Guide

What to Do When a Garage Door Comes Off Track

A crooked garage door is the house's way of saying "please stop pushing the button."

First, stop

Unplug the opener and keep people and cars away. An off-track door can fall.

Common causes

A car bumped the door or track. A lift cable snapped. Track brackets worked loose. Rollers wore out and jumped the rail.

What not to do

Don't try to pull or pry the door back into the track. If a cable broke, the spring on that side may still be loaded.

Door off its track? Request garage door help.

What a technician does

Inspects cables, springs and track, straightens or replaces bent sections, re-seats rollers, and rebalances the door.