Bosch serial number lookup: how old is the appliance?
On a Bosch appliance the date is not in the serial number. It is in the FD number, printed on the rating plate next to the model number. Add 20 to the first two digits of the FD number to get the year. The next two digits are the month.
Decode a Bosch serial number
How to read a Bosch serial number
FD number: coded year, then month
Use the FD number on the rating plate, not the serial number. Add 20 to the first two digits and keep the last two digits of the sum: that is the year. 91 is 2011 and 03 is 2023. The next two digits are the month.
Shape: the letters FD followed by four digits, then usually five more.
FD 9111 00449 reads as November 2011.
FD year code
- 70 1990
- 71 1991
- 72 1992
- 73 1993
- 74 1994
- 75 1995
- 76 1996
- 77 1997
- 78 1998
- 79 1999
- 80 2000
- 81 2001
- 82 2002
- 83 2003
- 84 2004
- 85 2005
- 86 2006
- 87 2007
- 88 2008
- 89 2009
- 90 2010
- 91 2011
- 92 2012
- 93 2013
- 94 2014
- 95 2015
- 96 2016
- 97 2017
- 98 2018
- 99 2019
- 00 2020
- 01 2021
- 02 2022
- 03 2023
- 04 2024
- 05 2025
- 06 2026
Recall notices confirm the code from 1999 to 2015. FD numbers from 2020 onward follow the same arithmetic, which one reference tabulates. One reference calls the third and fourth digits the week. The recall dates fit a month.
Where to find the serial number
The rating plate carries the model number, marked E-Nr, and the FD number. On a dishwasher it is on the top or side rim of the door, visible with the door open.
| Appliance | Where the serial tag is |
|---|---|
| Dishwasher | On the top or side rim of the door. US models: inside the door panel on the upper right side |
| Washer or dryer | On the inner rim of the door, visible with the door open |
| Oven | On the outer rim of the appliance, visible with the door open |
If the serial number does not decode
- Thermador and Gaggenau appliances, which belong to the same company, use the same FD number.
- Bosch’s registration form asks for the FD number and treats its last five digits as a separate number.
- The manufacturer can confirm the date from the serial: Bosch registration, warranty or serial lookup.
What the age tells you
| Equipment | Typical service life |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 12 to 14 years |
| Clothes washer | 10 to 13 years |
| Clothes dryer | 13 to 14 years |
| Dishwasher | 9 to 15 years |
| Range or oven | 13 to 17 years |
About Bosch
Bosch home appliances are made by BSH, a company Bosch and Siemens founded together in 1967 and Bosch has owned outright since 2015. BSH also makes Thermador and Gaggenau. All of them mark the production date with an FD number.
Questions and answers
Which characters in a Bosch serial number show the date?
Use the FD number on the rating plate, not the serial number. Add 20 to the first two digits and keep the last two digits of the sum: that is the year. 91 is 2011 and 03 is 2023. The next two digits are the month. This applies to units built since the 1990s.
Why is FD 9111 the year 2011 and not 1991?
The first two digits of an FD number are a code, not the year itself. Add 20 and keep the last two digits: 91 plus 20 is 111, so the year is 2011. In the same way 79 is 1999, 85 is 2005 and 03 is 2023.
Sources
- Electrical Forensics (Ray Franco, forensic engineer): Bosch date codes (independent reference): https://www.electrical-forensics.com/MajorAppliances/BoschDateCodes.html
- CPSC recall: Bosch and Siemens dishwashers made May 1999 to July 2005, FD7905 to FD8507 (US Consumer Product Safety Commission): https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2009/Bosch-and-Siemens-Model-Dishwashers-Recalled-by-BSH-Home-Appliances-Corporation-Due-to-Fire-Hazard
- CPSC recall: Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau dishwashers made January 2008 to December 2013, FD 8801 to FD 9312 (US Consumer Product Safety Commission): https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/BSH-Home-Appliances-Recalls-Dishwashers
- Building Intelligence Center: Bosch appliance age (independent reference): https://www.building-center.org/bosch-appliances/
- Bosch: product registration, FD number and Z number (manufacturer): https://www.bosch-home.com/us/en/productregistration
Formats last checked against these sources on October 5, 2026. Found a serial that does not fit? Send a correction. How formats are verified: method and sources.