It reverses partway with nothing there. The door is binding
The opener is hitting resistance at the same point each time. Find the cause before a roller or cable lets go completely.
What is probably happening
- A roller is worn or broken, or a hinge has cracked, and the door catches at that point in the track.
- A track is bent or out of plumb, often from a bump by a car bumper or a bin.
- The springs are weakening, so the opener is carrying more of the door than it should and hits its force limit partway.
- Lack of lubrication on rollers and hinges. Common on a door that has never been serviced.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Unplug the opener. With the door closed, pull the release and run the door by hand. Feel for the catch point and look at the rollers and hinges there.
- Look along both tracks for a dent or a gap where the track has pulled from the wall.
- Lubricate rollers, hinges and the spring with a garage door lubricant (not WD-40 as the main lube). DASMA says squeaking springs are normal and do not necessarily mean a problem.
- Reconnect and test. Then run the 2x4 reversal test.
- If it still binds, photograph the spot and call.
Do not
- Do not turn up the force to push through the bind. That is how a door bends a panel or fails the reversal test on a child.
- Do not adjust or remove the bottom brackets or bottom rollers. DASMA: bottom brackets are under spring tension and should be adjusted only by a trained technician.
- Do not hammer a bent track back into shape with the door in it.
Who to call
A garage door technician
Rollers, hinges, track and spring balance are all one visit for a door company.
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What it should cost
$5 to $400 for track work, $110 to $230 for rollers
Track repair range and roller replacement
Source: Angi, garage door repair cost, updated August 2026. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the garage doors page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- What is catching, and can you show me the worn part?
- Is the door balanced, or do the springs need replacing as well? If so, show me the balance test.
- Will you run the 1.5 inch reversal test before you leave?
End the call if
- A full rebuild quoted for one bad roller. Angi lists the rebuilding package as a common scam.
- Force turned up as the fix, with no board test.