Direct answer: If your Maytag dishwasher leaves water in the bottom, the usual cause is a blocked filter or drain path, not a bad part. Start with the filter area, sump debris, drain hose routing, and any sink air gap before you suspect the dishwasher drain pump.
Most likely: Food sludge, glass chips, labels, or grease are slowing the drain path so the dishwasher finishes the cycle with water still pooled in the tub.
First figure out whether you have a shallow puddle or several inches of dirty water. That split matters. A little clean water can be normal on some machines, but murky water with bits of food usually means the drain path is restricted. Reality check: most 'won't drain' calls end with a cleaning, not a motor swap. Common wrong move: running cycle after cycle without clearing the filter just packs the debris tighter.
Don’t start with: Don't start by ordering a dishwasher drain pump just because you see standing water. A lot of these turn out to be a clog you can clear in half an hour.
You see a small amount of fairly clean water down in the lowest pocket, but dishes are otherwise clean and the level does not rise from cycle to cycle.
Start here: Confirm it is only a shallow sump puddle, then check the filter for buildup if performance has slipped.
Water is cloudy, may smell bad, and may have food bits floating in it after the cycle ends.
Start here: Start with the filter and sump because a blockage there is the most common cause.
You hear draining, the tub clears partly, then water reappears later, especially after using the sink.
Start here: Check the sink air gap or sink-side drain connection and look for a drain hose loop problem.
The machine sounds like it wants to drain, but little or no water leaves the tub.
Start here: Look for debris jammed in the sump or a kinked dishwasher drain hose before blaming the pump.
This is the most common reason for standing water. Grease, paper labels, bone chips, glass, and seeds collect around the filter and sump and choke off flow.
Quick check: Remove the lower rack, unlock the filter, and look for sludge or hard debris in the sump opening.
A kink, sag, grease plug, or bad high loop can slow draining or let sink water run back into the dishwasher.
Quick check: Follow the dishwasher drain hose from the unit to the sink drain or air gap and look for kinks, low spots, or buildup at the connection.
If the dishwasher pumps out but the water has nowhere to go, it stays in the tub or backs up after the cycle.
Quick check: If you have an air gap on the sink, pop the cap and check for gunk. If not, inspect the dishwasher hose connection at the sink drain or disposal inlet.
Once the filter and drain path are clear, a pump that only hums, trips, or moves very little water becomes more likely.
Quick check: After clearing the easy blockages, run a drain cycle and listen for a strong pump-out versus a weak hum or grinding noise.
A small amount of water in the sump area can be normal. You want to separate a normal puddle from a real no-drain problem before pulling parts apart.
Next move: If it is only a small sump puddle and the dishwasher otherwise cleans and dries normally, you may not have a failure at all. If water is clearly standing across the tub floor or is dirty and smelly, keep going.
What to conclude: This tells you whether you're chasing normal retained water or an actual restriction or pump problem.
This is the highest-probability fix and the least destructive place to start. A clogged filter or debris in the sump can stop draining even when the pump is still fine.
Next move: If the next drain cycle clears the tub normally, the blockage was at the filter or sump. If water still stands in the tub, the restriction is likely farther down the drain path or the pump is not moving water well.
What to conclude: A dirty filter points to a maintenance blockage. A clean filter with no change pushes you toward hose, air gap, sink connection, or pump checks.
A dishwasher can be fine and still leave water behind if the hose outlet, air gap, or sink drain connection is blocked. This is especially likely when water comes back after using the sink.
Next move: If the dishwasher now drains and water no longer returns after sink use, the blockage was outside the dishwasher tub. If the hose path and sink connection are clear but the tub still holds water, inspect the hose itself and listen to the pump next.
A drain hose can look fine from the sink side but still be pinched behind the unit or packed with grease. That will leave standing water and can make the pump sound weak.
Next move: If the hose was blocked or kinked and the dishwasher now drains strongly, you've found the cause. If the hose is clear and correctly routed but the machine still hums or barely pumps out, the drain pump becomes the leading suspect.
Once the filter, sump, hose, and sink-side path are clear, the remaining question is whether the dishwasher drain pump can actually move water.
A good result: If the dishwasher drains hard and finishes two cycles without standing water, the blockage is cleared and no part is needed right now.
If not: If the pump sound is weak or jammed with a confirmed clear drain path, the dishwasher drain pump is the most likely failed component.
What to conclude: A strong pump with poor draining points back to a missed blockage. A weak or jammed pump after the path is clear points to pump failure.
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A small amount of clean water down in the lowest sump pocket can be normal. If the flat tub floor is dry and the level does not rise between cycles, that alone does not usually mean a failure.
Yes. If the sink drain, air gap, or sink-side dishwasher inlet is restricted, the dishwasher may not be able to push water out fully, or dirty water may run back in after the cycle.
Suspect the dishwasher drain pump only after the filter, sump, drain hose, and sink-side connection are clear. A bad pump often hums, buzzes, or grinds but moves little water.
Not until you clean the filter and check the drain path. Repeating cycles with a blockage usually does not fix it and can pack debris tighter or leave more dirty water sitting in the tub.
Skip drain cleaner. It can damage parts and create a mess when you open the hose. For the filter, warm water and mild dish soap are the safe first choice. Vinegar is not the fix for a physical clog in the hose or sump.