HowTo: Change a Jeep power window regulator
In HowTo | 325 comments | permalink
Power windows acting up? You can hear the motor turning but the window doesn’t move or is falling down? Chances are you need a new regulator. You can get this online and change it yourself in under an hour to save some serious $$$$. (I bought the part online for around $90 — dealers charge around $450 to get the job done!)
Here are step-by-step illustrated instructions on how to change your window regulator. My model is specifically a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited (v8), so yours may differ.
Materials needed:
- New regulator
- Needle-nose pliers
- Socket wrench: 5/16, 10mm, and 1/4 sockets
- Screwdriver (phillips, flat, and medium-sized torx bits)
The process:
1. Take off the door panel. You’ll find 3 screws. One in the armrest, one behind a plastic cover near the sideview mirror, and a torx screw underneath the door handle — just pry it up like you’re opening the door and unscrew.
2. Use your long flathead screwdriver or other similar tool to carefully pry the plastic panel away from the door frame. Careful you don’t break it. There are a bunch of plastic clips that attach it — you will break some of these so don’t freak out. Worst case you can always order some replacements for cheap.
3. Now disconnect everything attached to the panel: power window cable, mirror cable, and door and lock controls. Once you get all the cables disconnected, look for the tiny plastic clasps over the cover of the metal rods for the door and lock mechanisms. Gently push up and turn the plastic rings slightly to the side and the rods should pull straight up.
4. Remove the speaker (4 screws and a cable).
5. Remove the vapor barrier. This is just a giant black plastic cover that sits between the door and the plastic panel. Ease it off and try to keep all the black adhesive attached so you can reuse it to reattach it later. For me this worked better if I pulled fairly hard.
6. Pull out the interior rubber seal/guard that sits in the bottom window groove — just pry it up and pull it out. Leave the one on the outside of the car alone. You may have a piece of foam at each end like I did — if so, make sure you keep them.
7. Look inside the hole to find the regulator. Probably easier to see if the window is down at this point. Notice the two nobs from the window that attach to the regulator, there is a metal clip holding it to the plastic receiver. Pull out the pin on both sides.
8. Carefully dislodge the window from the plastic nobs. Once you do this, nothing will be holding the window at this point, so make sure you have someone holding on to it.
9. With the window decoupled from the regulator, it’s time to manuever it out. With it inside the door, turn it almost upside down so the bottom of the window comes out the top first. Otherwise you won’t be able to remove it from the door. Be careful — you don’t want to break it!
10. Unplug the cable attaching the power/controls to the window motor.
11. Remove the 4 screws holding the regulator onto the door. (The upper left one should just be loosened so it will hang-in-place). Do the same for the motor (3 screws).
12. Now dislodge the entire regulator/motor assembly from the screw holes and tilt it sideways inside the door. Slowly maneuver it to the hole below the speaker and pull the assembly out.
13. Remove 3 screws on the motor connecting it to the regulator.
14. Line up the new regulator the same way the old one was connected.
15. Install everything in reverse order.
Notes:
- Make sure when reinstalling that you put back the foam pads and rubber guard before you reattach the plastic door panel. It won’t fit correctly later.
- When reattaching the plastic panel, it will work better if you take out all the plastic clasps that are stuck in the metal part of the door and insert them in their proper place in the plastic panel. That way you can bang the panel onto the door and they will lock in place in the holes of the door frame.
- Once you get the new motor/regulator assembly back in, you can grab your door panel, hold it nearby, connect the power cables and test it before putting the window back in and reconnecting everything. The regulator should go up/down like you expect.
- When you get the window back in, don’t forget to reinstall the pins!
Good luck!
Did I save you hundreds of $$$? Then you owe me the difference! Hah! Just kidding. I love helping folks out and you don’t owe me anything, but I also won’t turn down beer money!
I found the regulator with motor and lifetime waranty for $99.95 plus $12 S&H, at http://www.1aauto.com
Changing regulator was no problem. Set aside 2-3 Hrs to complete task start to finish. I had to replace the driver side front. It was the result of failure of a 20 cent plastic part that cannot be purchased anywhere! Thanks for posting your instructions, they were a great help.
Thanks alot for all your help.Just for the part the dealer wanted $230 with the install i would imagine $450 to $500.Wow!! Iam walking away this deal for $112
an a few hrs of my time.Wouldnt have attempted with out the pic and instructions. NICE!!!
Josh- I have 2003 Jeep Gr. Cher. ltd. and I think I need a new regulator installed. Do I need the buy the motor and the regulator seperately or do they come together? If the window is not working, how do you know if you need the regulator or the motor? Thanks.
Thanks for the comments, folks. Glad to see this page is being useful for someone else! In reference to the questions from Sahira:
You can get them separately or together, depending on where you buy them. I was pretty sure my motor was OK, so I just went with the regulator only. If the window doesn’t work, but you hear something clunking inside the door when you flip the power window button like it is trying to work, then chances are your motor is still working and you only need a new regulator. If you don’t hear anything at all, then either it is in a bind and can’t work, or you may need a new motor also.
Hope that helps …
I have a Grand Cherokee 2003 ,At 25K ,miles my passenger window went. This one was repaired by the dealer… it was under warranty.
I am now at 42K and have repaired 3 so far. The rear right is now gone… dealera states it’s the motor and regulator and will cost about 500.00 for part and labor. Do you know if there has ever been a class law suit against these REGULATORS that JEEP / Crysler is installing? I understand it happens to everyone
Josh -
I have taken the door panel off and noticed that the cable has snapped. Is this something that comes with the regulator or is it something i can replace seperately and save some cash?
I’m not sure if you can buy that separately. My guess is you just have to get it w/ the regulator. Good luck!
Josh, great instructions and, really, thank you for taking care to document everything. It would be hard NOT to be able to install the regulator and motor with your instructions.
Great job and thank you, thank you, thank you.
This is my first regulator to go and I’m at 73000 for a 2001 JGC.
Again, this is a wonderful page and you now have a friend in Colorado–by way of New York.
Take care and let me know if you’re ever in town. It’d be my pleasure to spring for a beer or two.
Thanks again,
Gary
Thank You for the pics and write up!
I love guys like you and the internet, I bet I will save almost $350 because of you! If you’re ever in KY stop by and I’ll share a Woodford Reserve Bourbon with you……….
Thanks Again!
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! isvpeaaaapyd
I was working on the window for an hour. I found two screws right away. I tried to open the panel but all I did was break a plastic clip near the rear view mirror. The motor is out and my window in completely down. I wanted to take my boys to the beach and tried to fix the window. At least get it to stay up.
Great website site and instructions. Can you please tell me or send me a picture of the 3rd screw.
Veronica
Which 2 screws did you find? Here’s where they are:
1. Behind the little round plastic cap right by the sideview mirror.
2. In the little cup depression where your elbow rests on the armrest.
3. Just beneath the door handle. Pretend you are opening the door, and pull on the door handle. Once it is pulled out look right where it was in the depression where the handle normally rests. At the top of this depression you’ll find a tiny hole where a torx-bit screw is.
And don’t worry too much about breaking those little plastic things — I broke several. Worst that can happen is the door panel doesn’t fit extremely tight against the door anymore and you can find those clips online for fairly cheap (but I didn’t even bother).
Good luck!
I was wondering if there has been a recall regarding the window regulator? Or if anyone has contacted or heard about this problem at the Better Business Bureau. I have two Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo’s (2002 and 2003), both cars were purchase new by me. As of this morning, a total of four (4) regulators have had to be replaced (two on each car). I did not know that the parts could be purchased at a much lower price and it would be as simple to install. Each window has cost me approx. $500, for parts and labor. I really think maybe a class action case would be in order.
I found the regulators for 79.99 plus $10 fors/h at direct automotive products with a lifetime warranty. If you are familiar around a garage it will take no more than 1 hour start to finish. I have an 04 grand cherokee. just make sure you do not have the window lock on the drivers door engaged or you might go crazy trying to figure out why the window on the passenger door will not go up or down.
Carol I know the deale wanted $271 for the regulator and it only has a 90 day warranty. It really took no time at all, but that is what we must dal with when we buy a Jeep.
