Miele washing machine fault codes

Miele publish more about their washing machine faults than any other manufacturer — 51 codes, each with its own page, each saying plainly whether you can fix it. What they mostly say is that you cannot: two thirds are marked as technical faults for an engineer. We will tell you which third is yours.

Where the code shows on a Miele

Which form you see depends on the display your machine has. Segment displays alternate the letter and the number rather than showing them together, so F and 34 flash in turn and form one code — people frequently read them as two separate things. Text displays spell the fault out instead, which is why the same fault is F20 on one machine and "Heating fault" on another, F34 or "Door lock", F35 or "Door release", F210 or "Check filter + nozzle". Three displays are not codes at all but symbols: three dashes, a dash-zero-dash, and a row of flashing bars.

How to reset a Miele

Miele publish two power-cycle instructions and they are not interchangeable. For F41, an electronic module fault, the website says to switch the machine off and back on again after approximately ten seconds, and only contact Service if it recurs. For a persistent F20, for F34 and F35, and for any Fault F the operating instructions do not name, the instruction is longer: disconnect from the electricity supply — switch off at the wall and withdraw the plug, or disconnect the fuse — wait at least two minutes, switch on again and restart the programme, contacting Service if the message reappears. None of the other electronic module codes (F39, F43, F44 and so on) carries either step; their pages say only that it is a technical fault you cannot remedy yourself. For a programme you want to abandon, turn the selector to a defined position — leaving it between two settings is itself a fault, F62.

Most common Miele faults

The Miele codes people look up most.

Every Miele fault code

21 published codes. Filtering happens in the page — every one is in the HTML.

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Showing 21 of 21 codes

Every published Miele fault code with its meaning and severity
Code	What it means	Severity
F11	The drain is restricted. Miele publish a maximum drain height of one metre, and they warn that straightening a kinked hose can weaken it enough to split later.	Get it checked
F10	Water is not getting in. Miele point at the stopcock and the inlet filter, and both are owner jobs on their own guidance.	Get it checked
F34	The door could not be locked. Miele’s manual says close the door again and restart; their website adds an overloaded drum and a two-minute power-off. Try those before calling.	Get it checked
F20	Miele publish two readings of F20: the Thermostop pausing the programme until the water is at temperature, which is not a fault, and a genuine heating fault with a two-minute power-off before booking.	Get it checked
F138	The Waterproof system has found water in the floor tray. Close the stopcock and unplug — the drain pump keeps running until you do.	Get it checked
Three dashes on display	Miele publish two completely different meanings for three dashes. On the website it is a water leak; in the manual it is the wifi being off. The indicator lights tell you which.	Get it checked
F41	An electronic module fault — but the only one of them where Miele publish an owner step. Switch off, wait about ten seconds, switch back on.	Get it checked
F373	A leak at the drain filter. Miele give one cause and one remedy: the filter has not been screwed tight. Usually seen the day after cleaning it.	Get it checked
F92	Mould. Miele are telling you that months of cool washes have grown bacterial colonies, and the remedy is a maintenance wash.	Usually simple to fix
Electronic module fault	Miele publish the same sentence on 34 of their 51 codes: a technical fault you cannot remedy yourself. Here is what that group covers and what it is worth.	Get it checked
F210	The suds circulation nozzle is blocked with fluff. Miele tell you to remove it with your finger. On text displays it reads "Check filter + nozzle".	Usually simple to fix
F220	Miele say the machine is leaking — and then say the fault may be displayed erroneously when it is not. Check before you panic.	Get it checked
888	Demo mode. The machine will not start because it is set up for a shop floor, and Miele publish the exit sequence.	Usually simple to fix
F56	The final spin never got above 400 revolutions per minute. Miele blame excess foam, and the remedy is detergent dosage.	Usually simple to fix
Flashing bars	Bars flashing in the time display after you cancel a programme mean the water is above 55 degrees and the door is held shut. Wait for them to stop.	Usually simple to fix
F37	The machine is not standing level, or the drain hose is too high. On some models this shows at the end of a cycle because Pre-ironing could not run.	Usually simple to fix
F16	Too much detergent or too many additives. Miele want you dosing for your water hardness and the actual soiling, not filling the cap.	Usually simple to fix
F252	The door contacts near the hinge are dirty. Miele tell you to clean them, and only to call if that does not do it.	Usually simple to fix
F62	The programme selector is parked between two settings. Turn it to a defined position and the code goes.	Usually simple to fix
F211	A TwinDos fault. Miele say you can carry on using the machine with manual dispensing, which makes this an inconvenience rather than a breakdown.	Usually simple to fix
F231	F231 is not in Miele’s published washing machine fault list. Their TwinDos codes are F211 to F214, so check the display, then follow Miele’s generic Fault F instruction.	Get it checked

Miele models

Codes can differ between generations. Check yours.

Guides that help with Miele faults

Looking for Miele’s own support? www.miele.co.uk. We are not affiliated with Miele.