Is Kenmore the Same as Whirlpool?

Not exactly. Kenmore is a Sears store brand, owned by Transformco, that does not manufacture anything. Whirlpool is a manufacturer that builds many Kenmore appliances but not all of them. So some Kenmore units are genuinely Whirlpool machines under a different name, while others were built by LG, Frigidaire, Samsung, or GE.

The short version: “Kenmore equals Whirlpool” is true often enough to be a useful rule of thumb and wrong often enough to burn you at the parts counter. You can tell the difference on your own appliance in about a minute.

Are Kenmore and Whirlpool the same company?

No. They are two different things entirely. Whirlpool Corporation is a publicly traded appliance manufacturer based in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Kenmore is a brand name, created by Sears and now controlled by Transformco after Sears Holdings’ assets were sold off in 2019 (long a matter of public record).

Kenmore never owned factories. Sears contracted established manufacturers to build appliances and stamp them with the Kenmore label. Whirlpool has long been the largest of those contractors, which is why the two names are so often linked. But being Kenmore’s biggest supplier is not the same as being Kenmore.

When is a Kenmore actually a Whirlpool?

When the model number starts with the right prefix. The three-digit prefix on a Kenmore model number identifies the manufacturer, and 106 is Whirlpool’s code on refrigerators, with 110 and 665 appearing on Whirlpool-built Kenmore laundry and dishwashers, respectively (this prefix-to-maker mapping is long-standing knowledge among appliance servicers, not something Sears publishes).

If your Kenmore refrigerator’s model number reads 106.xxxxxxx, you effectively own a Whirlpool refrigerator. It shares the same chassis, the same service procedures, and the same parts as its Whirlpool-badged twin. One tell that goes beyond the number: a single AppliancePartsPros repair video, “How To: Disassemble Whirlpool/Kenmore Dryer,” walks through one identical teardown for both brands, because on the 106/110-family machines they are the same dryer.

When is a Kenmore NOT a Whirlpool?

Whenever the prefix points to a different maker. Kenmore, especially the Kenmore Elite tier, has sourced appliances from several manufacturers, and their parts do not interchange with Whirlpool’s.

A Kenmore Elite refrigerator with a 795 prefix is a re-badged LG. Its water filter, ice maker, and control board are LG parts. Trying to fit a Whirlpool part to it will not work, no matter what the Kenmore badge suggests. This is exactly why guessing “it is a Kenmore, so order a Whirlpool part” causes wrong-fit returns.

How do I check what my Kenmore really is?

Find the model number and read the prefix. It takes about a minute.

1. Locate the model/serial label. On refrigerators, it is usually inside the fresh-food compartment; on washers and dryers, around the door opening or on the back panel; on ranges, on a pull-out drawer or door frame.
2. Read the three digits before the decimal (106, 795, 253, and so on).
3. Match the prefix to the maker using the table above.

If you would rather skip the decoding, enter the full Kenmore model number into the model search at AppliancePartsPros. The catalog returns only the parts that fit your exact unit, which resolves the Whirlpool-or-not question automatically.

What does this mean when I buy parts?

It means you order by the machine, not by the badge. When your Kenmore is a 106-prefix Whirlpool, Whirlpool parts drop right in, and the interchange is real. For example, the Whirlpool 4392067 dryer repair kit — belt, rollers, and idler for 27-inch dryers — is listed to fit Whirlpool, Maytag, Roper, Estate, and Kenmore alike. One kit, several badges, one machine underneath.

When your Kenmore is a 795 LG or a 253 Frigidaire, you shop that maker’s parts instead. Either way, the safe move is to confirm fitment against your full model number before you buy. Browse Kenmore parts and Whirlpool parts side by side, and let the model-number match decide.

Watch: one teardown, both brands — proof that a 106/110 Kenmore is a Whirlpool

If Whirlpool built my Kenmore, can I use Whirlpool repair guides?

Generally, yes, for the 106, 110, and 665 Whirlpool-built units. When your Kenmore rides a Whirlpool platform, the repair procedures, videos, and troubleshooting steps written for the equivalent Whirlpool model apply, because it is mechanically the same appliance. That is why a single teardown video can cover both a Whirlpool and a Kenmore. The one habit to keep: order parts against your Kenmore model number, not the Whirlpool model, so the catalog can account for any small Kenmore-specific variation. The Whirlpool guide gets you the method; your Kenmore model number gets you the exact part.

The bottom line

Kenmore is not the same company as Whirlpool, but a large share of Kenmore appliances — the 106, 110, and 665 prefixes — are Whirlpool-built and take Whirlpool parts. Check your model prefix before assuming. When it says Whirlpool, buy with confidence. When it says LG, Samsung, Frigidaire, or GE, shop that maker instead.

Written by: AppliancePartsPros Team