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How old is my Thermador appliance?

Type the serial number from the Thermador label to see when it was built. Thermador units are built by BSH, the maker of Bosch, so the serials follow that company's format.

Scan insteadWhere is the label?

Example

FD9205
  • FDFD means production date
  • 92Year: 92 = 2012
  • 05Month: 05 = May

Built May 2012

14 years, 5 months old

Past typical life. Past the usual 9 to 13 year lifespan. Watch for frost building up, leaks, a failing ice maker, and food that is not staying cold.

Plan the replacement

  • Plan the replacement, and check whether your utility offers a rebate or free pickup of the old unit.
  • Before paying for a big repair, compare it with the price of a new unit. A repair over half the replacement cost is rarely worth it on an older appliance.
  • Most appliances carry a 1-year full warranty, with longer coverage on some parts like compressors or motors. The build date is a good guide when the receipt is missing.
How this was read
  1. The first two digits of the FD number, 92, are the year code.
  2. Add 20 to get the year: 92 plus 20 is 112, so 2012.
  3. The next two digits, 05, are the month: May.

Format: BSH FD production date. Sources: Electrical-Forensics: Bosch date codes, Tab-TV: Bosch FD number decoded.

Reading a Thermador serial number

Thermador is a BSH brand. Read the FD number on the rating plate the same way as Bosch: FD 9205 is May 2012.

About Thermador

  • William E. Cranston started Thermador in Los Angeles in 1916. It introduced its first wall oven in 1947.
  • Masco owned Thermador until July 1998, when it sold the brand to BSH.
  • BSH builds Thermador dishwashers, cooktops, ranges and wall ovens alongside Bosch in New Bern, North Carolina.

Sources: The Thermador Heritage, Masco Corp Form 10-K for fiscal 1998, Thermador - Wikipedia, New Bern and BSH Home Appliances Corporation celebrate 25th anniversary of BSH campus

BSH FD production date

Used 1980s to today. Example: FD9205

Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau print an FD number on the rating plate, next to the model (E-Nr). Its first two digits plus 20 give the year, and the next two are the month: FD 9205 is May 2012. Since 2020 the first digit is 0, so FD 0103 is March 2021.

Worked example: FD 9205 was built May 2012, so it is 14 years, 5 months old as of October 2026.

Sources: Electrical-Forensics: Bosch date codes, Tab-TV: Bosch FD number decoded

BSH FD production date, digits only

Used 1980s to today. Example: 9205

The four FD digits on their own, read the same way: year code plus 20, then the month.

Worked example: 9205 was built May 2012, so it is 14 years, 5 months old as of October 2026.

Sources: Electrical-Forensics: Bosch date codes, Tab-TV: Bosch FD number decoded