I Am A Mechanic Professionally, And I Definitely Did Not Lift My Toyota Highlander 100% Safely, And Now I'm Paying For It ―Possibly With His Life With This Forum Advice

Even professional mechanics occasionally make a mistake that could have been avoided, as shown in a recent Reddit r/MechanicAdvice forum post in which the OP asked for helpful recommendations on how to remove his car from a malfunctioning lift.

According to the post:

The post images reveal that the car lift shown is a BendPak Mid-Rise Frame Lift Portable scissor-style car lift similar to the MD-6XP model, which is rated for up to 6,000 pounds. The vehicle shown appears to be a 2017 Toyota Highlander that weighs 4,165 to 4,665 pounds.

Related article: An Affordable Car Lift Solution for Your Home Garage

The difficulty of this problem is that it involves:

1. The lift's safety locking mechanism will not release his car, which rests on the malfunctioning lift.
2. The mechanic admittedly used the lift improperly, stating, "…the lift puck, it's pretty bad. If I didn't install it completely wrong, I wouldn't be so worried about it, but it's literally sitting on a tiny sliver of the pinch weld, and it's at an angle as well."
3. The OP justifiably worries that the car will slip off the lift and cause damage.
4. The OP hears "scary sounds" while attempting to lift the jack/car.
5. The OP is considering some sketchy fix advice.
6. You can see vise grips being used on the lift support; Vice grips are never a good sign in any repair.
7. The source of the lift is used equipment previously owned and gifted to the mechanic, who states he has not used it for quite a while.

What the Real Problem Is

However, the biggest problem is that the OP is obviously stressed and admits he is considering some unsafe measures, such as:

In other words, the OP really needs to do four of the most important things any mechanic can do when a repair is going wrong:

1. Stop.
2. Step Back.
3. Reassess the Situation.
4. Find Help.

From the comments following the original post, the mechanic is looking for an easy DIY tip to get the job done quickly and make his problem disappear. Which is understandable.

However, the bigger problem is avoiding getting hurt while trying to "find" a way to unlock the lift support from the car so that he can then raise the vehicle higher and support on multiple jack stands.

Related article: "Body of Car Fell Through Jack" ―Don't Make This Common DIY Mistake, Warning

Useful And Not So Useful Thread Comments

Several of the thread comments are correct: Yes, raising the car and using supports is the normal procedure. However, they miss the point that the lift is locked into the vehicle's frame, which can become a hazard in itself if you try to free a suspended heavy metal object once the car and the lift are raised.

A commenter should be commended for one good suggestion: Call the local fire department and see if they could help the mechanic avoid a dangerous situation.

I do not mean any disrespect to the OP, but this sounds like a classic case of being too close to a problem and needing someone else to step in and make it right. It happens to all of us at one time or another, and a combination of being tired and frustrated is a perfect brew of a fatal accident about to happen.

Having worked as a Paramedic for years, I have found that Fire department firefighters are very skilled at vehicle-related extractions and would have the proper tools on hand and training to lift the car and cut off the locked jack safely.

Sure, it is a little embarrassing…but so is having to explain to your spouse how you lost your leg in your garage.

One Important Unmentioned Recommendation

Another recommendation is to contact the business selling the car lift. Since the problem rests on the support lock not releasing, the lift's makers would be your best bet for a solution that will release the lock safely.

As a test of this, I sent a request to the maker of the car lift for their advice on the best way to proceed. The company was kind enough to respond promptly and had this to say:

"Thank you for reaching out; it is always advisable to contact the OEM.

With the cylinder failing in such a bad position (vehicle improperly loaded) we cannot condone any repairs that would require you to get under the vehicle. At this point, the best recommendation would be to raise and support the vehicle using jack stands and a floor jack.

This process should be fairly straightforward for those with the required skills and ability to do this job. If at any time you are unsure or insecure, please reach out to one of our many authorized service centers at the link below. They have the skills and training to get you out of almost any lift-related situation.

https://www.bendpak.com/support/locator/disclaimer/locator

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to call a specialist at 805-933-9970

Thank you for trusting BendPak."

The Final Outcome of This Saga

A return to the Reddit site forum this morning revealed that the OP was finally successful at lowering his Highlander with the comment:

"Made an update post! Highlander is now a Lowlander!"

Unfortunately, he did not elaborate on precisely what it took to do it.

The best guess is that he eventually got some large floor jacks and jack stands to safely lift and support the vehicle and car lift together. He might have followed this by using a transmission jack beneath the car lift to support it while cutting through the lock with a grinder.

One important point to note is that many comments mentioned using lumber with a jack to gradually raise the vehicle, which is sometimes referred to as "cribbing."

Yes, this will work; however, it is typically done wrong in most cases. And what I mean by wrong is that it was done unsafely. In other words, you should never just stack a bunch of 2x4's or 4x4's as a spacer support to raise a vehicle. This is unsteady and, thereby, unsafe.

One especially useful post from the thread offers this advice and a link to see how a firefighter properly does it.

Basic Box Cribbing

If you have any useful advice that this article or the commenters missed, please be sure to leave a useful comment related to a similar situation you have experienced and/or one that would help others faced with this problem.

For additional articles related to car jacks and jack stands, here are a few for your consideration:

1. The Deadliest Jack Stands Car Owners Should Avoid
2. Best Floor Jack Comparison Tests Reveal Which Harbor Freight Jack to Buy and Which to Probably Avoid
3. Cheap Jackstands Pitted Against Expensive Ones

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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