Indesit F06 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
A door lock fault, on a brand that recalled around half a million machines for door locks. Check the recall before you pay anyone to fit a part.
Take care
What F06 means
F06 is published by Indesit as a door lock fault, with the symptom given as a door that cannot be opened or closed, or a door that closes without the machine starting. On most brands that would be a worn catch or a failed interlock and the page would stop there.
On this one there is something to do first. In December 2019, following action by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, Whirlpool began recalling and replacing an estimated 500,000 Indesit and Hotpoint washing machines over a door lock issue, covering machines made between October 2014 and February 2018. In April 2020 a further 21 models and up to 55,000 more machines were added. Whirlpool-branded machines are explicitly not affected — the notice names Hotpoint and Indesit only — so an Indesit owner is in the affected population by badge, and a Whirlpool owner reading the same code is not.
Whether your specific machine is on the list depends on its model and serial number, which is why the model checker exists. Do that before booking a repair. A recalled machine gets remedied by the manufacturer, and paying an independent engineer to fit a door lock to it is money you did not need to spend.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Machine is within the 2014 to 2018 recall population | Checked by model and serial number rather than assumed. Indesit-badged machines made between October 2014 and February 2018 are the affected range. | Common |
| Obstruction in the door lock | Indesit’s own published check for this code, and the only owner step they give: something in the lock body itself stopping the catch engaging. | Common |
| Washing trapped in the seal | A cuff or a duvet corner across the lip holds the door fractionally out of engagement, so the switch never confirms it is shut. | Common |
| Door catch or hinge worn out of alignment | Years of use let the door sit a millimetre off where the switch expects it. Often a cheap catch rather than the interlock assembly. | Occasional |
| Interlock failed electrically | The switch no longer confirms or no longer releases. The paid repair, and the one worth eliminating the recall against first. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Find your model and serial number — the recall site says both are inside the door, or on a label on the rear of the appliance — and check them against the manufacturer’s recall model checker at washingmachinerecall.whirlpool.co.uk or by ringing 0800 316 1442 before anything else. This is a free step that can make the rest unnecessary.
If the machine is affected, stop and go through the manufacturer’s recall route rather than an independent engineer. Do not pay for a door lock on a machine that is due a free remedy.
If it is not affected, open the door and look into the lock body itself for an obstruction. That is Indesit’s own published check for this code and it is the only owner step they give.
Run a hand round the inside of the rubber seal for a cuff, a sock corner or a duvet edge lying across the lip, then close the door firmly at its centre until the catch engages audibly.
If the door is locked with water inside, drain the machine through the pump cover first, following the F05 sequence, before working on the door. Indesit’s books say the door stays locked until the lock light goes out, and a drum full of water is a mess you do not need while you work on the catch.
If it still will not open or close, book an engineer for the interlock. Do not lever the door: the interlock is the only thing stopping the drum turning with the door open.
Never force or bypass a door interlock. It exists to keep a spinning drum behind a closed door.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Indesit 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–£150
Time on site
20 minutes
Nothing if the machine is in the recall population or if it is trapped washing. A door interlock fitted is £90 to £150, higher on an integrated machine.
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 Indesit fault codes
- F05Get it checkedWater is left in the drum. Indesit’s manual says the pump is self-cleaning and needs no maintenance, and then tells you how to clean it.Related: same brand
- F11Get it checkedA pump circuit fault, and the one code where Indesit’s own remedy is unusable — their page prints a broken template tag where the phone number should be.Related: same brand
Own an Indesit washing machine? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Indesit F06
Is my machine part of the door lock recall?
It depends on the model and serial number, not the code. The recall covers Indesit and Hotpoint washing machines made between October 2014 and February 2018 — an estimated 500,000 machines, with a further 21 models and up to 55,000 more added in April 2020. Check yours in the manufacturer’s model checker before you spend anything on a repair.
My machine says Whirlpool, not Indesit. Does the recall apply?
No. The notice is explicit that appliances under the Whirlpool brand are not affected — it names Hotpoint and Indesit machines only, even though all three badges belong to the same group and share this code table. That is one of the few places where the badge on the door genuinely changes the answer.
What does Indesit actually tell me to check?
One thing: if the door will not close, check for any obstructions in the door lock. That is the whole of their owner advice for this code, and it is more than they give for ten of their fourteen codes, which get only a phone number.
How much is a door lock if I am not covered?
Typically £90 to £150 fitted, and towards the upper end on an integrated machine that has to be pulled out of its housing first. A worn catch or striker, if that is all it turns out to be, costs meaningfully less.
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
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
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.