Ice Dispenser for Kenmore Refrigerator: 3 Parts That Fit

You scoop the last cube and listen for the harvest clunk that used to run overnight. Nothing. That silence means a $2,000 refrigerator sidelined by a low-cost part, if it’s the right one. Kenmore never built a single refrigerator. Transformco licenses the badge and contracts builds to Whirlpool, LG, and Frigidaire, so the three digits starting your model number pick your part, not the door badge, per Appliance411’s model-prefix reference.

We map three assemblies across all three manufacturer families and hand you a fit method, plus the diagnosis order for keeping your fridge stocked with ice without buying twice.

Our Top Picks at a Glance

The Whirlpool W10882923 is the strongest pick here: two wire harnesses cover both the old and redesigned wiring layout, fixing the install failure that trips up most 106-prefix buyers.

Find your model tag before comparing a single spec. The right column is decided by prefix, not price, and a great part for the wrong prefix is just a return label.

These three parts aren’t rivals competing on quality. Only one physically plugs into any given Kenmore freezer, so this roundup narrows to one winner per kitchen.

1. Whirlpool W10882923 Ice Maker Assembly Review

Kenmore’s 596 series and Whirlpool-platform side-by-sides run on Whirlpool hardware, and the W10882923 is Whirlpool’s genuine OEM assembly for that family. It’s the highest-confidence buy here, backed by distributor fitment data, not a seller’s guess.

Which Kenmore Fridges This Whirlpool Part Actually Belongs In

This part belongs in any Kenmore carrying a 106 or 110 prefix, covering the Whirlpool-built 596 bottom-freezer series and matching side-by-sides. Distributor listings extend the same number to Amana, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, and Maytag, since Whirlpool shares platforms across all four.

Why Two Harnesses Ship in One Box and Nobody Explains It

Whirlpool changed the connector mid production run, and the redesigned module dropped the sensor-style “H” plug older units used. Verified buyers report cutting and adapting the wrong connector, since nobody flagged the switch. Photograph your old connector first.

How Hard Is This Install for a First Timer

Distributors rate this medium-difficulty; tools are a Phillips screwdriver, an Allen wrench, and pliers. Kill power at the breaker and shut the water valve first, and follow Sears PartsDirect’s step-by-step ice dispenser motor replacement for Kenmore side-by-side refrigerators for the auger.

What We Love About the Whirlpool W10882923

The Full Assembly Swap That Ends Repeat Gear Failures

This kit replaces the mold, control module, and ejector as one unit. Forum owners point to stripped ejector gears as the recurring failure on cheaper module-only parts, meaning no second teardown three months later.

The Harness Flexibility That Saves a Second Order

Two harnesses cover both the older wiring layout and the revised one, where competing listings ship a single connector and gamble on your production run. A $20 savings turns into a lost weekend.

OEM Build Quality You Can Feel Through the Housing

The housing combines ABS plastic with corrosion-resistant stainless steel, which matters inside a compartment cycling through humidity daily. It holds up better than unbranded lookalikes at half the price.

The Broadest Cross Brand Coverage of the Three

W10882923 supersedes WPW10377147, W10377151, W10300024, and 4455397, among other legacy numbers. An obsolete number on your old part isn’t a dead end; trace it through PartSelect and it lands here.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy the Whirlpool Kit

The Whirlpool Built Kenmore Owner Who Wants One Repair

Built for owners whose model tag opens with 106 or 110. Works best when the fridge still cools well and the door seals stay tight, fixing the one thing that broke.

Skip It If Your Tag Starts With 253 or 795

A 795 tag sends you to the LG AEQ73110210 below. A 253 tag sends you to the Kitchen Basics 101 pick. No adapter bridges these three manufacturer families.

Pros and Cons Table

Overall Rating: 8.5/10. The highest-confidence purchase for 106-prefix Kenmore owners, held back only by the harness rewiring step.

2. LG AEQ73110210 Ice Maker Assembly Kit Review

Kenmore Elite’s bottom-freezer French door lineup runs on LG hardware, and the AEQ73110210 is LG’s OEM kit for that platform, bundling the ice mold and control device into one unit. No Whirlpool or Frigidaire part substitutes for LG’s control architecture.

