Why Is My Defy Washing Machine Shaking or Walking Across the Floor?
By Mluleki Ndlovu · 14 August 2026
A Defy washing machine that shakes, walks, or bangs during the spin cycle is nearly always one of three things: an unbalanced load, feet that aren't sitting level on the floor, or — if it's a persistent banging noise rather than just movement — worn drum bearings. The first two are checks you can do yourself in a few minutes with no tools beyond a spirit level. A steady, rhythmic bang that doesn't improve with a balanced load and level feet usually means the bearings, and that's technician work.
I get called out for this one a lot, usually with the same worried question: "is my machine about to break?" Most of the time it isn''t. A Defy top loader that shakes hard, bangs, or edges its way across the floor during spin is almost always telling you something simple — the load's off balance or the machine isn't sitting level. It's only when the noise is a steady, rhythmic knock that doesn't go away no matter what you do that we're talking about a part wearing out.
Why Is My Defy Washing Machine Shaking or Walking Across the Floor?
Three things cause almost every case: an unbalanced load bunched to one side of the drum, feet that aren't making solid, level contact with the floor, or — less common but the one that needs a technician — worn drum bearings causing a persistent bang. The first two you can check and often fix yourself in under ten minutes. The third shows up as a steady knocking sound that gets worse over time, not just occasional shaking.
First, the safety step
Before you touch the machine, switch it off at the wall and pull the plug — especially if you're going to pull it away from the wall to check the feet or the hoses. If the machine has walked far enough that it's straining a hose or the power cable, switch off and unplug first, then move it back into position by hand.
Check the load before anything else
This solves more shaking complaints than anything else on this list, and it costs nothing.
- Switch off and unplug the machine, then open the lid.
- Look at how the laundry sits in the drum. If it's bunched on one side — common with a single heavy item like a duvet, a blanket, or a bath mat — that's your answer.
- Redistribute the load by hand so it's roughly even around the drum. Add a towel or two if you're washing one bulky item on its own; a lone heavy item almost always throws the balance off.
- Close the lid, plug back in, and restart the cycle. If the shaking stops or settles to normal, the load was the issue.
If you notice this happens on nearly every wash regardless of what's inside, the load isn't the real problem — move on to the feet.
Check that the machine is standing level
A washing machine that rocks even slightly on uneven feet will shake and walk on every single spin cycle, load or no load.
- Switch off and unplug the machine before you start.
- Place a spirit level on top of the machine, side to side and then front to back. If the bubble isn't centred in either direction, the machine isn't level.
- Reach under each corner and find the adjustable feet. Most Defy top loaders have feet you turn by hand — clockwise to raise that corner, anticlockwise to lower it.
- Adjust the feet until the spirit level sits centred both ways, then push down firmly on each corner of the machine in turn. It shouldn't rock at all. If it still rocks after levelling, the floor itself may be uneven — a rubber anti-vibration mat under the machine often solves this on tiled or laminate floors, which is common in a lot of Midrand homes.
- Check that nothing is stored inside the machine's base compartment (if yours has one) that could be shifting and adding to the imbalance.
Rocking on the feet is the single most common cause of a machine that walks across the laundry room over weeks of use, even if nobody notices it happening one wash at a time.
What a banging or knocking noise usually means
Shaking and banging aren't always the same problem, and it's worth telling them apart.
Occasional bumping or thumping during spin, especially with a heavy or lopsided load, is almost always the balance issue above — redistribute the load and it stops. A steady, rhythmic bang or grinding sound that happens on every spin, regardless of load size, and that's gotten louder over recent weeks, usually points to the drum bearings wearing out. You might also notice the drum feels loose or floppy if you turn it gently by hand with the lid open and the machine unplugged. Bearings sit deep inside the machine, next to the motor and drum assembly, and they're not a DIY job — this is where I stop giving instructions and start giving quotes.
One more thing worth checking while you're at it: make sure the machine isn't physically knocking against the wall or a cabinet behind it during spin. If it's walked closer to the wall than it started, that's a symptom of the imbalance above, not a separate fault — level it and give it a bit of clearance.
When to stop and call a technician
If you've balanced the load, levelled the machine properly, and it still bangs on every spin — especially if the noise is getting louder week by week — that's the bearings, and that's a job for a professional. Opening the drum assembly, replacing bearings, and reassembling the seals correctly needs the right tools and experience; get it wrong and you're looking at a leak on top of the noise. I'd rather you try the load and levelling checks first, because if either one fixes it, you've spent nothing. But once those are ruled out, don't keep running the machine hoping it settles — a worn bearing gets worse, not better, and can eventually damage the drum itself.
I repair Defy washing machines at your home across Midrand — Carlswald, Vorna Valley, Halfway House, Kyalami, Noordwyk and surrounds — so there's no need to transport a shaking, awkward machine anywhere. You can see what's included on my services page or book through the contact page. If your Defy is also showing an error code alongside the shaking, have a look at my Defy error codes guide first — some codes like E3 are directly tied to load balance.
If your machine is walking, banging, or shaking and the load-and-level checks above haven't sorted it, send me a WhatsApp on 082 419 4125 with a quick description of the noise and I'll let you know honestly whether it sounds like a load issue or a bearing job before you book anything.