Samsung Washer Door Won’t Lock? Try These Fixes

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Washing Machine Door Won't Close

Samsung front load washer doors are supposed to close and lock into place. If your Samsung front load washer isn’t doing that, something is most likely wrong with the locking mechanism.

The best case scenario is that something was jammed inside the lock latch assembly. The worst case scenario is that the lock latch assembly was damaged at some point either by slamming the washer door or closing it too hard at weird angles.

If you’re dealing with a Samsung front load washer door that won’t close, stuck in a locked position, or you can’t open the door to begin with, you’ve come to the right place to answer your questions.

What to Do If Samsung Washer Door Won’t Lock

The issue stems from the material used for the lock latch assembly, which is plastic. You might have realized already that plastic isn’t exactly the toughest material. Enough force applied to the lock latch assembly and pieces break.

To make matters worse, the door doesn’t always match up with the lock, so slamming the washer door means you slam the end piece into the washer itself and not the locking mechanism.

Obviously without a working door you won’t be doing laundry anytime soon. Without a working locking mechanism, your Samsung front load washer would spill water into your house. Then you would have a broken washer as well as water damage in your home. Not an ideal situation, to say the least.

Thankfully, you can do something about it. If the lock latch assembly is broken, you can easily replace it with a few simple steps and tools rather than have a repairman charge you extra for the work. In fact, it should only take you a few minutes. You will need:

  • A screwdriver, Philips-head
  • Pliers
  • New lock latch assembly

To find the right lock latch assembly for your Samsung front load washer door, you’ll need the model number for your unit. Once you have that, you can punch it into a search engine, grab the part number for the lock latch assembly and order from an online store like Amazon.

1. Start by unplugging the washer.

Warning: You will be examining electrical wires inside the washer. If you leave the washer plugged in, you WILL get an electrical shock. Unplugging the washer will prevent that from happening. Ignore this warning and you will get hurt. You have been warned.

2. Examine the washer’s door latch. Do you see any damage such as cracking or broken pieces? Is there anything jammed inside the locking mechanism?

3. If you don’t see any damage, reset your Samsung washer. If you do, continue on with the following steps.

4. Lift the gasket up—that’s the rubber lining around the opening of the washer. See the metal wire? It wraps around the gasket and helps keep it in place. Use your pliers to carefully pull the metal wire and remove it.

5. Now, you should see two screws. You’ll find one near the lock itself and one above and to the left. Remove them.

6. On the side that the lock latch assembly is, pull the gasket away from the opening of the washer. Reach your hand in and grab the lock latch assembly, but do not yank it out of the washer. It’s still secured by wire harnesses.

7. Unplug the wire harnesses and dispose of the broken lock latch assembly properly.

8. Plug the wire harnesses into the new lock latch assembly and work backwards to reassemble the washer.

With a new locking mechanism now in place, you can plug the washer back in and resume as normal. From here on out, however, take care not to break it. When closing the washer door, you don’t have to slam it.

In fact, all you have to do is push on it, provided the door is lined up with the locking mechanism. In doing so, you’ll increase the lifespan of the lock latch assembly.

Samsung Washer Door Won’t Open

Perhaps you’re having the exact opposite happening to you: the washer door won’t even open. Chances are it’s actually part of the locking mechanism and not any one problem. That might be hard to believe, at first, so let’s explain.

Your washer can get really hot. The working components generate enough heat that the locking mechanism heats up, expands, and then locks in place. If you try opening the door immediately after the wash is done, you might be surprised that the door won’t budge.

In other words, wait for the locking mechanism to cool off and refrain from yanking on the door. Should only take a minute or two.

Furthermore, the water sensors might be detecting too much water. If so, the door won’t budge either. After all, the point of the door is to prevent water from leaking out onto your floor. Wait until the water drains and the lock deactivates by itself.

Releasing the Door Lock Yourself

Let’s humor the idea that you’ve waited a few minutes and the washer door still won’t open. What then? Is there any way to safely release the lock? It just so happens there is.

The first method is using your own strength. With the palm of your hand, strike the door handle. You don’t have to use Hulk-like strength, but a firm palm strike should help release the lock. If this problem persists, you’ll probably have to change the lock latch assembly at some point.

The next method is unique to washer doors that have a hidden handle. Using nylon line, trimmer line, or even fishing line can release the lock. Loop the line around the washer door. It should slide in between the door and the washer. Grab both ends and pull the line away from the handle. The door should pop open.

For washers that have handles that stick out, removing the top of the washer will give you access to the lock. Before you do that, unplug the washer. Take a screwdriver and push onto the locking mechanism from the inside of the washer.

Bottom Line

Samsung makes some great front load washers, some of the best even, but they aren’t free from technical problems. If your Samsung front load washer door wasn’t closing, hopefully you were able to rectify that issue. And if it just so happens it wasn’t opening, you have several options to release the locking mechanism by hand.