Which Ice Dispenser for Kenmore Refrigerator Models Fits Here

An ice dispenser for a Kenmore refrigerator carrying a 795 or 796 prefix points to this LG assembly, per PartSelect’s official fitment page for the AEQ73110210, limited to select bottom-freezer builds. Verify the full tag.

The Door Mounted Compartment Most Owners Have Never Opened

Repair guides place this assembly inside a compartment in the closed left door, not the freezer floor, housing the motor, mold, and control module together. This is a door job, not a freezer job.

Why the Twenty Pin Connector Trips Up Cross Shoppers

LG documents this harness at twenty pins plus a separate three-pin connector, a spec generic listings rarely state. Count the pins on your old plug first.

What We Love About the LG AEQ73110210

Genuine LG Parts for a Fridge LG Actually Built

This is a documented LG-manufactured OEM part for LG and Kenmore Elite units alike. Licensed brands make OEM sourcing harder to confirm, so a part traceable to the actual builder carries real weight.

The Two Symptoms This Kit Reliably Fixes

Vendor documentation ties this kit to exactly two symptoms: no ice production and no ice dispensing. A fault elsewhere won’t be touched, so pair it with the diagnosis order below.

A Complete Mold and Control Module in One Box

The kit bundles the ice mold and the control device together, where other sellers split those into two separate SKUs and two shipments. One parcel, one repair.

The Hour Long Install That Beats a Service Call

Published repair guides put this job at roughly one hour start to finish. Power off, shut the water, keep towels nearby. A technician’s trip fee alone runs higher than the part.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy the LG Kit

The Kenmore Elite Owner With a Bottom Freezer Layout

Built for 795- and 796-tagged bottom-freezer and French door units where the ice maker lives in the door, not the freezer. Elite owners already quoted eye-watering shop figures are exactly who this fits.

Skip It If a Remanufactured Unit Is Your Only Option

Remanufactured and “OEM-upgraded” listings sit right next to genuine ones. Read the seller field, not just the part number. A tag that doesn’t say 795 or 796 sends you to the Whirlpool or budget pick.

Pros and Cons Table

Overall Rating: 7.5/10. The only correct choice for 795-prefix Kenmore units, but priced high enough that owners of aging units should run the replace math first.

3. Kitchen Basics 101 241798224 Ice Maker Review

Kenmore’s Frigidaire-built line, tagged 253 or 417, needs a part Whirlpool and LG don’t make, and this aftermarket assembly is built for that platform. It’s the budget route for owners who want the fridge fixed, not upgraded.

Which Frigidaire Built Kenmore Units This Replaces

A 253 or 417 prefix points to Frigidaire as the actual builder. Sellers name specific fits like 253.51622101 and 253.71112103, and plenty of these fridges still cool fine after fifteen years; they just need this part.

The Four Symptoms That Justify Replacing This Part

Vendor documentation lists four triggers here: no ice, debris in the ice, failure to eject, and leaking, which damages your kitchen floor. Rule out the inlet valve first, since a stuck valve mimics this failure.

What a One Year Aftermarket Warranty Really Covers

The seller backs this part with a one-year, no-questions-asked warranty, holding up well against the OEM terms on the other two picks. That warranty covers the part, never the labor.

What We Love About the Kitchen Basics 101

Eight Cubes Per Cycle at a Fraction of OEM Cost

Rated at eight cubes per cycle with an automatic shut-off, this part sits well under typical OEM pricing for the identical fault, weighed against the fridge you’re keeping alive, not a replacement’s sticker price.

The Compatibility List That Reads Like a Sears Catalog

This part replaces 241798201, 5304456671, 241642501, and 241642503, among others, spanning Frigidaire, Electrolux, Gibson, Kelvinator, and Westinghouse builds. A discontinued original part number is very likely already on that list.

Why the Bail Arm Design Still Beats Optical Sensors Here

The bail arm is a simple mechanical lever that stops production once ice piles against it, no electronics involved. Optical sensors fail differently and cost more. Arm and optical parts never cross-substitute.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy the Budget Kit

The Owner Keeping an Aging Sears Fridge Alive

Built for 253-tagged units that still cool and seal properly, when repair spend needs to stay well under replacement cost.

