Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-59
Both rear electric windows have failed. I put them down for outside air and was not able to get them up again. When both windows went like this and based on the number of similar reports, I must conclude that this is a manufacturing problem. When I first bought the car, used at 2 years old, I loved it. I liked the ride. I liked the many features - it was loaded. I've made a complete turn around in my thought about this make and model. I dread to know what the future holds for the repairs required.
It looks like a luxury car and sells at a luxury price - now I'm worried about performance and durability.
I am searching online for a way to fix the same thing in my 2000 LeSabre! You are the third post I've found with the same problem I am having. Guess someone was having a bad day at work, when our cars came down the line?
The passenger-side rear window of my mom's 2000 LeSabre has the same problem. I took the door apart and it appears that the wire cable loop that drives the window up and down came off the worm gear on the drive motor.
To my way of thinking, doors should be able to withstand slamming and power windows should be able to withstand being opened and closed, so any claim by the dealership of customer abuse is nonsense. This seems like a design or manufacturing problem to me.
I bought my 2000 La Saber used with 34000 miles. The 3.8 L engine gets about 30 mpg on the highway at 65 MPH. It now has 67000 miles and it has been a very good car except for the window problem. My rear driver's side window fell down, in the rain, while driving my granddaughter to school. It was determined that the plastic piece that holds the cable that moves the window up and down broke releasing the window to slide down the track. There were other cracks in the remaining plastic piece. I was told that Buick considers this normal wear and tear.
Dealer repair cost is approximately $400. The problem I encountered, as well as, reading about other similar window problems has helped in my decision to not buy another Buick.
This is the greatest car I've ever owned, but in the past year, 3 window regulators have failed - both front windows and the right rear window. Replacement has been very expensive. Has anyone heard of a recall for this problem?
I bought a 2001 Lesabre brand new. I did not buy the extended warranty, and I think we all should have. I have replaced one rear driver door pw regulator and now the switches on my two front windows don't work. Also, the other rear door regulator is shot. I also have replaced the tie rods at 45K. The car is paid for and runs great however, these are expensive repairs. I also have a leak in my front axle, over a grand to fix. Car only has 54000 miles, all put on by me.
My next car will probably be a Lexus or Toyota. At least they last.
We have a 2001 Buick LeSabre Limited with 49,000 miles and bought it new. Today,12/2/05, the left rear window went down by itself and we could not get it back up. It is cold out and supposed to snow. I have just read about this problem with many other Buick owners. The manufacture date was in Sept. 2000. We did purchase the extended warranty, but the car will be tied up at the dealer. I could not find any recall or technical service bulletins for this problem.
I bought a 2001 buick lasabre brand new off the showroom and I love the car. but I've replaced two of the window regulators and the third one just broke on the third door. I beleve that there should be some kind of a recall on this part. the part is made of plastic parts that break and disable the window.
I have owned a 2000 Le Sabre for the past 6 years and have 93,000 miles on the car. Yesterday, while in a car wash, I hit the rear electric window "up" button to make sure the window was closed. I heard a "pop" and the rear window fell. I knew right away that the cable broke, just like the other rear window two years previously. We had to scramble to keep lots of water from entering the car. Looked like a routine out of Saturday Night Live!! The last snapped cable cost me $427. Given this one will probably cost more (increased labor rate), it is the last straw in ever owning another Buick Le Sabre. When I called the dealer inquiring about a recall... he said "no" and gave me a song and dance about the cold winters here in upstate NY. Well, it looks like someone made a bad decision when these cars were first designed and Buick doesn't want to correct it. They will definitely lose my future business and I will be spreading the word after reading so many similar comments on this web page.
My 2000 LeSabre now has both rear windows glued shut since the regulators are both broken. I have owned the car for about 10 months and both regulators broke within 2 months of each other. I wrote a letter to Buick and had a conversation with the representative and her answer was that she had no knowledge of a problem, it was out of warranty and there was nothing she could do. No discount on a replacement part or assistance in getting a reduced labor rate. I am now looking to purchase and replace the part myself at a cost of about $200 for each regulator, but I’ll wait until it gets hot again and the glue fails! Way to go GM, you’ve lost another otherwise satisfied customer.
I purchased a 2001 Le Sabre used with 54,000 miles on it. I have owned the car for about a year. It was a dream of a car until a rear window failed recently in the freezing cold. I had to hold the window up for 70 miles while my son drove me home. In reviewing all these posts about window regulator failure and in replacing my own, I see the problem. GM is using a bicycle cable type system instead of the usual scissors lift system. The bicycle system would probably work OK, but the associated plastic parts that hold the cables are not made of strong enough material and that is where it typically fails. Why the parts that hold the cables are not made of metal beats me. GM & dealers have to be aware of the problem--all dealer repairs are tracked. There will always be car parts failures. It seems that GM would want to work toward a solution for such a needlessly expensive repair quickly and to encourage repeat customers in the future, a recall. But then, folks, this isn't a safety issue to GM, it is just a huge inconvenience to their customers who start to look at their competitors cars.
I own a 2000 Buick Le Sabre. The car has 64000 miles on it and it now has 4 broken window regulators in 2 years. Maybe Buick will realize that spending $400 a pop to fix these will cause people to not buy there product. Power windows have been around for over 30 years and there is no excuse for the cheap materials they are using to manufacture the regulators. I owned a Park Avenue prior to this car with no problems, but this will be my last Buick after spending over $1700 to repair windows which I am sure will break again.
I wrote a comment on Dec. 23rd and have good news! I found a company in New York that either rebuilds or sells rebuilt window regulators. They reinforce the plastic that breaks with metal and replace the other broken parts for far less than any where else (my rebuilt regulator that I sent in was only $85 plus shipping). I took my own door apart for the repair, but you could find a mechanic to do it for youself and save big money. This may be an answer to the GM ripoff for many of you. It is the Mirror Guard Co., Brooklyn, NY.
Here is where you write: Just send email for more info and pricing to mail@regulatorusa.com and let them know the model, year and what door you need a regulator for.
Here is their ad from an Ebay sale:
It's 100% stronger then factory!
We reinforce plastic in the middle of the track with heavy metal, eliminating the most common problem!
You are purchasing original, quality rebuilt Window Motor/Regulator for ___________________________: That is originl factory unit that we reinforce to eliminate the most common problem with design of the regulator. You can't buy more better regulator even if you buy new. We stand behind our quality.
If you will send your old complete unit (when you buy a new one) we will refund you $40 dollars.
WE also can rebuild your broken regulator for half of the price.
I think the same place is http://www.onetobuy.bizland.com/index.htm on the web. Check their prices out. Has anyone dealt with this company? Can anyone verify their quality?
I have a 2000 Buick Le Sabre. My mother purchased it new. I have driven it for the last two years and it has barely 50,000 miles. The a/c compressor quit at 49,000 miles and within the last month three window regulators have broken. The cost of repairing the window regulators is extremely high. Needless to say, at the cost of the repairs, I do not intend to buy another Buick.
I have a 2001 La sabre Ltd. that I keep having to replace the battery in. The dealer says alternator, etc. all check out (that was in 2002). I am now on my 4th battery--fortunately I have not had to pay for any of them--and this is annoying. You never know after a battery is 13 months old if the car will start or not.
Has anyone ever experienced this problem; and if so, what was the remedy?