13th Dec 2005, 13:03

If you look in the area where the plastic cable retainer breaks, there is a VOID in the plastic. (Just like the voids you see in bread sometimes).

I own a 2000 and a 2001 Buick Lesabre. All 4 rear window regulators were broken. Every one of them has the void in the critical part of the plastic cable retainer. The void renders that area of the retainer so weak that the cable breaks the plastic as it pulls through.

The molding process that molded the plastic onto my window regulator's metal structure formed a void 4 out of 4 times. That's 100% of the time. As the window gets harder to move, because of aging weather striping, and as the molded plastic ages (from heat cycles in hot weather), AND BECAUSE THERE IS A VOID IN A CRITICAL CORNER AREA OF THE MOLDED IN PLACE PLASTIC RETAINER, the plastic yields to the tension of the cable.

They may be fixed mechanically with sheet metal screws as stated above, or I fixed 3 out of 4 with a 6 cent bolt and a 6 cent nut.

27th Dec 2005, 16:19

I have a 2001 Buick Le sabre that has done 22,000 miles (little old lady). Have just had the fifth window replacement. The first two were done under warranty, but have paid $450 after that. Nobody travels in the back seat and I doubt if the back windows have been up or down more than 5 times each, yet they failed.

21st Jan 2006, 23:15

I have a 98 Buick La sabre with 91+K miles on it. First it was the Intake Manifold problem others have had. My passenger side window won't raise from the driver side. It will raise from the passenger side however. I think this is an electrical problem. But I have never had knock on wood, the problems others are having with there windows. Then there was the problem with the front brake disks being worn completley out. That was our fault though for not having the brake shoes changed often enough. We simply bought new front disk rotors for about 22 dollars a piece and some new brake shoes and fixed the problem ourselves. Now just recently on a trip to the beach our transmission just went bad. According to the expert mechanic we know, that something inside the transmission has seized or has snapped. He said that this type of failure is possible, but kind of rare. Despite the problems I still love the car and are looking forward to getting it fixed or fixing it myself if possible.

28th Jul 2006, 14:45

We purchased a 2000 Buick LeSabre Ltd. 4 years ago.

3 window regulators have been replaced, 2 under an extended warranty ($100.00 deductable per) that we purchased and the last one out of warranty that cost us $900.00 (Canadian) parts/labor. I've seen the regulator... looks like it would cost about $100.00 to manufacture. The plastic parts break easily. Very poor design.

No more GM products for us. They just don't get it!!! I feel like my pockets are being picked.

16th Aug 2006, 07:51

Hmmm... My wife and I bought a 2000 Buick Le Sabre Limited a few months ago, which was our first "nice" car. Just before last weekend, on the eve of a long road trip, the rear drivers window went down, but not up.

We tried to get the door panel off, but couldn't seem to get it released in the center of the door. So, instead of breaking the door panel, we wedged the window in the up position, since we had to leave for the trip.

This thread was the first site I checked when researching the problem online. Gee, now I'm really excited (sarcasm). It has been a super nice car, except for this. Now, I'm worried at how many more times this will happen, and at what time it will happen! Hopefully when I am at home with nothing to do (ya right!).

Thanks for all the information!

31st Aug 2006, 15:45

I purchased a 2000 Buick Le Sabre and now my windows are acting up. Whats so annoying is it is hurricane season and now my car is getting wet inside. I am stuck with 4 years of car payments and a jacked up car. The dealer says it will cost about $520 per window regulator to be fixed. I can't pay my car note and fix the window. I really like the car, but hate the cheap parts Buick used to make the regulators (plastic).

6th Sep 2006, 08:56

I purchased a 2000 le sabre new. front drivers side window stuck and was repaired under warranty. after warranty time limit the two rear windows stuck open on the same day and I had to pay the labor charge at the dealership. Currently the front passanger side window is not working.

28th Nov 2006, 13:49

I purchased my 2001 Le Sabre used in May, 2004. In Sept 2005, the left rear window failed. We repaired for about $600 at the dealer. November 26, 2006, the right rear window has now failed. I called the dealer and they claim to not know why this continues to happen. This website has been most illuminating, and I wonder why we are all still paying to repair this obvious manufacturer's defect. I don't know much about the law, but wonder if this isn't grounds for a Class Action Lawsuit. I am in touch with the local body shop and hope to give them my business instead.

28th Dec 2006, 15:33

We've experienced the same problem with all four of the power windows on our 2000 Buick Le Sabre. The first incident was in 2003, the second occurred in January 2006. When the third window failed one month later the dealership extended a courtesy repair, but in September 2006 we were forced to pay when the fourth window failed. At this time, the dealership recommended I pursue it with GM. After not receiving a response to a certified letter I sent, I called the Customer Assistance Center, spoke to a representative who suggested I resubmit correspondence and copies of my bills. And to my utter surprise, I received a phone call and am expecting a check to reimburse me for the two windows which failed this year. While the representative did not claim to have knowledge of a wide-spread problem with the power windows, I advise anyone to contact Buick.

21st Mar 2007, 11:44

Two Grand Prix's, 1999 & 2001 same problem. I've refused to pay for the entire motor, regulator assembly that GM sells to replace the piece of plastic that breaks and fixed them myself.

Take the motor & regulator assembly out and remove the twisted kinked cables. Go to a bike shop & buy a couple of gearshift cables of the same size. Drill a couple of holes in the moving track, in line with the broken plastic retainer and use a screw & nut.

Wind the 2 cables onto the plastic gear so that they meet in the middle. Thread the cables thru the spacers, springs & the correct paths on the track & moving regulator. Attach to the screws.

Hook up the power & test it before putting it back in the car to make sure it goes up and down correctly.

Cost: about $7

29th Mar 2007, 15:03

2000 Buick LeSabre - we bought new in September, 2000, and had our first window calamity last month (Feb. 2007). Back passenger side, which the local glass shop says is "broken gear" (plastic, as he showed me a new one he keeps on hand), and it's one of the things that the Buick LeSabre is known for. He told us the unit was $139 he thought, although the dealer would charge about $250 for the same unit. Suggested we take the door panel off and brace the window up all the way with a piece of wood, or use the cable ties under somehow. First, you have to figure out how to get the panel off, and I did find a diagram online, so that should help.

No more Buicks in this family. They should have recalled them all, or at least given us the option to replace with better unit that will not break! I plan to write to the www.nhtsa.gov site and voice my complaint.