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An Australian man has gone to new heights to stop his car being stolen, using a forklift to suspend the vehicle - and the alleged thief - in the air.

Police say a woman had broken into the man's home in Logan, west of Brisbane, showering and changing clothes before attempting to steal the car.

She was about to make her getaway when Brendan Mills and his family came home.

"It all unfolded in front of us so fast," Mr Mills told local breakfast show, Sunrise.

He saw the car door shut and the vehicle begin rolling and jumped into action.

"I asked them many times get out of the car: 'We're home, you're busted. Get out the car, you know it's over'," he said.

"(But) they didn't want to get out."

"I said 'Well ok, you want to play it that way, I've got an alternative option here'."

Mr Mills had a forklift handy as he works with cars, and using it was the only way he could think to safely stop the woman driving away.

"My family were standing by watching the whole thing unfold, so you can't do anything too silly," he said.

"You had this immense amount of adrenaline running through the system, lots of thoughts cross your mind... I just went, 'Well, there's a forklift sitting there - why not?'"

Police arrived shortly after to find the car still suspended in the air. It was slowly lowered, and the woman arrested.

She has been charged with burglary and unlawful use of a motor vehicle and will face court next month.