Start by establishing where the water comes from, because the answer changes everything. Water tracking down the outside of the door is a door-seal or loading problem. Water appearing underneath with a dry door usually comes from a hose, the pump or the tub, and that is technician territory.
Make It Safe
Switch the machine off at its breaker before inspecting anything, and dry the floor so a fresh drip is obvious. If water has run under the cabinets, deal with that quickly: swelling chipboard and lifting flooring cost far more than the repair itself.
Door-Related Causes
- The gasket: run a finger around the seal. Look for hardening, splits, flattened sections or a length that has crept out of its channel. Clean it with warm soapy water, since grease stops it sealing.
- Loading: a large tray, a baking sheet or a tall pot leaning against the door redirects the spray straight at the seal. It is the single most common cause we see.
- Detergent: washing-up liquid instead of dishwasher detergent produces foam that escapes the door. So does far too much of the correct product, especially in soft-water areas.
- Latch and alignment: the door should close with a positive catch. A door sitting proud at one corner leaks at that corner.
- Levelling: a machine tilted forward lets water reach the door seal. Check with a spirit level across the tub floor.
- The vent: some designs vent steam through the door. A blocked or misaligned vent drips down the front.
When It Is Not the Door
If the seal is sound, the load is not fouling the door and the machine is level, the source is usually inside: a supply or drain hose connection, the pump seal, or a crack in the tub. Reaching those means pulling the machine out from under the counter with the power and water off.
Note when the water appears, during fill, wash or drain, and how much. Then book a Maytag dishwasher repair. In the meantime, leave the machine off rather than running it to show someone the leak.