Fix it
Garage door off track
A door comes off its track when something changes the geometry: a car has clipped it, a cable has come off a drum, a roller has failed, or a spring has broken and dropped one side. The door is now held up by less than it was designed to be, and forcing the opener will bend the track and the panels.
Do this first
Stop using the opener. Do not try to lever it back on. If a car is trapped, pull the emergency release and see whether the door can be lifted by two people — if it is jammed or crooked, leave it.
Before you touch anything
Never change your own springs
A torsion spring on a double garage door holds enough stored energy to break an arm, take out teeth, or worse. It is wound under tension with two steel bars, and if one slips it goes at the speed of the thing it was holding up. People are seriously injured doing this every year, and some are killed. There is no YouTube video that makes this safe, and the part costs less than the emergency room.
0 of 3 are yours to fix
What it usually turns out to be
| Cause | How to tell | What happens next | Yours? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A vehicle knocked it | There is a dented panel or a bowed track at car-bumper height. | The track is straightened or replaced and the door reset in the opening. A dented bottom panel is often replaced at the same time. | Call somebody |
| A lift cable came off the drum | One side hangs lower than the other and there is slack cable beside the track. | The door is supported, the tension is unwound, the cable is re-seated and the drums are re-set together. | Call somebody |
| A roller failed | Grinding or squealing for weeks beforehand, and one roller is missing or flat. | Rollers are replaced as a set of ten — one worn one means the rest are the same age. | Call somebody |
What it costs
$175 – $400
For an off-track reset and inspection. National guide range, checked September 2026 — get it in writing.
Exact price
Want somebody to look at it?
The range above is a guide. Tell us what you need and somebody who works your area will price it properly.
If the door will not move and a car is stuck behind it, do not wait on a form — leave the door where it is and ring somebody. Do not pull on the spring or the cable.
Your details are used to quote this job and nothing else.
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