KitchenAid Stand Mixer F57 Fix (Error Code Guide)

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What This Error Means

F57 means Motor Drive / Control Fault.

The mixer’s control board tried to power the motor, saw something ugly (overload, short, or no feedback), and shut it down before cooking the hardware.

On your side, that looks like a mixer that won’t start, maybe twitches for a split second, then flashes F57 and quits.

Official Fix

This is the “by-the-book” routine that lines up with what KitchenAid support will walk you through.

  • Kill power first: turn the speed to OFF/0 and unplug the mixer.
  • Strip the load: remove bowl, attachments, and anything stuck around the beater or dough hook. Heavy, dry dough or a foreign object can spike motor load and trip F57.
  • Check for a jam:
    • Try turning the planetary (the part the beater plugs into) by hand with the mixer unplugged.
    • It should turn with firm but smooth resistance. If it’s locked solid or crunches, the gears are jammed and the control sees that as a motor fault.
  • Let it cool down: if you were mixing thick dough for a while, give it 20–30 minutes unplugged. There’s thermal protection that has to reset.
  • Use a proper outlet:
    • Plug directly into a wall outlet, no cheap extension cords or power strips.
    • Reset any tripped GFCI or breaker that may have glitched the control.
  • Do a no-load test:
    • With the bowl and tools still off, plug the mixer back in.
    • Start at STIR/low speed and let it run 30–60 seconds.
    • Step it up to speed 2–4 for another minute.
  • Watch the behavior:
    • If it runs clean with no code, the error was likely overload/overheat. Ease up on batch size and dough stiffness.
    • If F57 pops up again quickly with no load, the manual answer is: failed motor or control board. Official fix is replacement parts, usually by an authorized service center.
  • Do NOT keep slamming the speed lever and restarting. Each restart with a real F57 fault can finish off a borderline motor or board.

The Technician’s Trick

This is what a bench tech actually does once it’s out of warranty and the basic reset didn’t cut it.

  • Safety first: unplug the mixer. You’re going under the hood.
  • Pop the rear cover:
    • On most tilt-head models, remove the single screw on the back and slide the chrome end cap off.
    • On bowl-lift models, there are usually two screws holding the back cover.
  • Reseat the motor plugs:
    • Find the multi-pin connector(s) from the motor to the control board.
    • Pull them straight off and push them back on firmly. Vibration can loosen them just enough to throw a motor fault.
  • Check the carbon brushes (if your model has brush caps):
    • Unscrew each brush cap and slide the brush out carefully.
    • If they’re chipped, burnt, or worn shorter than about 3/8" (1 cm), replace them as a pair.
  • Look for cooked parts:
    • Scan the control board for burnt spots, cracked solder joints, or a nasty burnt-electronics smell.
    • Any of that = board is suspect and often the true cause of F57.
  • Rule out a dead stall:
    • With the mixer still unplugged and covers back on the gears, turn the planetary by hand again.
    • If it’s bound up, the worm gear or gear train is damaged. That mechanical stall is what’s killing the electronics with overcurrent.
  • Test smart:
    • Reassemble enough to be safe, plug in, and run it empty on low.
    • If it now runs fine, your loose connector or brushes were the problem.
    • If F57 returns immediately, you’re down to motor replacement, control board replacement, or both.

No magic button combo here. F57 is almost always real hardware, not just a “reset me” code.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Recent mixer, pro/commercial model, or a classic that’s otherwise solid; only symptom is F57 and maybe some heavy use right before it.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: 8–12+ years old, noisy gears, cracked accessories, and you’re staring at both a motor and board replacement quote.
  • ❌ Replace: Housing is cracked, gears are already stripped, or repair estimates are over ~50% of the cost of a comparable new KitchenAid.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Chasing other appliance error codes around the house? These breakdowns help you decode them fast: