What to Do If You Crash Your Car Into Your Garage Door

It can happen in the middle of winter when you hit a patch of ice as you approach pull into the driveway. It can happen in the middle of summer when your car lurches as your garage door opens.

It can happen.

The important thing is what to do after you hit your garage door with your car. Even if it seems like there’s not much damage to your door, it can be worse than it looks. And if your car has somehow connected to the door, moving it can cause more damage to the door and your car.

Steps to Take After Hitting Garage Door With Car

You can use the following steps as quick guidelines for what to do if you ever drive into your door. Of course, you should always check to make sure you and any passengers are OK before doing anything else.

1. Assess the Damage on the Inside and Outside of the Door

Whether you run into the door from inside or outside the garage, damage can happen on both sides.

Whether outside or inside, check for damage to the door panels and look for spaces between each panel and between the door and the door frame along the top, bottom and both sides of the door.

Because more of the working parts of the door are inside, that’s where you might find more damage.

You should check the rollers and tracks along which the door runs when opening and closing, the extension springs, cables and pulleys that help balance the door, and the door hinges that connect the panels together.

2. Check Your Car & Where it is in Contact with The Door

Especially for a collision on the inside of the door, check to make sure the car isn’t hooked to a cable of hinge that can make the damage worse if you move the car. Whether the crash happened inside or out, and if the car isn’t somehow hooked to the door, move it away from the door very slowly at first to make sure you’re not damaging the door by doing so.

3. Try to Operate the Door

If by all appearances things look okay with the door, test it to see if it still works. Stand well away from the door and operate the opener with the remote control. If you hear or see anything unusual, stop the test.

If you find anything wrong with your door after a crash, it’s best to get a professional garage door repair person to take a look. Fixing a garage door can be a dangerous job. If you need any repairs or maintenance for your garage door, whether its from an accident or it’s just time to do it, give us a call at 905-665-8668. We’ll have your door back to normal as quickly as possible.