Urgent repair
Garage Door Damaged by a Vehicle
It happens constantly and it is almost never just the panel. The impact travels into the tracks, the rollers and sometimes the opener.
Quick answer
Garage Door Damaged by a Vehicle: what you need to know
Vehicle impact is one of the most common causes of major garage door damage. Damage occurs either from reversing into a closed door or from driving into a door that has not finished opening, the latter being more common on short or steep driveways. Impact damage is rarely limited to the visible panel: the force typically bends the tracks, flat-spots or dislodges rollers, distorts hinges and can strip the opener drive gear if the door was in motion. Repair options depend on the door type. On a sectional or panel lift door an individual damaged panel can often be replaced if the profile and colour remain available. On a roller door a creased curtain generally cannot be straightened and the curtain is replaced. Vehicle damage to a garage door is frequently claimable under home and contents or motor vehicle insurance, and Doormec provides itemised quotes suitable for insurers. Doormec handles vehicle-damaged doors across the Illawarra, Wollongong and South Coast with 24-hour emergency callout on 0490 774 111.
This is one we treat as a priority callout. If the door is stuck open, a vehicle is trapped, or the property is not secure, ring 0490 774 111 and say so when you call.
Signs
How you know this is the problem
- A visibly creased, dented or bowed panel or curtain
- The door will not travel, or binds and grinds part-way
- A track visibly bent, kinked or pulled away from the wall
- The door has come out of the tracks entirely on one side
- The opener runs but the door does not move, indicating a stripped drive gear
Causes
Why it happens
Reversing into a closed door, most often at night or in rain
Driving into a door still opening, common on short steep driveways in Mount Pleasant, Figtree and Kiama
Trailers, roof racks and roof boxes catching the door header
Bikes, bins and equipment left in the door path
Our process
How Doormec repairs it
- 01
Make safe first
On an emergency callout the first job is getting the opening secured, even if the permanent repair has to wait for parts. An unsecured garage is a security and safety problem.
- 02
Assess the full damage path
We check the panel or curtain, both tracks, all rollers and hinges, the cables, the bottom bracket and the opener drive, because impact energy travels well beyond the dent.
- 03
Itemised repair or replace quote
You get a written, itemised quote suitable for an insurer, covering both the repair option and the replacement option where both are viable.
- 04
Complete the repair
Panels, curtains, tracks and hardware are replaced, then the door is rebalanced and the opener recommissioned and safety tested.
Answers
Garage Door Damaged by a Vehicle questions
Will insurance cover a garage door hit by a car?
It often does, but which policy depends on the circumstances. Damage you cause to your own door is usually assessed under home and contents as accidental damage. Damage caused by someone else driving into it typically falls under their motor vehicle policy. Damage from a storm or a break-in falls under different sections again. We provide itemised quotes that insurers accept, and we are happy to talk to your assessor.
Can a dented garage door panel be straightened?
A shallow dent in a flat section can sometimes be improved, but a crease across a rib has permanently lost its structural section and will not hold its shape. On sectional doors the answer is normally to replace the affected panel. On a roller door a creased curtain gets replaced, because a crease will catch every time it enters the drum.
My car hit the door while it was opening and now the motor runs but nothing moves. What happened?
Almost certainly a stripped drive gear in the opener. When the door stops suddenly under power the nylon drive gear takes the whole shock and shears its teeth. On many openers the gear is a replaceable part, which is much cheaper than a new head unit. We check whether yours is a gear kit or a replacement unit before quoting.
Related
Other repairs you might need
Garage Door Panel & Curtain Replacement
A dented door does not automatically mean a new door. On sectional doors, individual panels can very often be replaced.
Read moreGarage Door Off Track or Bent Tracks
A door off its tracks is unstable and heavy. It is not something to wrestle back into place yourself.
Read more24 Hour Emergency Garage Door Repairs
Some garage door problems can wait until Tuesday. A door stuck open, a door damaged in a break-in, or a business that cannot lock up cannot.
Read moreNeed vehicle damage repair sorted?
Ring Doormec for a straight answer on what is wrong, what it costs and how soon we can be there. Standard service call is $170 plus parts, and emergency callout runs 24 hours.