The first three digits of a Kenmore model number, the part before the dot, identify the company that built the appliance. Independent trade references agree on the main ones, though a few are named by only two of the four: 106, 110, 198, 664 and 665 are Whirlpool; 721, 722, 795 and 796 are LG; 253, 417, 587, 628 and 790 are Frigidaire or Electrolux; 362 and 363 are GE; 401 and 402 are Samsung.
That matters because the fault codes, the replacement parts and the owner's manual follow the builder and the prefix, not the Kenmore name on the front. A 110 washer shows Whirlpool-style codes and takes Whirlpool parts; a 796 washer shows LG-style codes such as UE and OE. This page does not compute a build date, because a Kenmore serial number follows the builder's own serial system, and it covers only the prefixes the independent references agree on.
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Decode your own serial number
What this covers
- Kenmore and Kenmore Elite washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges, cooktops and wall ovens with a model number in the form 110.xxxxxxxx
- Reading the three-digit prefix to find the builder that at least two of the four trade references name
- Choosing the matching builder's fault codes, parts and manuals
What it does not cover
- ×A computed manufacture date, which comes from the builder's serial number and not from the model prefix
- ×Kenmore appliances built or rebranded after the references were written, whose builder may differ from the prefix's historical one
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedFind the model number
ReversibleLook for the label on the door frame, the cabinet edge or the rear panel. A Kenmore model number reads like 110.20922990: three digits, a dot, then the rest.
Read the three digits before the dot
ReversibleThose digits are the prefix. Write them down exactly.
Match the prefix to the builder
Reversible106, 110, 198, 664 and 665 are Whirlpool. 721, 722, 795 and 796 are LG. 253, 417, 587, 628 and 790 are Frigidaire or Electrolux. 362 and 363 are GE. 401 and 402 are Samsung.
Use the builder's codes, parts and manual
ReversibleLook up fault codes and replacement parts for the builder's matching product, or use the Kenmore code tables on this site, which are grouped by the same prefix.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. Four trade references were checked: Appliance Aid, Appliance411, PartsDr and iFixit. Prefixes 106, 110, 198, 253, 401 and 417 are named by all four; 587, 628, 664, 665, 721, 790, 795 and 363 by three; 722, 796, 402 and 362 by only two. For 796 and 402, Sears PartsDirect's own Kenmore tables use LG-style codes (IE, UE, OE) and Samsung-style codes (nd, nF, dc), which fits the two lists. Appliance411 lists 362 as a Roper-built range using GE parts, where Appliance Aid and PartsDr call 362 GE. None of the four is Kenmore's own statement, so the page is graded B. Sears PartsDirect, the Kenmore brand owner's parts site, organizes its Kenmore code tables by the same prefixes, which is why the site's Kenmore code pages are keyed to them.
An appliance-repair reference listing the three-digit Sears prefix and the company that built it: 106 and 110 Whirlpool, 253 Gibson/Frigidaire, 362 and 363 GE, 401 and 402 Samsung, 417 Kelvinator/Frigidaire.
A long-running appliance-buying reference that pairs each prefix with a builder and the appliance types it covered: 110 Whirlpool dishwashers and laundry, 795 LG refrigerators, 796 LG laundry, 417 Frigidaire, 790 Frigidaire, 721 and 722 LG.
A parts retailer's prefix table with worked examples: a 110 washer is Whirlpool, a 795 refrigerator is LG, a 417 dryer is Frigidaire/Electrolux, a 362 range is GE.
A repair wiki that groups the prefixes by builder: Whirlpool 106, 110, 198, 664 and 665; LG 721 and 795; Electrolux 336 and 790; Samsung 401.
The Kenmore brand owner's own parts and repair library, whose Kenmore code tables are organized by model prefix (110, 402, 417, 796 and so on) rather than by the Kenmore name.
Exact questions
Questions about Find out who built your Kenmore appliance from its model number
Who makes Kenmore appliances?+
Kenmore is a brand name. Other companies build the appliances, and the three-digit model-number prefix says which: Whirlpool for 106, 110, 198, 664 and 665; LG for 721, 722, 795 and 796; Frigidaire or Electrolux for 253, 417, 587, 628 and 790; GE for 362 and 363; Samsung for 401 and 402.
Why does my Kenmore show codes that look like Whirlpool or LG codes?+
Because that company built it. A 110 model uses Whirlpool-style codes and a 796 model uses LG-style codes, so the prefix tells you which code table applies.
Can I work out how old my Kenmore is from the model number?+
Not from the prefix. The manufacture date sits in the serial number, which follows the builder's own system, so this page does not compute one.
What if my prefix is not on this list?+
Use the full model number to look up the manual on Kenmore's product support page.
Can I tell who built a Kenmore appliance?+
Kenmore is a brand name applied to appliances built by other manufacturers, and the model number prefix usually shows the maker. Matching the prefix against the maker's list tells you who built it.
Why does it matter who built it?+
The maker determines where you get parts, which manual applies and which service network covers it. Two Kenmore units can have very different parts and support.
Where is the model number?+
On the label inside the door frame, on the back panel or inside the cabinet, depending on the appliance type.