portal
Checked by Appliance technical reviewer (Qualifications to be displayed on appointment) on 5 August 2026.