Thank you very much for the informative post!!! I completed the regulator/motor replacement in 2 hrs 15 minutes. I paid $115 for the part at Napa. The dealer in Richmond, VA want $298 for the part and $160 for labor. After tax and all kinds of other charges, I figure it would have cost me close to $500. Again, thank you for taking the time to post your experience and knowledge for others to benefit from. Best Regards, Travis
Wish I would have found this site earlier. My 2001 Jeep GC drivers side window popped today during lunch. I had to take to dealer as we are are having major rain and intense heat. It’s true.. The quote I received from Tamimi Jeep in Miami (next to my office) : A whopping $427 plus fees and tax. (252.00 part) and (175.00 labor)
Great Instructions!!!!!!!! I have just had 3 window regulators go out in the past 10 days on my Jeep Liberty! It’s a 2005 and has 17,000 miles on it. The service advisor told me that he had a guy come in for service today for his 7th regulator replacement. He said that anyone having this problem MUST contact Chrysler/Jeep as they are documenting each case. They will give you a reference number to keep on file. I sure hope that the manufacturer comes up with a superior product before my Jeep goes out of warranty. I feel for the consumers who have to take the financial hardship because Chrysler/Jeep won’t right their wrong and recall the regulators. By the way, do you know if “heat” has anything to do with it? I’m in Arizona and the dealership advisor said the number of regulator replacements has grown considerably since June. Thanks Again. I will be saving these instructions in case I need them when my warranty expires.
Thanks for the instructions. I bought an after market regulator for $59.00 and using your instructions, I changed it myself in a little less than 2 hours. When I had everything apart, and the old regulator was removed, I looked at the scene and thought “there is no way this is ever going to work!” It didnt take long to put everything back in place, and it worked like a charm. Thanks again for the informative website.
Thanks for the Jeep window regulator diy tip. In my case the nylon regulator cable anchor block had broken… so I cut the block down a bit, drilled through it, and made a custom clamp out of two bits of 1.5cm flat strip of scrap metal, drilled 1cm apart to locate the cable knobby things and in the centre to be fixed by an 8mm flat head screw and nut. Total cost of the repair: Zero! If anyone tries this keep in mind that the clamp must be sized so as not to snag the sliding assembly and cable ends must be positioned in line or just short of adjacent, ‘else you won’t have enough play on the cable spring tensioners to reassemble the unit.
Thanks so much for the great pics and instructions! I ordered the window parts for my 2003 Cherokee Limited for $100 even from PowerUp Auto and installed it in about 1.5 hours (regulator and motor for passenger window). I was told it would be about $500 at the dealership. In my case, the parts came with brief instructions and small printed photos, but they were woefully inadequate compared to your write up and pics here - following your directions was the only way I did it so fast and got it right the first time! It now works “like a charm” - Thanks very much!
Great post, I swapped out my regulator and motor ($75 from O’Reilly) - took me about 2 hrs working alone on a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, ~90k miles. One suggestion that I did have: to avoid having to remove the whole window from the door, throw some duct tape over the door frame to hold it while you replace the assembly. In this case, you don’t have to worry about removing the rubber guard at the base of the window interior… just remember to tape well, I didn’t have any problems and it was raining at the time. Cheers.
I have a 2001 GC Limited and both front windows failed at the same time. Bith fell into the door. The moto still soundls like it is still working on both but the windows do not operate at all…what are the chances both would fail in the same way at the same time??? Any help here would be appreciated. I can be reached at jeep (at) danley web dot com…
Thanks for the great instructions and pictures. I swapped out the window motor in my 2000 GC Laredo in less than three hours. I’m a novice at this type of thing and couldn’t believe the dealership estimated cost was $350-$400. The regulator worked fine, but the motor quit. I bought a refurbished motor at O’Reilly’s for $40! It has a lifetime warranty so if it burns out they replace it for free. Thank you so so very much for the information you posted online!!! — John in NC
great website……for everyones reading enjoyment….i have a 02 Jeep Grand Cherokee Lmtd. I have had 3 of the 4 window regulators replaced. The front windows have seperate motor/regulator assemablys……the rear piece is sold as one unit…..from what i am told….my aftermarket warranty does not cover window regulators, the cost was 500 a pop, the rear one was covered cause the unit was one piece at a cost of about 465. Another prob. common with our jeeps is the heating/ ac issue. if you climate control stopes working and starts blowing only hot or cold air, the defective part is gonna run about 1300-1600 bucks to repair. Jeep knows about the issues with the windows and heating/ac problems, according to the dealership, they have recently beem swamped with service calls for similar issues, sounds like a good class action attorny might due alot of good here…..haha
If I push down on the window the motor will work but if I don’t push down first it won’t move. Replace the motor or is there another problem?
Mike in NC
Thanks Josh, the instructions were excellent! I would like to send you a donation, but I noticed this blog was created over a year ago, are you still around?
Thanks man,
Matt
Fantastic write-up! I was half way into repairing the window when I Googled and found your site.
Dealership cost = $252 + 118 for labor
Napa cost = $95 + tax
You do the math….
actually it was Orielly’s for $95
I love you Josh !!!
Will change it out this weekend. My 2003 GC only has 2 screws in the door. The best thing I found complete assembly on ebay from Direct automotive 61.00 including shipping. Lifetime replacement.
Thank You… Thank You… Thank You!!!
I saved myself $150.00 buying the regulator from PowerUp Auto… the site you suggested. The window place wanted to charge me $250.00 for the part… I got it for $90.00 plus $10.00 delivery… $100.00 bucks! I was not brave enough to install it myself so I had them do it ofr $118.00. At first the mehanic tried to tell me that it was the wrong part becuase it did not come from a Jeep dealer. I knew this was bullshit so I lied a little and told him that my friend just purchased the exact part and it worked just fine in her car…. Sure enough an hour later they called me to tell me that my car was ready!
Thanks again guys for helping me not get ripped off!!!
Chinadoll
Great instructions/pics! I have a 2002 GCL, 102K miles. First window regulator break…driver’s side window quit (loud noise, then glass lowered to the bottom). Mt Dora, FL Jeep dealership wanted $280 for the motor/regulator and $150 for labor. Local Leesburg NAPA store sells the motor/regulator for $119, plus tax, limited lifetime warranty. Part is now installed/works as advertised! May have saved a few more bucks online, but was in a hurry to get the window fixed. tks for everyone’s great tips!
If the part is more or less $100.00 and the labor is more or less 2 hours I would rather install a hand crank conversion so I wont have to do this every 30,000 miles, more or less.
Know where I could get such a manual conversion Kit?
Thanks for the great instructions but I’ll postpone starting till I hear back from you.
Ray
As all of you, came out this morning and pass front window missing 01 JGC LTD. Wasn’t sure what happened, but after reading all these posts now I know. Going online is the first thing I do now when a problem arises, because others have had the same problem and post how to fix it cheaper than dealer. previous post about JGC and climate control — about a $100 blend door part but $1200+ in labor because the dash has to be removed. I found step by step instructions for this and did it myself saving tons. A little more involved, but if you have this problem and are a little more confindant in your abilities email me for website with instructions and pictures. You literally have to take the dash out of the car back to the firewall, so it is labor intensive but can be done by DIY. While I was in there I also replaced heater core, because they will have to once again take the dash out to replace this too. I got all parts from Discount Jeep Dealer for much cheaper than local dealer. It will take all day - so be prepared. brownleg@bellsouth.net
I just paid my dealer $279 for a third regulator on my 2003 Liberty. I will definitely be doing it myself next time. Any more info on the possible class action suit?
I just had my third window go out on my 03 JGC Overland. The first two were the front windows and replaced at the dealer. This one is the driver rear window. Is it as simple for the back windows or is it a larger assembly as Jay on Aug 2nd alluded to?? I would love to save money and fix it myself. Also, I am not hearing any response on a class action suit. I think it may be time because this is getting ridiculous.
I also must thank you for the blog….I just replaced my regulator in an hour, it was all easy to follow..Thanks!
I have 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Freedom Edition and my drivers side regulator had to be replaced last week. A dealer charged me $560.00 for parts, labor and taxes. Now, a week later, the same thing has happened to my passenger side. I am so angry and I haven’t heard about any recall. Any law suit pending?
No recall/lawsuit that I’m aware of. Just something we all get to deal with. (And don’t get me started on the brakes — anyone else having problems with warping?)
Just had the same issue everyone else is commenting on, any wonder why people buy Toyotas?
Josh - Obviosuly this is the place to be….now I have taken my window apart as like everyone here the window one day just didnt go up. Taking the door apart was the easy part but now much to my dismae there was a cable broken - so i took apart the passenger door to see where this went - HELLO way up somewhere I couldnt contortion my fat hands into - Can you help by telling me where it goes and how to fix it. I did buy a new regulator but it has nothing with a cable on it. NICE!!! Feeling hopeless but not defeated!!
Hey Josh - I must say THANK YOU BUNCHES - after getting the RIGHT part - I printed off your WONDERFUL instuctions and YAHOOOO My window works again after 6 beer breaks and a little patients it was done!! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!
