LOVE MY CAR BUT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL WINDOW REGULATORS AT LEAST ONE TIME.
This is a known problem with VWs of that era.
Do you have a question in regard to that situation?
Yes! Do you have any suggestions as what else I can do? I have always carried my bug to the dealer and they gladly fix the problem and I pay for these outrageous charges. They(VW) say that there should have been a recall for my particular year but now nothing can be done. These regulators and the labor have probably costed me from 2 to 3000 dollars. The first window that I had repaired has now messed up again. I probably will sell the car because this window thing seems to be an endless cycle for me. Any suggestions?
This is such a wide-spread problem with VWs of that era that I would be surprised if a maker of aftermarket parts had not begun manufacturing these parts.
I would suggest that you visit an auto glass shop, and inquire about their fees for replacing a window regulator on your car. Even if they have to use an OEM VW part, it will still likely cost you less than if the job was done by the VW dealer.
@05vwmess: Not that it’s any consolation to you but VW window mechanisms have been good money maker for us for years now. If you have a Beetle/Jetta it seems the question is not if your window will need repair but when and how often. I’d suggest finding a local import/Euro specialist shop and talking to them. There are sources for parts other than VW and they seem to last longer–which is no surprise. I’m not sure what you’re paying at the dealer but an independent shop should cost you less.
Other than that, try to roll your windows down as little as possible…!
@VDCdriver: There are a number of aftermarket suppliers for VW regulators. Dorman is one of them, another brand that escapes my mind is out there too. I’ve had good luck with Dorman. Just last week replaced a driver’s regulator on a New Beetle. There’s a shop in the area that only services German makes, he started keeping VW regulators in stock, customer calls and says he has a stuck window, he can come in and get it fixed in an hour while he waits. Good business.
I also had success with Dorman. Their premium line seems to fit better than the less expensive version. @05vwmess, this is typically an easy job and you only need common tools. I’m an amateur mechanic, and did this several times on my 1998 Regal. You could ask a friend to help if you like.
@jtsanders, This might be more than the average weekender will want to tackle at home. The Beetles require drilling out and replacing rivets to move the speaker from the old inner door panel/regulator assy to the new one. Door release cable and lock plunger also travel through the same. There’s also a non-reusable plastic bracket that attaches the panel/regulator to the door latch mechanism that’s tricky if you’ve never done one.
The sunroofs are fun too…
Frustrating problem. $3,000 to keep the windows working is sort of out of bounds in my opinion. Esp in a car this new. I have two cars, one 40 years old, one 20 years old, both w/manual windows, and had only one window problem between the two in all those years. In the 40 year old one, a screw fell out of the driver side mechanism. I opened the door panel, screwed it back in, lubed everything, replaced the door panel, and it has worked like new since.
But you like this car of yours otherwise, so … hmmmm … As a compromise to rebuilding all the window parts with a different – presumably more robust – brand as suggested above, maybe just have this fixed at an independent shop using VW or VW compatible parts instead of using the dealer. Unless the problem needing fixing is under warranty, you’ll usually get more bang for your buck at an inde shop. Choose one with good recommendations that specialize in VW or at least German cars. Also be sure to Google “VW Beetle window regulator problems”, see if anyone has posted some suggestions in one of those links. Also it might make sense to proactively clean and lube the door mechanisms once a year.
Power window regulator replacements are one of the most common automotive repairs
Not just on VW, but on plenty of other brands, also
“Power window regulator replacements are one of the most common automotive repairs. Not just on VW, but on plenty of other brands, also”
I don’t doubt what you say, but I have to say that I have never had any problems whatsoever with the power windows on any of my cars, including a Taurus, an Accord, and 3 Outbacks, and that includes up to 10 years of use on some of them. Am I just unusually lucky?
Seems like in the “old” days the electric motor would give up, we’d replace the motor and the regulator would be fine. Lately more often than not it’s the regulator that comes apart.
I see window mechanisms fail on all makes. Last week I had a Beetle and an Accord for driver’s regulators. Personally, I don’t remember all of my own cars but I know I had a Crown Vic that went through all 4 regulators. My Town Car needs a rear one.
Apparently I am unusually lucky!
;-))
You are pretty lucky, although some cars are more likely to need regulator replacement than others
When I was working at the Benz dealer, there were “a few” models which definitely had issues with window regulators. The question was not if it would fail, but when, and how often.
I even replaced the driver’s regulator in my 1995 Corolla, but I only did it one time.
I suspect I’m not replacing that many window regulators at work now, because most of the fleet vehicles are trucks with manual windows . . . LOL
Let me be more precise . . . window regulator replacements are one of the most common automotive repairs, along with starters, water pumps and batteries, for example.
Meaning that the typical mechanic will replace many of those components over the years.