Today marked the third time my spouse has lost their battle with the garage door opener.
We have historically been used to a smaller car. But upgrading to a new EV crossover (a year ago) has brought with it its own challenges.
The first time it happened, the lift gate was up when the door button was pressed. Minor scratch to the plastic covering the light bar.
The second time, a few months ago, a scratch in the back metal that is somewhat noticeable. They said they were tired after a long day and the washer door was open so it seemed like they needed more space and weren’t thinking enough when they closed it.
The third time, tonight, they were also tired. No washer this time. Noticeable small dent in the metal panel accompanied with a scratch that went thru to the metal underneath.
I have gone ahead and finished putting up the tennis ball on a string as a guide. I started the idea after incident #2 but procrastinated on putting it up as I thought that was the end of it. I learned we needed it.
I have let them know that accidents can happen, but that they can be responsible for getting it fixed. It’s ok. We just need to keep this car now until it dies.
One strategy that worked with my spouse since it was also new for them is to temporarily shift into reverse before shifting into park. The back up camera let’s them visually confirm that they have made it far enough into the garage. You can even place tape down for them to indicate off of.
I back my vehicle into parking spaces almost exclusively so it was natural for me, but it did take them some getting used to. Now we have no issues and they’re confident each time.
I do this every time now. I can see the end of the garage and know not to reverse my rear bumper past it. Definitely recommend