Going nuts. I have a 2004 GC and both front windows and side mirror failed at the same time. Bought a new switch and my buddy installed it, but it did not solve the problem. Any help here would be appreciated.
Your website helped a bunch. Thank you. I changed 2002 Grand Cherokee passenger window regulator with no problems. Got regulator from O’reilly $94.99. Two suggestions: (1) A small putty knife really helps remove the black vapor barrier and (2) When window regulator cable breaks, you can temporarily keep window up by placing a 4″ piece of tape on the inside of the window along the bottom edge near the outside edge of the door. Aluminum tape like used for AC work really works nice. It held window up for several days before I could get by the parts store.
Hello,
I have two windows out right now, both back windows, Is the front right and left regulators the same for the two back windows? Can I use the front driver and passenger regulators for the right and left back passenger windows? Are they the same? Where can I get them at a resonable price? I have already replaced the front driver side about six months ago. Thanks for your help.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHERE TO GET THE METAL CLIPS THAT SECURE THE WINDOW TO THE REGULATOR
You saved me 300 bucks. I had an auto shop fix the driver window and it set me back $360. You saved me over $250 so thank you.
Josh, u da man! Thx to you it took me no time to get my window going again! From what I can see in some of the comments, I definitely saved a bundle. Hey, are you still accepting beer money?
GC Power Window Regulator RT REAR = $75 ebay
Elbowgrease and a couple of beers = $3
Satisfaction of doing it yourself & sticking it to the stealership = priceless!
Man it’s great to see all the success stories. Stick it to the man and save a bunch of $$$!
(And who would turn down extra beer money?)
2002 Grand Cherokee / I just had the driver’s side window fail when frost caused the glass to stick and allowed the cable to pull the nylon anchor from the metal door! Now I am reading your blog and have only one question…. can I purchase the nylon anchor itself without purchasing the entire regulator? Or do I need to get one from a junk yard? Pete / Your blog is the greatest thing on the internet! It isn’t winter yet but the frost got me already! Merry Christmas
Well I haven’t seen the nylon anchor by itself anyway, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get it. Junk yard sounds like a great idea if you can find one there! Good luck!
Thank you for the info. It was easy once we got the glass out. Jeep dealer said the slide gets stuck in the up position. REplacement came with a metal slide yet 2 years ago igot it done under warranty and they used another plastic piece. That is how they make their money. Also have any problems with your gas gage. Happy Holidays and god bless
Thanks loads.
To the guy that had a brake problem there were recalls. All new brakes free at your dealer. Also seat heaters.
I work at a class action law firm and we are investigating this issue. I am interested in talking to people and hearing about their experiences. Please contact me at abby1100ny@yahoo.com if you’ve had any windows fail on your Jeep, or have any questions on this investigation. Thanks, Abigail.
Josh, thanks for all of this. My son and I replaced the regulator on his 2003 GC Larado in about an hour thanks to the detailed instructions. It amazes me that Chrysler gets away with this.
Thank you for these great instructions. My driver and passenger windows stopped working in the same week. The dealers quoted me $450 per window to fix them. Thanks to this blog, I bought the parts for about $200 and fixed both windows in about 3 hours total. Once thing I would recommend to others is to leave the regulator a bit loose until you have the window back in place and attached to it. That makes it easier to attach the window. You can then tighten up the regulator once the window is attched.
After replacing one side window regulator on my 2004 Grand Cherokee I tore the old one apart and the failure is from a plastic part that holds the cable end while raising and lowering the window. I machined a stainless steel retainer to cover the broken plastic piece and re-installed the regulator. Works great and will last forever. Any interest in a replacement retainer to repair your part? Cheapest option yet!!! rammeyers@comcast.net
I too have had 2 window regulators break on our 2003 jeep special edition. I contacted a law firm and they are interested in starting a class action lawsuit pertaining to the window regulator problem. If anyone would be interested in getting in on the lawsuit, contact Abby Gustafson at AGustafson@CMHT.com, or call 1 888 2400775. I spoke with her yesterday, and if there is enough interest they will might pursue it. If you would like to contact me, my email address is jimk2us@yahoo.com
You are the man! I had everything apart, but couldn’t figure out how to get the window apart from the support bar. Your pictures helped a lot.
If anyone in the Charlotte, NC area is having this issue with your window, it literally took me about 1 hour from start to finish. If you need some help, and don’t feel like tackling it even with these excellent instructions give me a jingle. 704.560.3917
I’m replacing my 3rd today. Naturally the car dealership takes no responsibility and trying to deal with a large corporation can be more trouble than it’s worth. It’s a shame they’re able to get away with this.
Had same problem with 5 cent piece of plastic breaking which inturn ruined cables and scared plastic wheel drum. Made up 2 new cables for 4 dollars and drilled a hole in 5 cent plastic piece, put small bolt through, and cleaned grooves with a file on plastic wheel drum. Still working 2 years later. Auto parts or industrial parts store can make cables up, a little tedios but can be done. Keep lenghts as close as possible.
Just like everyone else,Jeep wanted to charge me $575 to fix this. This is the 3rd window its happened to on my 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The first one was still under warrenty. The second one was 6,000 miles out of warrenty and I had to come out of pocket for. This one with the help of these instructions I was able to do by my self in about 2 hours.
I never took the window out - I just tapped it up (that seemed to be easier then removing it). Also because this was my driver side rear window I could not find a part store locally that sold the regulator. Jeep wanted around $250 for the part. So i ordered it online from Directauto ($79.99 + $12.00)shipping.
The only problem with this was that the motor did not fit the pre-drilled holes on the door frame so I had to drill 3 new holes (Lost about 15 minutes doing this).
Anyways thanks for the instructions.
Does anyone know where I can get a replacement window regulator for my 2006 Jeep Liberty???
Here is the replacement part for the window regulator, any know if this part also fits the 2006 Jeep Liberty?
http://pocketlogger.com/?pid=jpw
Thanks so much for publishing these instructions/pictures. I only wanted to check the to see what was wrong at first, but when I saw all your feedback on how expensive it would be to go thru dealer, I gave it a shot. Took me 4 hours, but I’m slow. Probably take half that time now that I know what I’m doing.
Thx again.
Thanks for the killer instructions. I just changed the regulator and motor on the front driver side window of my 2002 JGC ltd. It was easy to do and the instructions were great. However, the window doesn’t go up as high as it used to and I get some wind noise. Is there any way to adjust this? Thanks again.
[...] and my window wouldn’t roll up. now this is what it looks like. I guess now I get to follow my own instructions from a few years ago when I changed the regulator on the driver’s [...]
Very many thanks for this post. I own two cars and my jeep is my less used car, so trying to keep the running cost low. I rung up the local jeep dealer in the uk, found out for them to replace it was going to cost me about £350 (about $700!) The part alone was £238 (about $480). Used the web to get one from a breakers yard for £75 which thankfully was in very good condition. It’s people like you, taking the time to document stuff like this,that helps make our lives better (and cheaper!
Once again, many thanks…..
OK I have to actually thank myself on this one. My passenger door went out this week and thanks to these detailed instructions I had it fixed in no time! Man, I’m glad I wrote these instructions!
F@cking remarkable Josh and Lisa. My wife and I replace the motor successfully in no time. If you Send me your address I’ll mail you box of gold stars, first place ribbon and some movie tickets.
Paul
Parker, CO
Will this solve my problem with my 2004 Jeep Grand where my Window, Power Locks, & mirror control will not work for the driver side switches?
None of my Power Window switches work, however, the power lock work on the passenger side… Thanks
Floyd,
Doesn’t sound like this is your issue. Sounds like maybe a fuse is blown that controls power to the switches, or maybe the connector has come loose inside the door that connects those switches (though that wouldn’t explain why none of your power windows work). Check the fuse that controls those switches.
Riley,
Not sure. I didn’t have that problem on either one of mine. Could be that the new regulator doesn’t go all the way up? Or maybe the window isn’t properly secured in the holes on the regulator. If it got pushed a little to the side, I could see this happening. If you can’t figure it out, you could always get some cheap window guards at an auto store and put them in, at least that would reduce the wind noise. Good luck!
Hi!
I have a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited… My driver window has suddenly decided to start making grinding noises as it rolls up. Going down is fine, it’s the rolling up part that seems to give it pains. It also seems to be rolling up just a tad slower than normal. I’m trying to nip this before it actually quits on me… Does this sound like the regulator or the actual motor?
Your site is awesome, btw. I’m so glad I found it!
Thanks!
Sassha
I found the side window down (e exposed to the sun! and it was a hot day in the 80’s) after my 06 Jeep liberty was parked few hours yesterday afternoon. First I thought I left it open, and then came the noise when I tried to lift it up. Drove back home with the rear window open.
