Short answer: no, not safely. The springs carry most of the door's weight. With a broken spring, the door is much heavier than it feels when it's working, and it can drop suddenly. Don't run the opener, don't lift it by hand, and don't pull the emergency release if the door is open. Keep people and pets clear and have a technician replace the spring.
Why a door with a broken spring is dangerous
A garage door is balanced by its springs. When they work, the door feels light. You can lift a working door with one hand, and the opener only has to guide it. That's not because the door is light. It's because the springs are doing the heavy lifting.
When a spring breaks, that balance is gone:
- The door's full weight is back. Lifting it by hand means holding up all of that weight, and if you lose your grip it comes down hard.
- The door can fall. If it's open, whatever was holding it (a weakened spring system, the opener, or friction in the track) can give way.
- Cables and brackets can still be under tension. A broken spring doesn't always release all the stored energy. Cables, drums, and bottom brackets can still be loaded.
- Parts can fail unevenly. On a two-spring door, one side may drop faster than the other, twisting the door off its track.
Angi's Raleigh spring replacement guide says it plainly: don't open the door manually if a spring is broken.
Don't use the opener, either
It's tempting to keep pressing the button. Please don't. Openers aren't built to lift an unbalanced door. With a broken spring, the opener may:
- Strain, hum, and lift the door only a few inches before stopping or reversing
- Strip its drive gear or burn out the motor
- Bend the top panel or the door arm
- Yank a crooked door off its track
Unplug the opener if you can reach the plug without standing under the door, so nobody triggers it by accident.
What about the red emergency-release cord?
The emergency release disconnects the door from the opener so you can move it by hand, say during a power outage. With a working spring that's fine. With a broken spring:
- If the door is open, pulling the cord removes what may be the only thing holding the door up. Don't do it.
- If the door is closed, the cord won't help. You'd still be trying to lift the door's full weight by hand.
"My car is stuck inside." What now?
This is the most common reason people are tempted to force the door. Safer options:
- Request help and choose "ASAP." Mention that your car is trapped. Same-day visits are often possible, depending on the company's schedule and the time of day.
- Arrange another way to get where you need to go for a few hours: a ride, a rideshare, or a borrowed car.
- If the door is already stuck open, don't walk or park under it. Lock the door between the garage and the house, and tell the company it's open.
- Leave the "quick fixes" alone. Clamping the track, propping the door with lumber, or getting several people to lift it are ways people get hurt.
A technician can replace the spring, or at least secure the door, far more safely than a homeowner can.
What the technician will do
- Confirm which spring broke and check the cables, drums, and rollers
- Give you a price before work starts, including one spring vs. both
- Install new springs sized to your door and set the tension
- Balance the door and test the opener's auto-reverse feature
According to Angi, a simple spring replacement usually takes an hour or two. Typical Raleigh cost: about $246 on average, with a range of $147–$344 (Angi, Raleigh spring replacement guide, updated July 2026). More in the Raleigh garage door repair cost guide.
Not sure the spring is the problem?
Look for a gap in the coil above the door, a stretched or snapped spring along the side tracks, or a door that suddenly seems impossibly heavy. Here's how to tell if your garage door spring is broken.
Need help now? Request broken spring repair or emergency and same-day help.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the emergency release with a broken spring?
Not if the door is open. The red cord disconnects the door from the opener, and with a broken spring the opener may be the only thing holding the door up. It can fall. If the door is closed, pulling the cord won't help you lift it, because the door is still far too heavy without the spring.
Will using the opener with a broken spring damage it?
It can. Openers are designed to guide a balanced door, not lift its full weight. Running the opener with a broken spring can strip gears, burn out the motor, bend the door, or pull it off track. Unplug it until the spring is replaced.
What if only one of my two springs broke?
The door is still badly out of balance and much heavier than normal, so the same advice applies. Don't use the opener or lift the door by hand. When the technician replaces the broken spring, ask about replacing both.