You open the door and the milk near the front is cool, but the middle shelf feels close to room temperature. The dial says cold. The compressor seems to run all day and never settle. This walk-through is for that problem: the cabinet is not holding its set temperature, and you need to know whether the cause is simple or whether the cooling system itself is struggling.
Start with a thermometer log
Put a food thermometer or a plain appliance thermometer in a glass of water on the middle shelf. Close the door and leave it alone for a full day. Read it in the morning and again at night. Write both readings down next to the dial setting you used.
A reading that rises above what you expect, with the dial set normally, tells you the cabinet is losing cold. A reading that is fine in the middle but warm near the door points to the seal or to a door that does not close fully.
Check the door seal
Close the door on a sheet of paper so it sits half in and half out. Pull gently. If the paper slides out with no resistance at a spot, the gasket is not making contact there. Run the test all the way around the frame: top, bottom, and both sides. Mark each spot that feels loose.
Look at the gasket for cracks, flattened sections, or grime that keeps it from sitting flat against the frame. Clean it with mild soap and water and dry it fully. Many temperature complaints end here.
Check the airflow inside
Cold air moves through the cabinet only when the vents are clear. Look at the back wall of the fresh food section for the vent cover. If food is packed against it, pull the items forward. Load the shelves loosely enough that air can move between them. A crowded cabinet creates warm pockets that the thermometer will catch.
Also look at the freezer. Heavy frost on the back wall or a frosted vent cover often points to an airflow or defrost issue. Note what you see. It is a log entry, and it helps the technician if you need one.
Check where the cabinet sits
A refrigerator placed beside an oven, a dishwasher, a sunny window, or in an unheated garage works harder than one in a mild room. Write down the room conditions near the cabinet. If it struggles only in hot weather or only in cold weather, the location is part of the answer.
Clean the coils, then stop and log
Find the condenser coils, usually behind a lower grille or along the back. A layer of dust slows heat release. With the unit unplugged, clear the coils gently with a soft brush and a vacuum. Do not open or work on the sealed system. Refrigerant work belongs to a qualified technician.
Decide what the log tells you
You now have a thermometer log, a seal check, an airflow check, and a room note. If the cabinet holds temperature after the seal and airflow fixes, the problem is closed. If readings stay high with the dial set normally, the cooling system is the likely cause, and that is a question for a technician rather than a repair you attempt yourself.
Before the food decision, sort what has been warm. Perishable items that have sat above cold for a long stretch should be discarded. If you are unsure about a particular item, ask your local food safety office rather than guessing.
Before you call anyone, gather the install year if you can find it on the data plate inside the cabinet, the model number, and the point at which you first noticed the problem. Ask the technician what the repair involves and how it compares with replacement at the age you have. Ask what your written terms say about parts, labor, and whether any service plan you hold covers this part. Read the paper. Do not rely on what was said at the counter.
Plan the replacement window
Compare the install year with the typical service life for this appliance. The appliances ranked by typical service life page on this site lists the major appliances and shows how to turn an install year into a planning window. Use that window to decide whether a repair is worth the time, or whether the next purchase should happen on your schedule rather than the cabinet's.
Age is a planning input. A cabinet near the end of its typical life is not failing because of its age alone. It is telling you to start the replacement conversation while you still have a choice in the matter.