Easy DIY treadmill repairs

A home treadmill lets you get your exercise without a trip to a gym. But if that treadmill stops working, waiting for a service technician to fix it could throw your exercise routine off its stride. Luckily, there are some common repairs you can handle yourself.

Treadmill doesn't go at the right speed

When you set the speed on the control panel settings, the motor controller tells the motor how fast or slow it should go. If the treadmill doesn’t seem to be moving at the speed you set, the most likely cause is the motor controller.  It's an easy component to replace, and the job takes about 15 minutes following the steps in our repair guide How to replace a treadmill motor controller.

Treadmill drive motor isn't working

The drive motor on a treadmill rotates to turn the walking belt. If it stops working, the treadmill won't move. While replacing the motor might sound a bit intimidating, it's actually a very easy repair. Our repair guide How to replace a treadmill drive motor gives detailed instructions on how to fix this problem yourself.

Treadmill slows down or feels unstable

The walking belt is the surface your feet touch as you walk or run on a treadmill. The walking board supports the walking belt, providing a smooth and stable surface.

If either the belt or the board becomes worn or warped, the belt slows or rubs against the board. You usually can tell if the board or the belt is the problem just by looking at them, and both are easy DIY repairs.

Find instructions for replacing the walking belt in our DIY repair guide How to replace a treadmill walking belt. If the walking board needs to be replaced, find out how to do it in our repair guide How to replace a treadmill walking board.

For more treadmill troubleshooting tips and advice, see our DIY treadmill repair section.