I tried to see if it is a DIY job, at first I was discouraged for I have no idea how the plastic panel was attached to the door after removing two screws and nothing came apart!
I discovered this wonderful blog, read it and went back to the door I was able to remove all the parts in less than an hour, with the help of my son. The only difference was 2 screws vs. 3 for the Grand Cherokee. I pulled out a metal clip that was linking a small brass pin (knob) to the plastic receiver at the bottom of the glass. This was done after lifting glass panel up a bit and held in position while I have access through the speaker opening.
The other hump was a bigger screw, located inside the door below the fixed small glass panel. This screw was removed to free the window out of its rear plastic guide. Once free, the window was lifted out of the door. I found that the cable end has slipped out from the white plastic receiver. I pushed it back inside the receiver, after cleaning the oil and applying some cement as a temp fix to hold the window back in a closed position. Replaced back all parts, with a couple mistakes- forget first to replace the bigger screw and to connect the speaker! Corrected the errors and I am now shopping for a replacement system.
It is a very poor design, there is a very little strength holding the window. If anyone pushes these windows down hard enough, they will come loose by having the cable slipping/snapping out of these plastic receivers. Now, I have second thoughts about the safety of these cars, I own two, if this is the way JEEP/Chrysler designs its parts.
Thumb up to Josh-n-Lisa (.com)
Ok… So I figured this would be easy enough that I could do it on my own. (my husband is out in the field he’s military and no where near) And my rear driver window regulator went out um… yeah!! Even growing up in a family of mechanics soooo not for me!! I’ll just wait till saturday when my hub comes home and make him do it… Thanks for trying to help lol
enjoyed your site very informative
i own 2004 grand cherokee se
and in dire search of 02-04 oem
factory rock rails off overland edition
any ideas
please let me know
with e-mail……………..thanks
I bought the regulator at the Jeep dealer for $75.00 for the left passenger window in the back. For some odd reason the right side passenger in the back is like $85.00. The guy at the counter stated that the part number had changed and he suspected that the part had been upgraded somewhere along the way.
Your local dealer is glad to sell parts to average joe off the street as long as you know what you are looking for.
So, I just finished putting my left rear passenger door back together. It wasn’t really all that hard. The only note that I have for y’all is that on some of the 2006 libertys, there isn’t a cotter pin holding the window to the regulator assembly. Instead, there is a nylon clip that presses into a hole in the glass. You can just depress the nylon clip with your finger while pushing the window upward. I was able to do this without an assistant.
Anybody had any luck contacting “rmeyers” who submitted the blog below? Would like to buy his metal retainer since that is the only piece that has broken on my 3 Jeep windows. Sent him an email over a week ago, but no response??? tks, mac
Comment from rmeyers on January 11th, 2008 :
After replacing one side window regulator on my 2004 Grand Cherokee I tore the old one apart and the failure is from a plastic part that holds the cable end while raising and lowering the window. I machined a stainless steel retainer to cover the broken plastic piece and re-installed the regulator. Works great and will last forever. Any interest in a replacement retainer to repair your part? Cheapest option yet!!! rammeyers@comcast.net
Thanks a million for the great instructions! I have a 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland and everything was just as you said. It was totally a 1 beer job. I bought my regulator at Auto Zone for $95 and it came with a lifetime warranty. Now I’m ready for the other 3 to go. Anybody want to buy a Jeep?
Thanks again.
I’ve got a 99 Jeep Cherokee. The driver’s door window works, but at the top and at the bottom, the glass stops where is should, but the motor keeps grinding. Is that the regulator?
Great site and great pics. When you take yours apart apply grease to the runners and the cable mechanism. This will reduce friction which in turn reduces strain on the moving parts and extends their life. The motors are not the weak link and any nasty sounds will be sticking from dry runners stressing the mechanism and ultimately the plastic bit we are all talking about. For those of you unwilling to rip your other doors apart to apply grease - squirt some WD40 down the edges of the windows every now and then. Such a shame that a well made vehicle and quality window motor is let down by a cheap piece of plastic and poor design.
Thands for the great instructions. I was dreading this job and my wife was insistent that we (me) do it instead of a shop. I bought the part from an aftermarket site and only paid $59 w/free shipping. It looks as good as the original. So I’m taking my chances to save a few buck because we’re broke. The instructions were right on the money. I had good luck taking out the glass by removing the two weather strips. Than the glass came right out, top first with a little tilt up. It really was an easy job.
thanks again
John
Josh, strange that after two years your site would be so popular! I have a 2001 JGC that the actual cord snapped in two on my drivers front and I had to replace both parts. Thank you for the above pics and detailed description.
Jeep Lover.
So here it is July, 2008 and your blog is still helping. I had the dealer replace the front drivers side ($300+) before I read your instructions. Guess what! 2 weeks later and the passenger rear went amok! Good news is that I was familiar with your blog AND the dealer only charged $55 for the MOPAR part! A couple things I learned during the process is 1)using a long length of duct tape taped to the outside, over the top of the door and taped to the inside of the glass as well held the glass in place without removing it and I could position it whereever I needed; 2)By using a “spoon” (one normally used to take bicycle tires on/off rims, I was able to slide it carefully under each of the plastic fasteners and snap them out without breaking any! Also found that by lowering the window about halfway down gave me better access to the plastic clip that snaps through the hole in the window glass which holds it in place and with a nail punch I was able to push the tab back and release the glass easily. (Side bar - if you have residue from duct tape (glue) left on the glass, spray cleaner normally used for electronic parts cleans it right up!) - Thanks for your blog! - Randy
This is a fantastic writeup - thank you very much!
Bad power windows seem to be pretty common, My Liberty has already had one, and I made the mistake of paying the dealer to fix it for me. I’ll know for the future.
Ted
I own an auto repair shop and I had never done one of these particular regulators before. The clips were the only difference, really. I just didn’t know whether to push in or pull out on them. Your info helped me on that, but you mentioned to remove the door glass. That’s an unnecessary step if you have duct tape. I just raised the window to within an inch of the top and used two strips of duct tape wrapped over the top of the door to keep the window in position. After all the screws are removed, the regulator comes off the pins easily. Thanks for the site.
Thanks alot Josh, I just received my regulator today from Power Up and will be installing it tomorrow. My local dealer wanted about $450. As others have stated, the weak link in this system is the top cable pulley. In my case, when I flipped the button for the left rear window to operate, the pulley snapped, causing slack in the cable. As long as the button is pushed up or down, the motor continues to run, turning the cable drum and jamming the cable inside the drum - very poor design. Another problem I’m having on my 04 GC Limited is the heating/cooling system. I have dual controls for passenger and driver. About four months ago, the passenger side would blow only cold air. A few weeks later, both sides blew only cold air. The dealer said the problem was diagnosed as a broken door or shutter that won’t open and close and requires the removal of the dash. Total cost to repair - $990.00 plus. A friend has a 03 GC and had a similar problem. His GC has single temp.controls and was blowing AC air only thru the window defroster. He got a similar estimate from this same dealer. However while he was in Arizona recently, he stopped at a dealer and the mechanic found the problem to be a faulty vacuum hose near the firewall. Fixed it for about $90.00. Is anyone else having this type of problem?
thank you thank you… had one window regulator go about a year ago, while it was at the dealer for a recall on the seat heaters… fire hazard!, they were nice enough to not charge labor… (2003 JGC w/ 124,000+ miles).
just had my drivers door regulator go out today… just under the 2 hour mark! easy pizzy!!!
thanks josh and lisa…!
anyone need a good motor? I bought both, but only needed the actual regulator.
hoppyinhi
Our 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee driver window was down when I returned from shopping in a store. I thought someone had broke in! Until I got home and researched it online and found this site, as well as several others complaining about the same issue! Unfortunately, it was Tuesday and we were leaving to drive from SC to Ohio for a wedding on Friday. My husband is good at fixing stuff, but we were afraid we wouldn’t have time to get the part shipped and installed in time. Took it to our local “mom & pop” auto repair spot and they fixed it (without first providing a quote as we requested) and we got a $420 bill! THAT SUCKED!!!
Fast-forward to today. Coming back from the pool–whoops!–there goes the passenger side window. I haven’t told my husband yet… Figure I’ll just print out these FANTASTIC instructions & photos, then hand ‘em to him when he comes home from work. Good thing we don’t have another “roadtrip” planned until September!!!
Thanks, Josh & Lisa, as well as everyone else who has commented with additional tips and tricks. Hopefully this will be a quick and easy fix (since I’m sure we’ll be doing it AGAIN and AGAIN real soon–Thanks, Jeep!).