Skip It If This Is Your Second Ice Maker Failure

A second failure points upstream, to the control board, the inlet valve, or a temperature problem, not the ice maker. Run the diagnosis order below first.

Pros and Cons Table

Overall Rating: 7/10. The right economic call on Frigidaire-built Kenmore units, provided you verify harness contents and warranty on the specific listing before buying.

The Buyer’s Guide: Cutting Through the Hype

The Three Checks That Decide Which Part You Need

Three checks decide your part, not your budget: the prefix naming the real manufacturer, freezer temperature since production stalls above 10°F, and water pressure, since the fill valve needs around 20 psi. Two of three never require a new part.

Diagnose in This Order Before You Spend a Dollar

Work through the fault in this order:

1. Check the main control board, a leading cause of no ice production at all.
2. Check the water inlet valve and fill tube for a freeze-up.
3. Replace the ice maker assembly only after the first two are ruled out.

A hair dryer clears a frozen fill tube for free. That same sequence applies when troubleshooting GE ice maker parts, regardless of brand.

The Price Tier Truth in Ice Maker Replacement Parts

Three tiers exist: OEM, remanufactured, and aftermarket, differing in sourcing, harness inclusion, and warranty depth. Remanufactured means a used core rebuilt and resold. The cheapest listing skips the exact harness your model needs.

Red Flags and Regret Proofing Your Kenmore Ice Maker Purchase

Watch for these before checkout:

• Fridges wedged under cabinets, blocking any pull-out repair.
• Connectors that arrive short or shaped wrong for your plug.
• Reviews reporting the same part failing again within a couple years.

Order the harness-compatible kit, not the bare ice maker. For how other brands handle icemaking, these same failure patterns repeat well outside Kenmore.

How We Tested and Verified Every Claim in This Roundup

Every fitment claim here traces to manufacturer documentation and distributor listings, not guesswork, with pain points pulled from repair forums and verified reviews. A published decibel rating for these parts doesn’t exist anywhere authoritative, so we left it out.

Ownership and Maintenance Guides

Water Line and Fill Tube Care After Year Five

Fill tube freeze-ups and stiff inlet valves dominate complaints on older units, a slow decline nobody notices until the ice just stops. Check the line behind the fridge for kinks once a year.

Water Filter Changes That Keep Ice Production Honest

Clogged filters directly choke ice production across all three platforms. A $40 filter swap mimics a $150 part failure, so log your change dates and rule the filter out first.

Freezer Temperature and Airflow Habits That Protect the Assembly

Keep the freezer between 0°F and 5°F for reliable production. Overpacked shelves choke airflow to the mold even when the thermostat reads fine, so verify with a standalone thermometer, not the door display.

When to Stop Repairing and Start Shopping

Frost buildup, temperature swings, and new fan noise together signal a failure deeper than the ice maker. Set a spend ceiling relative to replacement cost before ordering a second part.

Conclusion

Your Model Tag Was the Answer the Whole Time

That silent bin overnight wasn’t a mystery. It was a model tag you hadn’t checked yet, and the shift here is simple: stop shopping by brand name, start matching by prefix.

Do This Tonight Before You Order Anything

Photograph the model tag inside the fridge tonight, and note your freezer’s actual temperature. Match the prefix to the pick above and order once, fixing the one thing that broke instead of guessing through three.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who actually makes Kenmore refrigerators, and why does it change which ice maker I buy?

No single company does. Transformco licenses the name to Whirlpool, LG, and Frigidaire/Electrolux, and your model prefix tells you which one built yours.

Why is my Kenmore ice maker making ice but the dispenser won’t release it?

That’s a dispenser fault, not an ice maker fault. The auger motor, actuator, or chute flapper is the likelier culprit.

What freezer temperature does a Kenmore ice maker need to run a harvest cycle?

It needs the freezer near 0°F. Production slows sharply and stops once the compartment climbs above roughly 10°F.

Do I need the new wire harness that comes with the W10882923 kit, or can I reuse the old one?

Use the harness matching your connector. Whirlpool redesigned the plug mid-production, which is why the kit ships two options.

How long should a refrigerator ice maker last before it needs replacing?

Plan on roughly 5 to 10 years under normal use. Hard water, heavy use, and poor airflow all shorten that window.