8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                        --------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) October 19, 2001

                              WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


           Delaware                      1-3932                 38-1490038
------------------------------    --------------------    ---------------------
 (State or other jurisdiction       (Commission File         (I.R.S. Employer
        of incorporation)                Number)           Identification No.)




            2000 M63 North, Benton Harbor, Michigan         49022-2692
            ----------------------------------------------------------
              (Address of principal executive officers)     (Zip Code)


                                 (616)-923-5000
               --------------------------------------------------
               Registrant's telephone number, including area code












Item 5. Other Events
        ------------

          During the week ending October 19, 2001, the Company commenced mailing
a summary of the annual report for the Whirlpool 401(k) Plan for the 2000 plan
year that ended December 31, 2000 to members of the Plan.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits
        ---------------------------------

          Copy of annual report to members of the Whirlpool Corporation 401(k)
Plan.



                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                        WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
                                        Registrant



Date: October 19, 2001                     By: /s/ Robert T. Kenagy
                                               --------------------------
                                        Name:  Robert T. Kenagy
                                        Title: Corporate Secretary

EX-99.1

Summary Annual Report for Whirlpool Corporation 401(k) Plan


This is a summary of the annual report for the Whirlpool Corporation 401(k)
Plan, EIN 38-1490038, Plan No. 001, for the period January 1, 2000 through
December 31, 2000. The annual report has been filed with the Pension and Welfare
Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, as required under the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).


BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Benefits under the plan are provided through insurance and through a trust fund.
Plan expenses were $62,078,201. These expenses included $111,350 in
administrative expenses and $61,966,851 in benefits paid to participants and
beneficiaries. A total of 28,295 persons were participants in or beneficiaries
of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had
yet earned the right to receive benefits.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was
$772,710,456 as of December 31, 2000*, compared to $863,687,683 as of January 1,
2000. During the plan year the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of
$90,977,227. This decrease includes unrealized appreciation and depreciation in
the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the
plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the
beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan
had total income of $(28,899,026) including employer contributions of
$12,420,758, employee contributions of $57,146,563, and earnings from
investments of $(98,466,347).


YOUR RIGHTS TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part
thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report:

  1. an accountant's report;
  2. financial information and information on payments to service providers;
  3. assets held for investment;
  4. insurance information, including sales commissions paid by insurance
     carriers; and
  5. information regarding any common or collective trusts, pooled separate
     accounts, master trusts or 103-12 investment entities in which the plan
     participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call
the office of Employee Services Center (ESC), Whirlpool Corporation, 2000 M-63
North Mail Drop 2900, Benton Harbor, MI 49022, (888) 539-2372 or (616) 923-2372.
The charge to cover copying costs will be $5.00 for the full annual report, or
25 cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and
at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and
accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and
accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report
from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be
included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above
does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report
because these portions are furnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the
main office of the plan (Whirlpool Corporation, 2000 M-63 North Mail Drop 2900,
Benton Harbor, MI 49022) and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington,
D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of
copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public
Disclosure Room, Room N-5638, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.

* Note: Due to year year-end market fluctuations, there was a decrease in plan
  value. There continues to be enough funding in the plan to provide benefits to
  all participants.