Why is my dishwasher leaking from the back between the metal and plastic?
Water leaks between the metal and plastic tub components or out the front door, pouring out heavily during cycles. This difficulty makes it unclear whether the appliance can be safely repaired or if it requires a full replacement.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
- This comes up 55.4× more often in r/appliancerepair than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Why is my dishwasher leaking from the back between the metal and plastic?
- 1Resealing the tub using water and heat resistant silicone or automotive siliconeDid this help you?
- 2Using a specific leakage repair set partDid this help you?
- 3Replacing the entire dishwasher unitDid this help you?
- 4unleveling the unit to tilt it backwardDid this help you?
- 5checking the bottom door sealDid this help you?
- 6inspecting and testing the lower spray armDid this help you?
- 7cleaning out the trapDid this help you?
- 8Clean the P-trapsDid this help you?
- 9Reconfigure the middle plumbing to have only one downward slope leading into a single P-trapDid this help you?
- 10Hook the dishwasher drain line directly to the garbage disposal and cap off the current arm or P-trap connectionDid this help you?
- 11Scrubbing the soap line off the door and gasketDid this help you?
- 12Raising the front legs a cm or moreDid this help you?
- 13Avoiding placing bowls in the bottom rackDid this help you?
- 14Placing a towel on the floor to block and absorb the leaking water.Did this help you?
- 15Lowering the temperature in the freezer (though this was an attempted fix for a previous freezing issue).Did this help you?
- 16Placing a towel on the floor in front of the machine to catch the pooling water.Did this help you?
- 17Wiping down the lower gasket and checking that the door closes fully.Did this help you?
- 18Ensuring the machine is tilted slightly back and that the filter and air gap are clear to promote draining.Did this help you?
- 19Taking suspected parts off completely to inspect for hidden damage.Did this help you?
- 20Running the machine and sticking a hand underneath to feel where the water is coming from.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m having an issue where water is leaking directly from the front edge of the door—right where the beam-on-floor wash sensor projects the red status light, as shown in the video.”source ↗
“To clarify, the leak comes straight out from the front door seal area mid-cycle and pools on the towel in front, rather than dripping from underneath the base or the hoses.”source ↗
“My dishwasher squirts water from the back. Is a bosch silence plus. Is this common? And how to fix this?”source ↗
“The water comes out somewhere between the metal and the plastic. The water squirts out every two seconds.”source ↗
“Thanks but i only see a 10 year warranty against rust. It’s not rusting. It’s leaking between the plastic part and the stainless steal part.”source ↗
“Couldn’t see it without actually taking it off.”source ↗
“The dishwasher is now leaking from the bottom of the front door and I can’t figure it out.”source ↗
“When it leaks, it pours out a lot of water and it’s clearly from the front door area evenly across the bottom.”source ↗
“Raising it up significantly decreased the amount of leaking water, but it’s still leaking and I cannot raise it any further”source ↗
“Our dishwasher (KitchenAide Model: KDTM354DSS5. 9 years old) leaks about one time out of about 20. I caught it leaking today, and the water came from the right front corner.”source ↗
“I turned the dishwasher on and after its initial start up as soon as it starts running water it immediately starts leaking water pretty bad out of the bottom.”source ↗
“It’s hard to see with it standing up but it looks like it in the middle of this picture.”source ↗
“Since then we realized in 1 to 2 days time enough water to fill the bottom of the dishwasher backflows. As best as we can tell, it seems to be coming from the sink, as we noticed milky water after washing down a”source ↗
“Is this plumbing right and anything you can think of for us to try and fix it justification I can use with contractor appreciated.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6Water leak from screw after flushing water heater
- 2Why is my dishwasher leaking when turned off?
- 15Why is water backing up into the sink when appliances drain?
- 2Why is a puddle forming from a pipe outside my house?
- 8Water leaking behind new gutters and soffits
- 15Why is there water on the floor around my new water heater?