Man standing under lifted car.

Providing low-cost car
repairs for the community

The Lift Garage is a nonprofit aimed to move people out of poverty and homelessness by providing low-cost car repair, free pre-purchase inspections, and honest advice that supports our community on the road to more secure lives.

Read More About Our Mission
Man working with oil in garage.

Walk In Express Services On Fridays

On Fridays from 10:00am to noon we offer walk-in express services for our customers. During this service we can check and top fluids, replace exterior bulbs, replace wiper blades and test your battery.

About Express Services

Downloadable Calendar

As the new year approaches you might be in the market for a new calendar? If so, we’ve got you covered!

Download the Calendar

Our Services

Man inspecting inside hood of car.

Inspections & Repairs

We provide free inspections (by appointment only!) focused on the safety and drivability issues with the car. After the inspection, we will write an estimate for the low-cost car repairs that we can offer.

Lift Garage Van

Mobile Van Inspections

Our mobile van does pre-inspections for broken down vehicles within the Twin Cities metro area. Our goal is to help inform the customer if the car is worth towing to the shop for the full inspection – if we can’t help fix the car, we don’t want the customer to pay for the towing!

Man and woman inspecting car in a garage.

Pre-Purchase Inspections

Searching for a used car isn’t easy – so we offer free pre-purchase inspections. We will alert the customer of any repairs that are needed so they can make the best possible purchase.

Our Impact

2021 Fiscal Year

731

Customers at The Lift pay $15/hour for labor and parts are sold at cost. Repairs at The Lift typically cost about half of what they would cost at a for-market shop.

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Sometimes we cannot help fix a vehicle and we have to give the customer honest advice about the investment in their car. When we can’t help fix a vehicle, we work hard to connect the customer to other important resources.

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This is a quick and important inspection for customers who are shopping for a different used car. We want to help inform the customer about any repair needs so they can make an informed purchase!

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Free, on-site inspections for vehicles that need a tow to the shop! We want to make sure we can help fix the car before a customer pays to have it towed to the shop.

Cars on jacks elevated in a garage.

Why Low-Cost Car Repairs Matter

Recently Samera had a $300 repair bill at The Lift. She maxed out credit card after credit card in order to make her payment. It ultimately took her six separate credit cards to make her $300 car repair payment. If Samera had been at a traditional shop her bill would have been closer to $1,200. While her repair at The Lift was still costly, she was able to invest those savings into more needed items like rent, groceries, and possibly child care.

Cathy teaching a Lift Garage customer underneath her vehicle.

We are changing the world one car at a time – join us!


At The Lift, car repair is a vehicle for repairing lives! With your gifts, we are able to create more secure lives for low-income Minnesotans through low-cost car repair.