BTW… I joined in on the possible class action suit mentioned in an earlier comment. It’s legit so jump on the bandwagon if you have any potential hope of being reimbursed for your troubles!
Thanks for all the suggestions and appreciative comments, guys. I’m really glad this is helping everyone out (including me — I’ve printed out my own instructions twice!)
TOM:
My passenger side of the dual-zone also only blows cold air for the past 2 years. Luckily I live in Houston so I only need heat like 2 weeks out of the year, but I have dreaded shelling out the $1K to fix that one.
I have a 2004 Jeep Liberty at the dealer at the moment with this problem. It has 42K miles on it with almost no problems except for this regulator thing. This is the third incident (1st in April 06, 2nd in Jan 07, 3rd in July 08) and all three times it has been the left rear window. Each time I had it fixed by the dealer and they used Chrysler parts. Clearly, this is a manufacturing or design defect. Does anyone know whether aftermarket manufacturers make better quality regulators (or correct the defect — whatever it is)?
Also, does anyone know whether the redesigned new Liberty has the same issue. This is my third Jeep and I would like to purchase a fourth. However, I’ve seen nothing to indicate that Chrysler wants to address this window regulator problem (either from what my dealer tells me or online). The fact that Chrysler is now owned by an equity partnership also concerns me since the partnership’s strategy, most likely, is to reduce costs to boost profits so they can take the company public in a few years and cash out. When I purchased my Liberty in 2004, I did not bother looking at other brands because I liked my previous two Jeeps a lot. I’m not likely to do that next time. Does anyone have any thoughts on the future of the Jeep brand?
Thanks for your post Josh — next time this happens (and I’m sure it will), I’ll probably try fixing it myself.
Thanks for the help… Greatly appreciated…
I just received my used regulator in the mail today and the irony of it all, my back drivers side regulator breaks last night.
This will be the third window now that has broken. Jeep needs to have a recall on these.
Thanks again!
Kevin
I know nearly everyone on here are GC owners, but does, anyone know where I can get a window regulator for an ‘07 Liberty? Using Josh’s link to the Cherokee regulator and searching a bit it’s evident my regulator is broke. (URL below)
http://www.powerupauto.com/ChryslerPage.html
I only have the car a little over a year and reading the previous posts/threads this appears to be an issue that should be a recall on GCs and potentially Libertis as well. Any help is greatly appreciated as I don’t feel like shelling out $300-$400 at my dealer if I can do it myself.
Hello All,
I just replaced my driver’s side PWR. I had done this before on other vehicles, but your instructions came in handy for dealing with my 2001 Jeep GC.
I would emphasize being cautious in prying the panel off so as not to break the clips; same goes for the plastic clips on the door lock rods.
I broke a couple clips and the dealer wanted to charge $7.88 each for them and $9 each for lock rod clips. They actually said this with a straight face.
I just went to a chain auto parts store and bought a pack of door clips for $2.88 and a pack of lock rod clips for $4.50. The packs were an assortment that contained product for vehicles that I don’t own, like Ford pieces, but I still came out way ahead.
Jeep finds no shame in their game.
My ‘01 Jeep Liberty rear-passenger window failed a few months ago - amazing it lasted that long. If you’re stingy enough to avoid buying a new regulator, you can do what I did and shove a ~24″ 2×4 in there to hold up the window.
changed my window regulator last night using the method described here — i did the duct tape to hold the window as one coment recomended and never removed the window — and it all went very smoothly in under an hour. thanks.
I was a clutz and lost one of the clips/pins that holds the bolts for the window. Grrrr.
Still waiting for my new regulator to arrive in the mail. Can someone please, please, PLEASE let me know if the regulator kit includes more of the clips?
Any help much appreciated. This is an excellent guide.
Matt,
I got my regulator from Power Up Auto and it came with new clips. The regulator worked very well with no modifications necessary. Good luck
Hi Josh,
Thank you so much! I researched the net to see if there was recall on the 99 jeep GC window systems and found your site. $53 and two hours later, thanks to you, i replaced my window regulator and motor and can’t believe i saved $400. Wow. So easy with your instructions. Next time it’ll take 45 mins
I am going to replace my right rear door latch myself. Its been making a grinding noise but still works. The dealer confirmed that it was on its way out and said its easier to fix than the window regulator. Do you have instructions for that as well? If so, could you please provide me a link.
Thanks again Josh, much appreciated! You save good people good money!
—Heidi
Josh,
Thank you so much for your excellent instructions! I used them to replace my driver’s door window regulator in my 2003 GC. My front passenger unit broke about two years ago, and it was repaired under warranty. I paid $117 at a local Car Quest retailer for the new regulator, including the motor. I took my time and was very careful and didn’t break any door panel clips. I spent about 45-60 minutes getting everything apart, and about the same to carefully put it back together. I also held the glass up with tape — I used wide “blue” painter’s tape… You saved me so much $$$! Now, when the rest inevitably break, I’ll take of them myself, too!
Thanks, again.
Jeff
Thank you so much! My driver’s side window on 2002 Grand Cherokee fell down into the door with a clunk this morning and I had no idea what had happened. At least now I know and I can even fix it without going to the dealership (who wanted $100.00 to LOOK at it!) The part itself is less than that!
Best wishes to y’all!
Melissa
Thanks for the kind words everyone. Just a quick side note that happened to me recently. If you’re rolling up the window and it starts going diagonally rather than straight up, chances are the cotter pin just became dislodged on one of the two points at the bottom of the window that attaches the window to the regulator. I replaced the pin last night and now it’s back to normal.
My 2007 Liberty had only 6000 miles and was a year old when the windows broke recently. First the driver side, then when waiting for the dealer to fit me in days later, the back when dropped, destroying the window tint. They told me this always happens. They have newly designed parts they use, but they seem to be failing too.I live the the desert!! I hardly ever open my windows!! Too dusty and too hot most of the year.
Gee, something to look forward to. My husband will be making the repairs once I’m out of warranty thanks to you!!!!
Can’t wait till my husband gets home from an errand. Before he left, he took off the door panel and unplugged everything. He asked me to call around to junk yards and dealerships to see if they could tell me what is wrong and how to fix it. Well ofcourse they aren’t going to help you, just bring it in and they will fix it, $400 later. This is the second window on my 2004 JGC. The first one was under warranty. So now when hubby gets home I will have your instructions printed and waiting for him. I feel so great, you will save us hundreds. I read through the comments and wrote down several tips that may help him too. Thank you Josh for taking the time and effort to post this how to instructional. We live in Phx and the window went down 3 days ago. Thank goodness my air is working, I just blast it while driving. I hope we can purchase the parts at a local Auto supply. Thanks again!!!!!
Morning! I found this searching on the web for my brother. I hate to hear that so many people are having problems with this regulator thing. My brother just bought a 2001 Jeep Cherokee… everything was in EXCELLENT condition for this vehicle. Brought it home… two weeks, driver window “crashed”. Estimate from dealer… $450 and that warranty would NOT cover it because it was not part of the electrical parts. Then… another week passed and passenger side window did same thing. Jeep has been parked for a week now because of cost to repair. THANK YOU for your pictures and encouragement! I just text my brother to tell him that we can prob. get it fixed in no time for not that much money! I do agree with some of your other bloggers though on that there should be some type of recall etc. regarding this item.
I wish i would of found this site before i bought my son a jeep. I bought him a 2004 laraedo a month before he went to the marines and he had no problems with it. I took it for a drive last night to keep the battery up and the drivers window took a crap. I am going to the dealer tonight to “thank” them for selling this thing to us. We have had the jeep just over a month. It is a nice vehicle but with the “auto window drop” feature it is not very secure. I would go as far to say that this “feature” could be exploited easily by thieves and carjackers. I did have a similar problem with my 1996 sebring jxi and the rear window, but it had 210,000 miles on it at the time and the windows would roll down each time the convertible top was lowered so there was quite a bit more use on it. Like a previous poster noted, on many of the power windows mechanisms a metal “bracket” can be fabricated to hold the cable end when the plastic/polystrene breaks. I did this on my sebring and it lasted until i sold it about a year later, and may be working still.
Awesome instructions !!! I changed the driver side regulator on my Jeep GC 2001 and was able to do it under 2 hours. Thanks for saving me $$$.
Thank you, great directions!! Got it done in a couple of hours! UDAMAN!
I was replacing the front passenger side in my 2002 GC and /while I was testing the windows/, the rear driver side broke. Friggin’ amazing. I can’t find the rear regulators anywhere though. Looks like I’m going to fork some $$ to a dealer for the part.
Rick, Monster Auto Parts just got them in. Just got my right rear passenger regulator via UPS. $99 plus shipping.
http://www.monsterautoparts.com
Nice site, anyone find a shortcut to replacing the heater blend door please post.
