A garage door that's visibly crooked, stuck halfway, or clearly sitting outside its tracks is one of the more alarming things a homeowner can walk out to. It's also one of the least DIY-friendly issues, since a misaligned door is usually still under spring tension even while it's stuck.
What usually causes it
- A broken cable or spring suddenly changing the balance of the door
- A roller wearing out or breaking, letting that corner of the door drop out of the track
- The track itself being bent — often from an impact (a car, a ladder, storm debris)
- Loose track brackets that have shifted over years of vibration
Repair vs. replacement for track issues
A single bent section of track, caught early, is often a straightforward and inexpensive repair — usually in the $200–$500 range. But if the track damage happened alongside broken rollers, a damaged panel, or a door that was already older, the individual repairs start to add up fast, and it's worth pricing a full replacement before greenlighting several separate fixes.
How to decide
If this is an isolated, first-time issue on a newer door, a track repair alone usually makes sense. If it's the second issue this year, or the door is already 15+ years old, get both a repair quote and a replacement price before deciding — see our full repair cost vs. replace breakdown for the math.
Our wizard gives you an exact installed price for a new Hörmann door in about two minutes, with a free on-site inspection to confirm before anything is scheduled.