Garage door closes partway then reverses
This is almost always a safety sensor misalignment or obstruction. Repair costs $125 to $300 and takes 30 to 45 minutes. Safe to operate: Yes.
Check this first — it may cost you nothing
Check both sensor brackets about six inches off the floor. A steady light on both means aligned; a blinking or dark light means misaligned. Wipe both lenses first — that fixes it more often than not.
Why this happens
A door that starts closing then goes back up is usually the photo-eye sensors near the floor being knocked out of alignment, or a lens that has collected dust. The opener reads the broken beam as an obstruction and reverses, which is the safety system working correctly.
The usual culprit. If either sensor's light is out or flickering, the door will refuse to stay closed — and re-aiming the tilted one costs nothing.
Less likely, but possible
- Close-force setting too low on the opener, so it reads normal friction as an obstruction
- Debris or a warped section binding in the track near the floor
- A failed sensor after water exposure, which needs replacing rather than realigning
What happens if I ignore it?
Nothing gets worse mechanically, which is why this is the one symptom you can safely leave until morning. The real cost is a garage that will not stay closed overnight.
The repair: safety sensor repair
Garage door safety sensor repair costs $125 to $300, but a door that reverses on closing is most often solved for free by wiping the lenses and realigning the brackets — a five-minute fix that needs no tools.
Read the full safety sensor repair guide →Get a tech dispatched
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