KitchenAid Stand Mixer F35 Fix (Error Code Guide)

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What This Error Means

Definition: On a KitchenAid stand mixer, F35 is a generic motor/control-board fault code — the electronics do not like what they are seeing, so the mixer locks out instead of running.

What is actually happening: The mixer tries to start or change speed, the control board sees bad or no response from the motor (overload, jam, or failed electronics), so it shuts the motor down and flashes F35.

KitchenAid stand-mixer manuals do not list F35 as a user code, so if you are seeing it on a mixer display, treat it as the boards way of saying something in the drive system is unsafe or out of spec.

Also make sure you are really on a stand mixer and not a KitchenAid washer or oven; those use F35 for totally different sensor problems.

Official Fix

KitchenAids official stance for this kind of motor/control fault is very basic: reset it, make sure it is not overloaded, then hand it to an authorized service center.

  • Unplug the mixer from the wall. Leave it 5–10 minutes so the control board fully powers down and any glitch clears.
  • Strip the load: remove the bowl, beater, dough hook, and any attachment on the front hub.
  • With the mixer still unplugged, spin the planetary (the piece the beater snaps onto) by hand. It should turn smoothly with some resistance. If it is seized or feels crunchy, a jammed or broken gear can trigger a fault like F35.
  • Let the mixer cool for at least 30 minutes. If you were mixing heavy dough, the thermal overload may have popped; it will not reset until the motor cools.
  • Plug the mixer directly into a wall outlet, no power strip or extension cord, to rule out a bad supply.
  • Try the lowest speed with an empty bowl. Do not keep cycling power if it immediately throws F35 again.
  • If F35 stays or the mixer refuses to run, the official next step is to stop using it and contact an authorized KitchenAid service center. They will test and usually quote you for a new control board, motor, or both. Opening the mixer yourself is not part of the official instructions.

The Technician’s Trick

Out of warranty and comfortable with a screwdriver? Here is what a real tech checks before writing the mixer off.

  • Safety first. Unplug the mixer. If the cord is damaged anywhere, stop here and replace the cord before anything else.
  • Pop the top. Remove the rear cover, the chrome trim band, and the screws holding the top cover, then lift the top housing off so you can see the motor and control board.
  • Reseat the connectors. On a lot of dead mixers, F-type faults are just loose spade connectors. Push every motor and control-board connector firmly on and look for any that are half off or darkened.
  • Sniff and inspect the board. Burnt smell, dark brown spots, or cracked components on the speed or motor control board usually mean that board is bad and is what is throwing F35.
  • Check for a hard mechanical load. Look at the gear tower and worm gear. If grease is turned to concrete or teeth are chewed up, the motor may be stalling under load and tripping the fault; the cure is a gear kit and re-grease, not just a new board.
  • Quick test. After reseating connectors and confirming the gears turn freely by hand, reassemble enough that nothing is exposed. Plug in and try a quick burst on low speed with an empty bowl. If F35 is gone, it was a bad connection or overload. If it comes right back, you are likely looking at a failed control board or motor.
  • Decide what to swap. In the real world, techs usually try a known-good control board first. If a new board does not cure F35 and the mixer still will not run under no load, the motor itself is suspect.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: High-end KitchenAid (Pro, Pro Line, or large bowl-lift) under about 10 years old, motor turns freely by hand, and a control-board or wiring repair is quoted under roughly 150 dollars.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Mid-range mixer 10–15 years old that needs both a control board and maybe a motor, pushing parts and labor into the 150–250 dollar range; fix it only if you really like this machine or use it heavily.
  • ❌ Replace: Entry-level tilt-head, already noisy or cracked, with a repair estimate over about half the cost of a new mixer; do not chase F35, put the cash toward a replacement.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Working on other machines that are throwing codes instead of doing their job? These guides break them down fast: