Kenmore Coldspot Refrigerator Model 106 Identification Guide

It's almost always on the upper right side wall inside the fresh food section. Probably 90% of the time, that's exactly where it is. If it's not there, check the ceiling of the fridge compartment right behind the light assembly. Last resort is pulling the crisper drawers all the way out and looking at the lower side walls. It's basically never on the back of the appliance, which would require moving the whole machine away from the wall. I've done a ton of service calls on these and I've found the label somewhere inside the fridge every single time.

Short answer: Whirlpool built it. Kenmore is a Sears brand, and Sears never actually manufactured appliances themselves. They contracted with real manufacturers and put their name on the box. The 106 code specifically means Whirlpool was the builder. Other codes like 110 also mean Whirlpool, while 363 points to GE and 417 points to Frigidaire. Knowing this is actually really useful because you can sometimes search for the Whirlpool equivalent and find way more parts, service bulletins, and repair documentation than you'd ever find searching the Kenmore number directly.

Yes, basically always. The compressor, defrost heater, thermostat, door gaskets, ice maker, water valve, all of it traces back to Whirlpool part numbers. What you do is take your full Kenmore model number and plug it into a parts site like RepairClinic or PartSelect. They'll show you the Kenmore part number and the cross-referenced Whirlpool number right next to each other. Sometimes you can actually find OEM Whirlpool parts cheaper than the Kenmore-labeled version of the exact same component. Just make sure you're using the full model number because the 106 series spans a long production run and there are a lot of revisions out there.

The age is hiding in the serial number, not the model number. On Whirlpool-built appliances, the second character of the serial number is a letter that indicates the year it was made. So 'R' is 1997, 'S' is 1998, 'T' is 1999, and so on. The character before it indicates the month. Search for 'Whirlpool serial number date code chart' and you'll find a full decoder in about 30 seconds. I'd bookmark that page if you're planning any repairs, because knowing whether you've got a 15-year-old machine versus a 25-year-old one sometimes changes which parts are even worth putting money into.

The extra digits at the end are a color or minor revision code. Something like 106.51133210 breaks down to a base model number and then a suffix that pins down the exact production run, color finish, and any engineering tweaks. Always use the full number when you're ordering parts. Don't truncate it. Two fridges with the same base number but different ending digits might take different shelf brackets or door bins that look nearly identical but won't actually snap in. I've watched people order the wrong door gasket three times in a row because they kept using a shortened model number. Use the whole thing, every digit.

Try shining a flashlight at a sharp angle across the label. Sometimes the ink is still physically raised or indented enough that the angled light will make it readable even when it looks totally blank straight-on. If that doesn't work, take a photo and then crank up the contrast and brightness in your phone's photo editor. That trick has saved me more than once on a faded label. Still nothing? Your appliance's original purchase receipt or any old warranty registration might have the model number on it. Failing all that, call a local appliance parts store with the serial number and they can sometimes look up the model from Whirlpool's manufacturing records.