The Lift Garage is a 501(c)(3) 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.
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Your support helps us show up for our customers as the only full-service, low-cost car repair shop in Minnesota.
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Our Group Car Care Class is a private class that equips your group with the know-how to feel more confident on the road and under the hood, so we’re all safer on the roads.
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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.
We provide free mobile van inspections for vehicles that are not currently running or would need to be towed into our shop for an appointment. 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!
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.
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Appointments
Customers at The Lift pay $25/hour for labor and parts are sold at a 7.5% markup. Repairs at The Lift typically cost about half of what they would cost at a for-market shop.
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Inspections
Our inspections are free to The Lift Garage customers and focus 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.
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Customer Savings
In order to keep costs affordable for our customers, customer payments cover a portion of the actual cost of car repairs and operating The Lift Garage. We rely on the generosity of donors to help keep us running!
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Complimentary Rides
Instead of waiting for their vehicle to be inspected or repaired, customers receive a complimentary ride to where they need to go next.
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.
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.