Bob, yeah no doubt. I still haven’t gotten my blend door fixed yet. Holding out for a cheaper alternative than tossing a grand to the dealer …
My window regulator went out on my 01 gc about a month ago and then my passenger regulator went out soon after. My sis found your site to which i am greatly fond of! I thought i was going to have to take it in to the shop which they wanted to charge me over $450 per door! I found a regulator w/motor for $94 at an O’Reiley’s Automotive store in OKC. Now, im heading into the garage to start and soon finish installing my new parts. Thank you for sharing the step-by-step process on the how to.
A very good friend of mine left his ‘02 Liberty with me when he left for Costa Rica. Later that day, while backing out of a parking space, the right front suspension assembly fell apart. The ball popped out of the socket in the ball joint assembly causing the wheel to flip sideways, the brake rotor hit the pavement and the fender extension to pop off, breaking the clips. My young son was in the passenger seat. Earlier in the day we had been traveling at 65 mph on the way to take my friend to the airport. I found through the ‘net, this was a very common problem on the Liberty, as well as the cause of a recall on virtually all 865,000 sold. The replacement parts were of a similar construction, with a similar life expectancy. The dealership did not do an alignment after replacing both front ball joints. My friend just left to go back to Costa Rica, leaving me with the vehicle again, after telling me he came out to what he thought was a burglary, with no back driver’s side window in sight. Seeing there was also no broken glass he found the window in it’s hiding place, secured it closed with tape, and asked me if I could look at it. I’m gonna fabricate a better part, if possible, but most importantly, I’m gonna steer my driving age son away from this company’s products.
Sadly, when backing out of my driveway yesterday, a mere 5 days after my 2nd regulator went out during the install of my 1st regulator, my driver side window went out. I can’t take this; this is ridiculous.
…thanks for the monsterautoparts link. I used Nextag and have one on order also for $99; maybe the 3rd party dealers are cashing in at Jeeps expense?
Now the clips that connect the door handle to the metal assembly (linkage) had also broken. I had to wait for the dealership to get those for me ($6 each) before I could put the door panel back on, and when they came in, they were too small. Jeep says that’s the ONLY clip they have, despite me clearly showing them the size difference. They “fit”, just not well. I’m using duct tape to keep them on… they’re a bit too small. I’m having hell getting the door panel back on, breaking those little white clips left and right, while realizing that I had managed to bend the linkage and I can’t quite get it bent back correctly.
I’m ready to drive this thing into a river, but being a jeep, it would still run, so I couldn’t properly vent my frustration.
http://www.am-autoparts.com has a driver side regulator for $51.
WOW! Here is our experience:
We had the left rear window regulator go out at the beginning of August. Took it to the dealership (prior to knowledge of this great site). They charged us $132.00 for labor, $62.32 for the new regulator and of course $17.49 tax for a total of $211.81.
A little over a week ago, the RIGHT rear window decided it was gonna go out too. Figures…. This time we were cruising around in Texas geocaching, about 100 miles from home in Louisiana. We got out our trusty roll of camoflage duct tape and taped the window in the up position. The next day, I did some reseach online about the 2006 Jeep Liberty window regulators and came across this webpage. Read the “Seems to be EASY enough” directions and viewed the pictures. Read about more than half of the kudos and other comments about replacing it yourself. Said “Hey Honey, look at this”. We can buy the part and fix it ourselves. Bobby went to http://www.wholesalemopar.com and got the new regulator SHIPPED for a total of $58.98. He ordered it Monday afternoon and it came in Friday afternoon. This afternoon, we went and pulled the Jeep up on the patio and got out a couple chairs, tools and got to work. The hardest part was getting the assembly OUT of the door. We didn’t have to remove the window from the door, but I am sure the front is different. It also seemed to be secured differently than the description in the front. Well….everything went very smoothly and we had the whole thing back together and working within 1 1/2 hours! And get this….NO BROKEN CLIPS!!! (and no leftover parts) hehehhe. Money saved on this venture: $152.83. That gives us more money for GEOCACHING!!! Oh and if you have never heard of geocaching, go to http://www.geocaching.com and check it out. I am sure there are several within a couple miles of YOUR house. Thanks,
Brenda
Well I am trying to file down the spool and re-cable the sucker right now. I am going out of town and need my window fixed now but am not about to spend $500 for something so simple (only simple because I found your site! Thanks!) Well my local dealership here in Thousand Oaks quoted me $335 for JUST THE PART! They say it is only sold as a regulator/motor COMBO. Wow. Also spoke to the class action lawsuit referred to by jim kerrey. Everyone should give them a call.
Thank you for taking the time to share the installation. For those of you that are having the problem of driver side window/ lock switches not working and other window switches not working but pass side lock working, try this. I found a broken wire ( black ) located in the black boot, housing the door wires between the door and door jam. After reconnecting with wire connector all switches and locks worked again. Pull boot off on the door side and when replacing that end of boot you can pull the white insert out of the door to make it easier to replace the boot.
DUDE! You just saved me at least $500. I called the dealer and they told me that “depending on what they found” I was looking at $500-$600. Following your instructions, this repair took me less than 2 hours to complete. it would have been even less but been I was reattaching the rods, I broke the stem off the inside door lock. A little super glue and it was fine. My fault; was in too much of a hurry. The cable on the regulater had broken. Had never seen that particular problem. There was no way to reattach it. A couple of tips on buying the replacement part. 1) Don’t buy it from the dealer. 2) look on ebay for the part. You can get it for about half the price as an auto parts store/site, provided you can find the right year, side and location. Thanks again
i had the same problem. youd think that their would be a recall. fyi the electric fan for the motor has a recall. if it fails it busts the ratator up and cost like 5 hundred and they have a recall on it. dont get a after market fan the plugs dont fit well and it will fail. cost me like 2 hundred bucks in toeing and hotels and so on. i got stuck in miami.
Will these instructions work 2007 Jeep Liberty ?
Thank You
The same thing happened to my friends passenger side window, but his Jeep Liberty 2002 has a manual window (the handle crank) do these rules still apply to fixing it?
FIX YOUR REGULATOR TO LAST FOREVER!!!!
Do you want to fix your window right and make it last forever? You still need to buy a new regulator, but the problem is the PLASTIC cable block! (It’s a small, cube shaped part about one inch square). This cheap plastic cable block breaks very easily, and when that happens, the cable backlashes like a fishing reel, then your window drops. You can’t fix it then, because it’s a tangled mess, as some of you know already.
Chrysler/Jeep could have modified/Repaired these faulty regulators by substituting Aluminum blocks for a few cents each, and saved MEGABUCKS on warranty replacement. But after the first 3 years are up, they won’t replace anything that’s not covered. I’ll never understand why they won’t spend a thousand to save a million. Your NEW regulator could fail again right away, because the new ones (Both OEM and Aftermarket) are still made with the weak plastic cable blocks.
Now you can order an ALUMINUM cable block, and it’s easy to replace the plastic one on your NEW regulator. Easy instructions on website. The metal blocks do the job, but they cost $30 each. You can buy them at pocketlogger.com, and they take Paypal.(I do not work for them or get any commission. This is the only place that sells the durable metal blocks).
Also: After reading the How-to’s, there is no reason to remove window from the door. Just lift it up to the normally closed position and tape it in the up position with Duct Tape. Then when you get the new regulator installed, you can carefully lower the window and put in the 2 retaining clips. Harry
Thanks guys!!!! This save me $200. My son’s 2003 grand cherokee just had the 2nd regulator break. I paid to have the 1st 1 changed a year ago. Wish I’d seen your site then. Only problem I had was getting some of the electrical connections separated. Fortunately my wife seems to have a knack for that.
Thanks again.
Do these instructions work for the 95 Cherokee 4 door? I was quoted $500 for just the part this morning.
Glad I found this site. One of the rear door windows went out this week on my GF’s 2004 Jeep Liberty. This makes it the 5th time in less than 3 years one of the back door windows have gone out. Funny because we never roll the windows down.
FYI - black electrical tape can also be used to hold the window up until you can get it fixed. If you do it right, you almost wouldn’t notice the black tape over the black trim.
I have had both of my rear door windows drop at different times. I repaired both for under $10. The cables had to be replaced. Which I purchased from the local hardware store along with some small electrical connectors Cables had to be cut to same length as old ones Electrical connectors for stops on ends of cable and use of a small lock washer to keep cable from pulling thru plastic block again
One repair made over a year now the other six weeks and both are still holding Savings from dealer cost $390 and about two hours of my time for each repair.
Your instructions were perfect. Thanks!
