By James Kelly
UPDATE: 2026/03/23
This story has been updated with additional information about lifting mid-engine cars.
The only things that make us cringe more than a bad joke are videos of cars falling off vehicle lifts at shops and dealerships. You would think the people working on these cars regularly would know what they’re doing, and most of the time they do, but small errors and unexpected accidents occur more often than they should.
Recently, a 2024 Corvette Z06 fell off a lift at a dealership, sending Corvette fans into a tizzy. We have some unfortunate news, however. This is far from the last time this sort of accident will happen with any performance car, and here’s why.
It Happened Before, It'll Happen Again
Cars fall off the lift because of an improper weight balance. All modern automobiles have manufacturer-recommended support points for using a car jack or putting the vehicle on a lift. The jack points of a car are determined by structural points and by where the arms of a lift need to be to achieve a balanced weight distribution. It seems this situation is the problem in the latest case of raining C8s. In some cases, the support arms aren’t placed where they should be, and mechanics aren’t taking the time to double-check the location points with the manual or other diagrams.
It's vital to lift a vehicle by the recommended support points. Automakers specifically reinforce these spots so that they can handle a vehicle's weight without causing any damage. If you try to lift a vehicle from the wrong area, it can cause significant damage to the body or to the platform by putting too much stress on the pieces.
Two years ago, there was a video on YouTube of a red C8 Z06 falling off the lift at a dealership. Notice how the arm towards the rear tire was not placed far enough over to balance the car on the lift. Sure enough, the car teetered back and fell to the floor, damaging all the fiberglass body panels in the process. Over the years since the C8’s debut in 2020, we’ve kept tabs on the mishaps that have occurred with the first mid-engine Corvette.
It's Not Just a C8 Corvette Thing
Don’t think it’s just new Corvettes that are constantly falling. There are loads of cases of expensive performance cars crashing back to Earth after being hoisted in the air improperly or crashing off of transporters. Here are some of our favorites for you to watch and feel better about your day:
National Corvette Museum Sinkhole
National Corvette Museum
The most Corvettes to fall at the same time, however, happened at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. And no, it wasn’t because they were all in for service at the same time and being worked on by incompetent mechanics. The incident was a bit more biblical than that. A sinkhole underneath one of the museum’s wings opened up, swallowing eight cars in the process. Some are still left on display as they were pulled from the dirt, but a few were restored with help from General Motors. It's sad enough to make you shed a tear.
Sources: Facebook
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
