Hotpoint F06 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
A 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.
Take care
When was your machine manufactured?
The right answer depends on what you can see. Pick the one that matches.
Choose the option on the left that matches what your appliance is doing, and the answer for that case appears here.
Between October 2014 and February 2018
Your machine falls in the manufacturing period covered by the door lock recall. That does not mean it is definitely affected — the recall covers specific models, not every machine from those years.
Run the model number through the official recall checker before using the machine again, and ask them what they are offering. Their current page offers a free replacement machine; their recall FAQ also describes a free in-home repair as an option. The two documents do not say the same thing, so get it from them rather than from us.
Before October 2014 or after February 2018
The recall does not apply to your machine. This is an ordinary door lock fault and should be treated as one.
Check the seal and the load, then look at the interlock.
I do not know
The serial number encodes it, and the recall checker will tell you either way without you having to work it out.
Check it before running another hot wash.
What F06 means
Hotpoint list F06 as a door lock fault, shown when the door cannot be opened or closed, or when the machine will not start with the door shut. On the great majority of machines that is exactly what it is: an ordinary interlock failure, or something caught in the seal, and it is neither dangerous nor unusual. But F06 is also the only code in the Hotpoint range that carries a safety notice on the manufacturer’s own page, and the reason is specific.
On 17 December 2019, after the Office for Product Safety and Standards had intervened, Whirlpool announced a recall covering the door lock system on certain Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines, and the recall itself began in January 2020. The stated hazard is that when the heating element is running, a component in the door lock system can in rare cases overheat and pose a risk of fire.
The recall covers machines manufactured between October 2014 and February 2018 — up to 519,000 of them in the United Kingdom at the outset, with a further twenty-one models added in April 2020, which is why the manufacturer asks people to check again even if they checked at the time. Because the recall is on the door lock specifically, an F06 on a machine from those years is the one case where checking the model number comes before checking the door seal.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Something caught in the door seal | A sleeve or a corner of a duvet holding the door a few millimetres open so the catch cannot make. The most common cause by a distance. | Common |
| Door interlock failed | The interlock heat-cycles thousands of times and is a recognised wear part. The door can feel completely normal and still not be confirmed shut. | Common |
| Machine overloaded | Washing pressed against the glass prevents the door pulling square onto the catch. Take a third out and try again. | Occasional |
| Door lock affected by the 2019 safety recall | Applies only to machines built between October 2014 and February 2018. The recall exists because the lock component can overheat while the element is running. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Before anything else, find the model and serial number — on the rim inside the door, or on the back — and put them through the Whirlpool washing machine recall checker, or ring the recall helpline on 0800 316 1442. It takes two minutes and it is free.
If your machine is affected, stop using it and register for the free replacement or repair rather than carrying on. If you must use it in the meantime, the official advice is cold cycles at 20 degrees or below only, because the hazard is linked to the heating element running.If the machine is not affected, open the door fully and run a finger right round the rubber seal, looking for a sleeve, a sock or a trapped corner of fabric.
If the drum is packed, take a third of the load out. A door that cannot pull square onto the catch reads as open however hard you push it.
Close the door deliberately until you hear the catch click, lifting very slightly as you push in case the hinge has dropped over the years.
If the door is genuinely shut and F06 persists, the interlock has failed and needs replacing. That is a booking rather than a repeat attempt.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Hotpoint F06
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–£140
Time on site
20 minutes
Nothing if your machine is covered by the recall — the replacement or repair is free. Otherwise, free if it is a trapped sleeve, or around £80 to £140 fitted for a new door interlock.
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 Hotpoint fault codes
- F05Get it checkedThe machine cannot pump out, so the door stays locked with water inside. Hotpoint treat it as an owner job, and two of their own documents agree on the causes.Related: same brand
- Flashing lightsUsually simple to fixNo display, just lights? Hotpoint decode them by which are lit, not how many times they flash — and every "count the flashes" table online is wrong.Related: same brand
- F11Get it checkedA pump circuit fault — water left in the drum. If you found this through the flashing lights tool you were told it was a software fault, because that tool has a bug.Related: same brand
- F08Get it checkedA heater fault that stops the programme part way through. Hotpoint offer nothing to try at home and send this one straight to an engineer.Related: same brand
- F01Get it checkedA control board fault where some or all functions stop responding. Hotpoint give a specific two-minute power cycle, and it is worth doing once properly.Related: same brand
- F03Get it checkedThe machine cannot read the water temperature, so it stops rather than guess. Washing comes out cold or the dryer side will not run.Related: same brand
Own a Hotpoint washing machine? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Hotpoint F06
Does F06 mean my machine is going to catch fire?
No. On the overwhelming majority of machines F06 is an ordinary door lock fault with no safety implication at all. The recall applies to specific models built between October 2014 and February 2018, and the only way to know whether yours is one of them is the model checker. Check, then stop worrying or act, depending on the answer.
What exactly was recalled?
The door lock system on certain Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines. The manufacturer’s wording is that when the heating element is activated, in very rare cases a component in the door lock system can overheat, which depending on product features can pose a risk of fire. The recall was announced in December 2019 after the Office for Product Safety and Standards intervened.
My machine is a Whirlpool. Am I affected?
No. The recall covers Hotpoint and Indesit branded machines only, and the manufacturer states explicitly that Whirlpool branded appliances are not affected. The three brands share a fault code list, which makes this easy to get wrong in both directions.
Is the recall still open?
The model checker at washingmachinerecall.whirlpool.co.uk and the 0800 316 1442 helpline were both still operating when this page was last reviewed in September 2026. Neither the recall site nor the OPSS announcements give a closing date, so it is worth checking even on a machine you have had for years — and worth checking again if you last did so before April 2020, when twenty-one more models were added.
What does the remedy actually involve?
Something free, but the manufacturer’s own documents differ on exactly what. Their live recall page offers a comparable replacement machine provided free of charge. Their recall FAQ describes a choice between a free like-for-like replacement and a free in-home repair. We are not going to tell you which you will be offered — register through the checker or the helpline and ask them.
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 support portal
- Trade body guidance
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.