Hardest part for me while taking it out was diconnecting the cable. Didn’t know I had to slide that little red tab to the side (see 9th pic).
Church on Sunday for me after that little exercise in lost patience.
Thanks, Josh. Great job.
Well done Josh! I followed your instructions today and was able to complete my first ever major repair on my Jeep. Your procedures were on point, loved the pictures as they helped a lot visually. One thing for all the readers on this blog who will attempt this repair; once you reach step 10 (Unplug the cable attaching the power/controls to the window motor.) there is a little Red piece, you must take a small screw driver and push the clip in and pull the piece downwards Not all the way out) only after you do this will you be able to unplug the cable fully.
Josh thanks again man, you saved me some money.
Thanks for the directions. They were perfect. I was able to do the repair all by myself…my dad would be so proud. I was kinda scared when i had everything taken apart and just hoped i could get it back together and actually that was pretty easy. You saved me about 400.00. got to love Google.
Josh, thanks for taking the time to show how this is done. You saved me a bunch and your instructions were excellent. You are a great example of what the best thing about the internet is - people helping people. I don’t think I would have attempted this without your guidance and the great comments by your fans. Please add me as one more fan!
Internet part, $120. 2 hours of my time, free. Absolutely no involvement from extortionist dealer or repair shop, PRICELESS. While I could have figured this out on my own, no telling how long that would have taken. Your post and detailed instructions not only provided an excellent roadmap but also inspired confidence, which is always helpful with an unfamiliar repair effort. Enjoy the beer money I sent with Paypal and thanks for help!
Thanks to all on this site.
My 2002JGC with 35000 miles lost its driver’s rear window regulator ten days ago and its driver’s front regulator today. Just ordered the front regulator off of ebay for 51.99, shipping included which is a major deal and about half of what I already paid for the rear window regulator.
Of course, these are repairs I should never have to make and testament to the lack of quality chrysler products are built with. And they wonder why they’re nearly bankrupt.
Again, thanks to everyone with the answers on this forum.
This step be step instructional was perfect. Thanks for writing up!!!
I have had my window regulators replaced so much now that I can predict which window will go down next. I took my Jeep to the dealership AGAIN today and the service guy suggested I contact Chrysler/Jeep at 800-992-1997. I am calling tomorrow and demanding a lifetime warranty for the life of my loan regarding the window regulators. If they do not meet my demand, I will be contacting a lawyer for a possible class action lawsuit. I am over it! If you are interested in joining me for this class action suit, email me at southphilly_girl@yahoo.com and put JEEP CLASS ACTION in the subject line. Good luck to all.
I have done some research recently, having also been victim of a failed window regulator, and found that the problem seems to be a faulty plastic clip that holds the cable ends in place. During my research, I found this site: http://pocketlogger.com/?pid=jpw that offers a replacement for the existing plastic part for one made of aluminum. The parts cost about $30 each. I believe I will be getting a couple of these soon to begin replacing the two front clips.
-DON-
p.s. - I have no affiliation with the pocketlogger site or its owners - just thought it was interesting that SOMEONE had found a solution for the problem we all seem to be experiencing.
Thanks for the great instructions with pictures it was very helpful. My local Jeep dealer wanted 450.00 to install and replace the regulator. I followed your directions as well and also bought the regulator from auto.com for 99.00 and saved myself 350.00. I am by no means mechanically inclined when it comes to cars so if I can do it anyone can. Thanks again
Thanks so much for the info, my regular dealership wanted $598.00 to remove and replace the power window regulator that was after they charged me $70.00 to tell me it was broken…jeez!!! They are criminals!!! It took us less than an hour and I found the replacement part on line for $100.00 w/ shipping. Thanks again
Thanks for the post, I called the dealer and an auto glass company, and no one could do the job for less than $400, I found a window regulator online from website that sells used parts. the regulator cost me $85 total with shipping, and was like new when I received it. Your instuctions were great, the only thing I did different was I left the window in the door. Once I disconnected the window from the regulator, I pushed it up all the way and used wedges in the track to keep it there, and then installed the new regulator. Saved time, and no risk of breaking the glass.
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to do this. I am pretty handy with things but I did not want to attempt this because I had no idea how complicated it was going to be, and I did not want to make the situation worse. I have had all four window regulators go bad on my jeep (2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited) in the two years I have owned it, and my back drivers side has went out twice. The first few I had fixed for about $400 a piece. The last two I fixed yesterday in about an hour and half. I also got my part for $100 including shipping from a1auto.com. You saved me about $600 hundred dollars. I just wish I would have found your site when the first regulator went bad. Thank you again and if you guys are ever in Tampa FL I would be more than happy to buy you a drink.
Great post! Lots of very good information. Thank you very much.
I found this post as I was looking for a way to fix my lock for my rear liftgate. I found a site that looks good, and I’m going to try their steps to fix my liftgate. If anyone else is having issues with their liftgate lock, check out http://www.wjjeeps.com/liftgate.htm
This is a great site. We haver replaced both front window regulators, drivers side twice and now am trying to replace the passanger rear and have hit a dead end. The service manual I downloded from the attached link says I have to remove the stationary glass in the door and I’m totally stumped. I’m not sure what they mean by “remove the botl attaching the bottom of the glass run channel to the door” since there are a couple of bolts that appear to hold the channel to the door. I’m not even sure what they mean by “glass run channel”‘ If anyone have pictures or drawings that could help I sure would appreciate.
Thanks
I’ver removed the first both but am having troubl
http://pdftown.com/Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-2001-Service-Manual.html
Thanks, Josh and Lisa! Lost both driver and passenger windows on 2003 GC when tried to open windows after a snowstorm. A loud POP…and then nothing. Dealer quoted 140.00 labor and 294.15 parts, for each side! Then found your blog and decided to tackle it. Found units with motor at NAPA for 112.00, in stock, which means it’s pretty common. I’m no mechanic, so first window took about 2 hours. Second window about 40 minutes. I tried the duct tape method, left window in while I replaced the unit and then just cut the duct tape to maneuver the window onto the new unit. Hardest part was heating the garage enough to do the work! Thank you for taking the time to post your instructions and pictures.
My right front regulator broke on 1/12/2008 the window fell down almost froze.I’m out of work so a quick fix to hold the window up.the top right bolt I took out and put a 10mm x 50mm in after putting window in the up position
Hey! I am in the midst of replacing my regulator/motor assembly on my 02 Grand Cherokee and found your site very useful while taking apart my door. It seems that 1A auto sells the regulator/motor re-engineered for about $80. They can be found on nexttag with excellent buyer reviews.
On a different topic, if anyone is able to put my mind at ease, I just changed out the spark plugs. It was my first time ever so, ignorant as I was, I blew some dust into one of the cylinders. Is it really something to wig out about?! They were very small particles. Please help me relax! Thanks for the useful info.
My 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport with the CRD has had the driver’s side window regulator repaired three times under warrantee and the passenger side one replaced once so far. Warrantee is about to expire in April and both windows are acting up again. I want the dealer to repair both more permantly under the warrantee.
My hope was to have them use thePower Window Block offered by http://www.pocketlogger.com/index.php?pid=jpw , but see that is is made only for Grand Cherokee. Does anyone know if someone else has made a similar product for the Jeep Liberty?
Thanks for all the previous information, which I am going to submit to my dealer. They acted like this wasn’t a typical problem.
Window regulators, such as the Grand Cherokee, through age and etc., suffer from the dreaded malady called friction !! When installing a new regulator lightly coat the cable in the area of the pulleys with a motorcycle cable lube. Then treat the sliding part of the regulator with Lubriplate 630- AA lightly on both sides !! This will reduce the effort for operation and in turn the wear on the usual “puke” spots !! With regulators already in use remove the inside beltline rubber seal and “shoot” a little white lithium spray on the up and down regulator support !! Use all lube lightly !! Have had good success !!
I have a 1998 grand cherokee lerado. I’m not sure my problem is the regulator. Can anyone Help? None of the power options work on the drivers door. The other doors lock and windows work but I can’t control them from the drivers door pannel.
Well, I have tried this today too. It turned out that only the piece that holds the end of my cable was broken. I used wire that holds picture frames up to make a contraption to hold it in place. The window does not work perfectly (probably needs some grease), but it works and it was free. These instructions helped a LOT. Took me all in all about an hour, and that included scratching my head as to how to attack the loose cable to the busted plastic piece.
A local repair place wanted 250.00. Too much for this girl, who just could not believe that the whole thing needed to be replaced.
