Kenmore Oven Latch Stuck in Locked Position

Kenmore ovens are available in gas and electric models, both as standalone wall units and as part of a range. Regardless of your specific model and type of Kenmore oven, the oven door can become stuck in the locked position. When you encounter this, you don’t need to be an expert on appliances to do the troubleshooting on your own.

Cleaning Cycle

If the unit is running a self-cleaning cycle, the door locks as a safety feature. You cannot open the door until the cycle is over and the oven has cooled. If you need to stop the cleaning cycle, you can do so by pressing the “Cancel” button on the oven’s control panel.

“Door Loc” Light Illuminated

For an oven that is not running a cleaning cycle but still locked, look at the control panel to determine whether the “Door Loc” light is lit. This is an oven control feature to prevent accidental starting of the oven. Push and hold the “Clear/Off” button for three seconds. Once you hear a beep, you can let go. The “Door Loc” light will disappear, and “Door Locked” will flash while the latch works on disengaging. Once the door is unlocked, the flashing message will disappear.

Control Panel Confusion

Since the door locks during the cleaning process, the control panel might be experiencing a glitch related to this. You can try to remedy the situation by starting a cleaning cycle and letting it run for just two minutes. After that period passes, push the “Clear/Off” button to cancel the cycle. The latch should release and the door should unlock at this point. It might take a few minutes for this to happen because the unit is designed to unlock only once the oven has cooled.

Door Open But Latch Locked

If the door is open but the latch is out in the locked position, you can manually attempt to get it back into the unlock position. Open the oven door and find the door switch on the edge of either the upper right or upper left corner. Push and hold in the switch while pressing the “Stop/Cancel” button. Continue to hold in the switch while selecting a self-clean cycle and pressing “Start.” Then press “Stop/Cancel” while continuing to hold the switch. Within a few minutes, you should see the door latch retract into the unlock position.

Call for Service

If you cannot get the oven latch to retract or unlock on your own, the part might need to be replaced. For a broken door latch, consult a local Kenmore oven repair technician. The technician can look at the door and give you a repair estimate.