ROBOFAULTS
ROOMBA·FAULT SYM WARN

Roomba side brush not spinning

Severity: Warning — edges and corners stay dirty; the rest still gets cleaned 600eijs
Last verified: 2026-07-05 Tools: Phillips screwdriver Time: ~10 min Difficulty: easy

DIRECT ANSWER

A stalled side brush is nearly always hair wound under the brush hub. Unscrew the brush, clear the wrap, and it usually spins again. If not, dig debris out of the gearbox before buying parts.
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COMMON CAUSES · RANKED

1

Hair wrapped under the hub MOST COMMON

The brush spins in a steady circle, so hair and fibers wind tight and work their way under the hub until the brush jams.

2

Debris inside the gear case

Hair reaches the gear shafts behind the brush post. The post turns stiffly or grinds when you spin it by hand.

3

Bent or damaged brush UNCOMMON

A warped brush wobbles and catches on the chassis. Arms with melted or missing bristles have the same effect.

4

Side brush motor failure RARE

Post clean, brush new, still no spin — the module's motor is gone.

HOW TO FIX IT

No battery or electrical work involved in this fix.

Remove the brush

Undo the center screw and pull the brush off the post. Stuck? Lift gently under the hub edge with a flat tool.

Clear the wrap

Pull the hair ring off the post and out from under the hub. Scissors help with tight wraps.

Spin the bare post by hand

It should turn with light, even resistance. Grinding or stiffness means debris in the gear case — pick it out and blow compressed air into the opening.

Refit or replace the brush

Seat the brush and snug the screw — overtightening strips the post thread.

Clean post, new brush, no spin? Motor time

The side brush module has failed. On most series it is a cheap screwed-in part; search a replacement for your model.

COMPATIBLE PARTS

As an Amazon Associate, RoboFaults earns from qualifying purchases. Prices are shown on the retailer's site.

Edge-sweeping side brush, 3-pack — e, i & j series

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Swap the side brush when the arms look bent or stop touching the floor; a coin loosens the screw.

Check price on Amazon ↗

Sources

Verification

COMMUNITY-VERIFIED

Last verified: 2026-07-05 · How we verify a fault code

Corrections

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