No. A garage door that is off track is not safe to use. Stop the opener, keep people, pets and cars out from under the door, and do not push the rollers back by force. An off-track door can be heavy, uneven and unstable, and the springs and cables may still be under tension. A technician should reset it and test it.
Is it safe to use a garage door that is off track?
Clopay, a major door maker, says that if your garage door is off track you should stop operating it immediately and contact a trained technician. The reason is simple: the tracks are what guide and hold the door. Once a roller leaves the track, the door has lost part of its support.
The door may jam, hang crooked, or drop suddenly. Running the opener makes it worse: the motor keeps pulling on a door that cannot move straight, which can bend the tracks further and strain the opener.
Keep children, pets and vehicles out of the door's path until a technician has reset it. A door that looks stuck can still fall.
How do I know if my garage door is off track?
Most off-track doors are easy to spot. Look from a safe distance, not from under the door.
- One or more rollers sit outside the track, or the track looks bent or pulled away from the wall
- The door hangs crooked, with one side lower than the other
- There is a gap between the door and the frame that was not there before
- The door jams, stops partway or will not move at all
- You hear loud screeching or grinding while the door still works, which can mean the track is out of line and the door may leave it soon
- The opener strains, hums or runs without moving the door
Any of these means the door needs a look before the next use. If a car or something heavy hit the door, assume the track is damaged.
What should I do right now?
Stop pressing the button
Do not run the opener or the remote again. Tell everyone in the house not to use the door.
Keep clear
Stay out from under the door and keep pets and vehicles away. If the door is partly open, do not walk or park under it.
Make the opener safe
If you can reach the plug or the circuit breaker without going under the door, switch the opener off so no one runs it by accident. Do not pull the release handle on a door that is partly open and crooked, because it can drop.
Take photos from the side
Photos of the rollers, tracks and damage help a technician plan the visit.
Call a technician
Describe what you see, whether the door is open or closed, and whether anything hit it.
Can I get my garage door back on track myself?
Clopay says not to force the door or try the repair yourself, because that can cause further damage or even lead to injury. DASMA, the door industry association, adds that bottom brackets are under extreme tension and only a trained door systems technician should adjust or loosen them.
Safe to do
- Stop using the door and the opener
- Keep people, pets and cars clear
- Take photos from a safe distance
- Check that nothing is stuck in the track, only if the door is fully down and stable
Leave to a technician
- Pushing or hammering rollers back into the track
- Loosening track brackets with the door in the air
- Touching springs, cables or the bottom brackets
- Running the opener to see if it will move
What makes a garage door come off track?
Common causes are an impact from a car or object, something caught in the track, a bent or loose track, worn rollers, and a broken or slack cable. Clopay lists obstructions, bent tracks and worn rollers among the reasons a door gets stuck.
That is why the fix is rarely just pushing a roller back. If the cause is not corrected, the door comes off again. See bent or misaligned tracks for how tracks go out of line.
What does a technician do, and what does it cost?
A technician secures the door first, checks the tracks, rollers, hinges, cables and springs, repairs or replaces what is damaged, and resets the rollers. The balance and the opener's safety reversal are tested before the door goes back into use.
Our typical price for off-track door repair is $175 to $450. It depends on bent tracks, damaged panels or rollers, and the final price is confirmed after we see the door and before we start. For more on what drives the price, see off-track repair cost and our garage door repair page.
Get it reset safely
Emil Garage Doors repairs garage doors, tracks, cables and openers in Southern California, and our city pages cover California, for example Calexico, American Canyon and Camarillo. Call (213) 340-4232 or send the estimate form with your photos, and we will tell you what the repair involves.
Questions people ask
What should I do when my garage door is off track?
Stop using the door and the opener, keep people and pets clear, and call a technician. Do not force the rollers back or touch the springs and cables.
Is it safe to use a garage door that is off track?
No. The tracks guide and support the door, and an off-track door can jam, hang crooked or fall. Running the opener can also bend the tracks further.
How do I know if my garage door is off track?
Look for rollers outside the track, a crooked door, a new gap between the door and the frame, grinding or screeching, or an opener that strains without moving the door.
Can I get my garage door back on track myself?
We do not recommend it. Door makers say not to force the door or attempt the repair yourself, because the door is heavy and the springs, cables and bottom brackets are under tension.
Our related services
City pages near you
We repair and install in these cities. Each page has local notes, prices and reviews.
Read next
Sources
- Clopay: why garage doors get stuck, causes and fixes (off-track door, sensors, bent tracks, springs)
- Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA): garage door safety tips (springs, cables, brackets, tracks)
- Plano Overhead Door: common garage door mishaps and emergencies (off-track and bent doors)