Where the serial number is on a Maytag appliance
| Appliance | Where Maytag says to look |
|---|---|
| Top-load washer | Beneath the lid, on the tub rim |
| Front-load washer | Inside the door, on the rim of the opening |
| Dryer | Inside the door, on the rim of the opening (ventless: behind the water tank) |
| Top-freezer, bottom-freezer or French-door fridge | Inside the refrigerator compartment, left-hand side |
| Side-by-side fridge | Inside the refrigerator compartment, right-hand side |
| Built-in dishwasher | Left side of the tub frame |
| Gas or electric range | On the oven frame or the storage-drawer frame |
| Commercial-style range | Ceiling of the oven cavity |
| Wall oven | Top of the oven cavity |
| Cooktop | Rating plate on the underside of the cooktop |
- Upper left wall of the fresh-food section (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Frigidaire top-freezer; Samsung French-door and side-by-side; newer LG models)
- Upper right wall (LG on most models; Frigidaire French-door and side-by-side; Whirlpool and Maytag side-by-side)
- On the rim, trim or frame of the door opening, often at the top (Whirlpool, Maytag, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, GE)
- Under the lid, on the tub rim or the back of the opening (Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, LG, GE near the right hinge)
- Rim of the door opening, often at the top (Whirlpool, Maytag, Samsung; LG and Frigidaire say the top)
- Left or right side of the drum opening (GE). Ventless Whirlpool and Maytag dryers: behind the water tank
- Left edge of the tub frame (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, Samsung)
- Oven frame or side trim, seen with the door open (Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, GE, LG)
- Frame of the storage drawer, with the drawer pulled out (Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, LG, GE)
- Under the cooktop or behind the control panel on some models (GE; Frigidaire and Maytag cooktops underneath)
Basis: Official manufacturer help pages (Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, Bosch) and Sears PartsDirect for Kenmore. Diagrams are simplified; your model's exact spot can differ.
Basis: official (Maytag Product Help, “Where is my Model and Serial Number Located?”). Older Maytag-era units may differ; the owner’s manual for the model shows the exact spot.
Step 1: Which format do you have?
Whirlpool bought Maytag in 2006 and phased out Maytag’s own date code. Units built from about 2006 to 2014 can carry either format. Tell them apart by the pattern, not by the brand name:
| What the serial looks like | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Starts with a letter; the 2nd (sometimes 3rd) character is a letter or digit, followed by two digits that form a real week (01–53) | Modern (Whirlpool code) | MX06404786 |
| Mostly digits and ends in two letters | Legacy Maytag code | 16240783NR |
The legacy code was also used on other brands of the old Maytag group, including Amana, JennAir, Admiral, Magic Chef, Norge and Crosley.
Step 2a: Decode a modern Maytag serial
Read the year character right after the plant letter(s), then the two-digit week.
| Decade | Year codes |
|---|---|
| 2020s | X = 2020, A = 2021, B = 2022, C = 2023, D = 2024, E = 2025, F = 2026 |
| 2010s | Digits 0–9 = last digit of the year (0 = 2010 … 9 = 2019) |
| 2000s | K = 2000, L = 2001, M = 2002, P = 2003, R = 2004, S = 2005, T = 2006, U = 2007, W = 2008, Y = 2009 |
| 1990s | X = 1990, A = 1991, B = 1992, C = 1993, D = 1994, E = 1995, F = 1996, G = 1997, H = 1998, J = 1999 |
Basis: electrical-forensics.com’s Whirlpool date-code table, cross-checked against other independent references. The Whirlpool page explains the position rules in more detail.
Example: Maytag dryer, model MED7230HW0, serial MX06404786. M is the plant, X is the year and 06 is the week. That’s early February 2020 (X can’t be 1990 on a current-generation model).
Step 2b: Decode a legacy Maytag serial
Take the last two letters. The first is the year and the second is the month.
Legacy year letters (24-year cycle)
| Letter | Years | Letter | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 1966, 1990, 2014 | E | 1980, 2004 |
| D | 1967, 1991 | G | 1981, 2005 |
| F | 1968, 1992 | J | 1982, 2006 |
| H | 1969, 1993 | L | 1983, 2007 |
| K | 1970, 1994 | N | 1984, 2008 |
| M | 1971, 1995 | P | 1985, 2009 |
| Q | 1972, 1996 | R | 1986, 2010 |
| S | 1973, 1997 | T | 1987, 2011 |
| U | 1974, 1998 | V | 1988, 2012 |
| W | 1975, 1999 | X | 1989, 2013 |
| Y | 1976, 2000 | ||
| Z | 1977, 2001 | ||
| A | 1978, 2002 | ||
| C | 1979, 2003 |
Legacy month letters (two letters per month)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A/B | C/D | E/F | G/H | J/K | L/M | N/Q | P/S | R/U | T/W | V/Y | X/Z |
Basis: electrical-forensics.com’s Maytag date-code tables. Hunker independently describes the same 24-letter cycle (no I or O), including B = 1966/1990/2014. Every letter except I and O is used.
Legacy examples
- Amana dryer 12772864EL: E = 2004, L = June → June 2004
- JennAir range 16240783NR: N = 2008, R = September → September 2008. This is a Maytag-group unit built after the Whirlpool takeover that still uses the legacy code.
- JennAir range 17657865KM: K = 1994, M = June → June 1994
- JennAir double oven 12150883QY: Q = 1996, Y = November → November 1996
- Maytag dryer 717486QX: Q = 1972 or 1996, X = December. The documented unit is from December 1972, which shows why the 24-year gap needs a sanity check.
All five are documented by electrical-forensics.com.
The decade problem
- Legacy code: letters repeat every 24 years. The gap is usually obvious from the unit’s design. The main risk is B, which can mean 1966, 1990 or 2014.
- Modern code: X and A–J can mean the 1990s or the 2020s, and digits can mean the 2010s or the 1980s.
For both formats, look up the model in Maytag’s Product Lookup and check the manual’s print date. Asking for the receipt or delivery paperwork settles it outright.
What the age means if you’re buying used
For Maytag laundry, start with how long washing machines last and how long dryers last. The refrigerator and dishwasher guides cover the rest. The used washer price page shows how age affects price. Warranty coverage, if any is left, normally runs from the original purchase date, not the build date.
Limitations
- No official Maytag decoder was found as of September 2026. Both tables come from independent references that agree with documented units.
- A few decoding sites publish legacy tables that contradict these examples, for instance reading EJ as 1990. Trust the tables above over any table that fails the examples.
- The serial shows when the unit was built, not how it was used or maintained.
Next steps
- Enter the serial in the checker above.
- Run a recall check.
- Inspect the machine with the used appliance buying checklist.
Checked against the sources below on 26 September 2026.