Model Number Finder

Error code · Whirlpool

F5E2

The lid lock will not engage. The washer cannot confirm the lid is locked, so it will not start the cycle.

Fixable yourself

What you will see

Most likely causes, in order

Listed from the most common and cheapest to check, to the least common and most expensive. Work down the list — do not jump to the last item because it is the one that sounds serious.

  1. An item of laundry is trapped directly under the lid
  2. Lid not fully closed, or something resting on top of the lid
  3. Lid lock assembly or its strike is worn
  4. Washer not level, so the lid does not line up with the lock

Safe checks you can do

Before you start: unplug the appliance and shut off the water supply. Do not open panels that expose mains wiring. Anything involving gas, 240 V circuits or the sealed refrigerant system must be done by a licensed technician.
  1. Open the lid and check for any garment caught at the front edge or under the hinge.
  2. Remove everything sitting on top of the washer, including baskets and detergent bottles.
  3. Press the lid down firmly and listen for the lock to click.
  4. Run a level check — the washer should not rock on any corner.

When to call a technician

The lid is clear, the machine is level, and F5E2 still appears on every start.

Also call if you see or smell burning, if the breaker trips when the washer starts, or if water has reached any electrical part. Those are stop-now conditions, not check-it-later conditions.

Models that show F5E2

We confirmed F5E2 in the published troubleshooting table for these models:

The code is defined for the shared washer platform, so a sibling model can display it even when its own manual does not list it.

Other Whirlpool codes

Related symptom guides

Where this data comes from

One source is listed above because it is the only place this page draws from. We publish facts we can point to — no republished manual text, no hosted PDFs, no invented model numbers or error codes.