Samsung Refrigerator Door Not Closing

This is a common issue, especially with fridges that are out of level side to side. Some Samsung fridge models are adjusted entirely by leveling the legs, even aligning the doors. In general, make sure the refrigerator is supported by the feet, not the wheels. Out-of-level conditions can result in door misalignment, so ensure your unit is level before proceeding to the next step.

You can use a small level on the top of the fridge to check side-to-side and front-to-back leveling. A magnetic one is great. Adjust the legs so the fridge is level side-to-side and front-to-back.

If you want to, you can set the fridge with a slight tilt toward the rear. Samsung indicates that thisa back tilt will help doors to stay open (in the fully open position) A slight tilt is sufficient, as too much can cause icemaker leaks. If the leveling is good, and the problem is still there, go on to the next cause.

Your fridge door may need to be leveled, and you should check to see if it is out of alignment with the other door (if there is one). Your owner's manual will give some information about door adjustments, and usually, there is a small wrench and, in many cases, shims included (often in the bag with the manual) to do this.

Freezer Drawers use an unusual tilting motion to first free one door seal's edge when opening. If the tilt doesn't reset when the drawer is closed, the drawer won't close fully. You may need to adjust this or clean the drawer tracks.

The mullion (the part that pops out between the doors on French Door models can cause interference between the doors.

The cam pin at the top of the mullion can miss the track if the doors are not properly adjusted and level with each other. This pin follows a track above the doors and guides the mullion into place when the door is shut. If the door with the mullion is low, the mullion won't close properly.

If the doors line up well, go to the next cause.

If part of the door gasket comes loose from its mounting slot, it can then act like a prop for the door to keep it from closing completely. You will then have major issues with temperature and condensation in the refrigerator. A damaged or torn gasket can also act in the same way.

• Inspect your door gasket closely and gently pull on it to see if it is coming loose. If so, it is best to replace it, as repeated movement will wear the gasket and worsen the problem.
• Also, check for anything lodged on the face of the gasket, like food bits.
• Check for cracks or kinks.
• Look for low spots where the gasket has been pushed in and high spots where it sticks out. As mentioned, these can act as props and keep the door from closing completely.

The door gasket has a magnet embedded in the edge that can weaken over time. You may find that closing one door (with even a little force) causes the other to pop open, often unnoticed. This is especially a problem with fridges with air passages connecting the freezer and Fresh Food (refrigerator) compartments.

• If you experience this, replace all the gaskets. If one is weakened, the other will likely follow.

If this isn't a problem, go on to the next cause.

Your door will have closing cams mounted at the upper door hinge. These provide a closing push to the door when it swings toward the fridge and can wear out over time. Then the door will often stop short of closing fully.

The main difficulty in repairing these arises from the mounting screw being overtightened as it screws into a plastic part on the top of the refrigerator.

If the closing cams are ok go to the next cause. Skip it if you don't have a French door model.

If the mullion spring breaks, you will have to manually fold the mullion against the left-hand door on a French door model, or the door will not be able to close properly because the pin on the mullion will jam against the other door.

On some models, there is a spring assist to close the doors. If this unit fails the doors will not close by themselves. This device is located inside the door; to replace it, you have to remove the door from the fridge. Then, you can remove the spring device and replace it.

If your freezer drawer won't close, it could be because the auto-close springs are not in the right position. There is also an index roller bar (the rod with the white gears on the ends) that can become disconnected. There is a clip that can fall out, and it usually ends up on the bottom of the freezer compartment. Here's a link to a helpful page from Samsung.

The bearing sleeves on the door or hinge can wear out over time with heavy use and heavily loaded doors. They are usually made of plastic for smooth, lubricant-free operation, but they can wear out.

You may have loose hinges. They don't often come loose unless they have been loosened to change the swing of a door.

• You can observe them as you open and close the door and see if they shift.
• Since they also have pins that hold them in place, just make sure the fasteners are tight.

You may have bent hinges, especially if your refrigerator was moved and perhaps hit something. The door on a conventional top freezer model is probably the most likely to suffer from this bending as it is fairly long. Someone inadvertently hanging on it or something dropping on the edge of it could bend the hinge or the door itself. The metal of the hinge is substantial, as are the fasteners, so this doesn't often happen.