A local Jeep dealership quoted me $450 to replace the driver’s side window regulator. After getting up off the floor, I went to the net and found a much more acceptable solution… to replace the part myself. I am not all that mechanically inclined but these directions were very easy to follow. $130 dollars for the part from a local auto parts store, two hours and the the window is working great. My 8 year old son also got time to see how the window goes up and down.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks a million, changed regulator yesterday, $115 from Autozone. Your detailed instructions made it a breeze.
I am so relieved to see that everyone else is having the same problems! I called the dealership and asked if this problem was common and they said not really but they hear it from time to time. HA what a joke……So I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and now 3 of my 4 windows have dropped due to the stupid plastic regulators snapping. So I called to get a price quote for the regulators, and the guy told me um these are very pricey units and you cannot buy them seperately they are 271.00 for the drivers window, 271.00 for the front passenger side, and 276.00 for the rear drivers side. Are they kidding me?
So now I am in search of an aftermarket regulator that does not cost me an arm and a leg because I am sure they will continue to break. Any body know of any aftermarket regulators?
Didn’t know I should of financed the price of replacing 15,000 regulators as well! Haha
Just finished up drivers side window. 94 bucks for motor/regulator assembly. Neither O’reilly/Auto zone carried just the regulator. Passenger front door went out over the summer and today the driver door. In august I dished out 400$ and was shocked. Also got ripped off cause they charged me 265 for the part! Josh and Lisa have saved me lot’s! Thanks. I have never attempted anything mechanical EVER. And I finsihed this within 2 hours. Hardest part was trying not to break the CLIPS holding the panel…no luck so it was back to Auto Zone to buy the clips, 1.75 for 2 pack. I broke 3. But other than that I am prepared for the back windows. LOL. I may go out and check out the junk yards and get the back windows if the savings is worth it.
Ahhh Hey everybody I found the regultaors on ebay! Yeah! Going to order them and let others know…
thanks for the directions! It was so easy a caveman can do it.
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to send a HUGE thank you to Josh-n-Lisa. My drivers side rear window failed on my 2005 Jeep Liberty. I probably would not have tried to fix it myself, if I hadn’t found this site.
After reading a bit, I got the hang of what needed to be done. I found the complete regulator at my local Jeep dealer for $89. I installed it in under an hour. After doing it once, I’m sure I could do it again in about 15 minutes.
If you are reading this and are hesitant about doing this yourself, DON’T BE!! If you can change your own oil, you can replace your window regulator.
Also, I think I could have easily fixed my original regulator, and saved the $89. It seems that the only problem was the nylon piece that connects the cable to the window had popped loose from the cable. From what I could tell by looking at both the new vs old assembly, the nylon thing is just held on by friction. I took a hammer to the old assembly, and tapped the nylon thing back onto the cable. It seemed to attach very strongly back to the cable. I will definitely try this first on the next one that fails.
First off, thanks a lot for the instructions. Last year my driver’s side window dropped down and I replaced the regulator/motor in about 2 hours, saved a lot of $$$! A few weeks ago, my window started going up and down slower and slower, until it won’t go down anymore. I don’t hear any noise when I press the switch. Since it’s staying up I think it may just be the motor. Is there a way to only replace the motor and not the entire regulator assembly? I have a 2000 GCL. Thanks in advance!
My passenger window went out 1.5 yrs ago. I have it blocked up. I will try to repair now that I have some idea of what to do. I also have the cold air problem and am furious with Chrysler. $1500 to repair. It was a cold winter. Now my driver side power lock only works when the door is mostly closed. I’m guessing a short in the wire. My wife works for a class action attorney. I’ll consult and let this post know if there is a chance for a case.
JOSH, you are Da Man. Someway, Somehow, I’m going to get you BEER MONEY!!
My front passenger window on my 2003 JGC went a couple of days ago. Garage wanted $115 just to take the door panel off to see what was wrong. I have never worked on my car before, but saw your site, bought the regulator/motor for $99 at o’rielys with lifetime warranty and spent just under 2 hours doing it. I am so freaking proud of myself!!! Thank you so much for a wonderful detailed description of how to change it yourself.You truly are a godsend.
Hey folks, I need a BAD 97-01 jeep cherokee regulator for the driver’s side front. Yeah, wierd request I know. ACtually if you can get it out without damaging it I really just need that cable inside your old regulator in which you are about to throw away if you are on this web page. bikejake@yahoo.com please help a guy out. I’ll give the 1st person to offer me one 10$ plus shipping.
Thank you so MUCH ! ! ! You saved me over $450, Got mine on Ebay for 45 and the dealer wanted $525 to put it in. It took under an hour and i have no car fixing ability, car breaking….yes but no car fixing ability.
Thank you again….
Thanks for your input on Jeep Liberty rear windows. Both of my rear windows dropped out of sight within a day of each other. The Plastic part that the metal cable grinds through hardened and fractured in the Arizona Heat. My mechanical engineer husband is engineering a metal holder to keep the cable in the threads of the pastic. Will let you know how it works and its longivity.
Thank you.
You did a lot of people a great service with this post. You saved me $400 and with the confidence I gained I may try other repairs myself.
Thank you, thank you!
Just finished pulling out a defective regulator which revealed a piece of the white plastic that chipped off which held the cable in place. I am a lucky one though…my first at regulator at 153K miles! Tried to find just the plastic replacement part (plastic holding a metal cable; one reason Chrysler is where it is!) and couldn’t. Just the whole regulator with or without motor. Found one with motor for $55 which seems a good deal. Based on the “jeep window regulator” results, at some point a lawyer is gonna go for it. My first and last Jeep…back to Toyota.
Just finished replacing the regulator on the front passenger window of my ‘99 Grand Cherokee. Wouldn’t have attempted it without your webpage. Thanks!
Lee
I recently purchased a 2004 Grand Cherokee Special edition. Last month the passennger window quit working - $450.00 bill the repair because a little piece of plastic broke. This weekend the Drivers side broke - samt thing. I can’t believe they haven’t redesigned this feature so there is a metal catch rather then plastic. Anyway, this is my first Jeep purchase and probably my last. There is no excuse for them not to have a fix for a reocurring problem.
http://www.wickedmotor.com carry many accessories and auto parts
Our 2007 Jeep Liberty has had 3 window regulators replaced by the dealer - who will no longer cover the cost of repairs. 2 of of the replaced regulators are now acting up and we have been advised to replace the glass and the regulator - which we will do. I will never again purchase a Jeep because the dealer will not stand behind repairs like this on 2007 with 15,000 kilometers. We bought it at the Jeep dealership in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico and because we had the oil changed at a different garage, it voided any warranty on the Jeep according to Jeep Mexico!
Thanks for this info. As another posted said, it gave confidence knowing a summary of what to do in advance. I made an educational video of the work which may help visualize this process:
http://vimeo.com/4763460
The vehicle is a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. Based on other’s experience, I’m expecting another window to stop working shortly. But thanks to this experience, it’ll only cost $55.
I just replaced my regulator on my 2001 Grand Cherokee limited using these instructions and they were fantastic. The part cost $125 from Auto Zone and took about 2 hrs to complete. It looks harder than it is.
Many thanks for the detailed instructions - my 2002 GC 4.7HO drivers side window is now back in business. Reg/Motor failed at 81K. I found the OEM part online for 77.95 and free shipping! The local dealer wanted 275 just for the part? No wonder they are banko…
In and out in 30 minutes with your instructions. Yes - I did need the three new bolts for the motor assembly - but I had these in the old toolbox.
Any other HO performance fixes in the bag?
FSHKLR
Sign the petition.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Recall/petition.html
Thanks for the instructions! I used the handy tip to tape the glass in place and it worked well. It took me about 2 and half hours from start to finish. I was so excited to save some money and it wasn’t difficult.
Hey Josh,
Glad to see people getting out from under the dealers thumb. I too ran across this problem on my wifes’ Liberty. First I drilled a small hole in the plastic trolly, inserted a short drywall screw and that held a while (I was really surprised that it was so poorly engineered by Mopar OEM)and YES I am an old school Mopar guy from wayback. However as I said, I rigged it and instructed her not to use the window for a while as it was “temporary” until we could afford the new part. Well, of course it’s down again and I searched and found your site. I commend you on your work, and consensus is that the dealers have been getting over on us long enough… let em’ close down. Meanwhile, I was thinking (since the car co.s are all bankrupt anyway) I’ll make a living re-engineering and fixing (at a more reasonable rate) a bunch of these STUPID little deals. (Saturn has a stupid little articulating grommet in thier gear-shifters that always breaks) I fixed that deal already. I’ll work on this one and get back to everyone soon. $300 is rediculous… $100 is high too. $50 is reasonable… but the whole deal takes an hour or so and requires (for the most part) a 40 cent plastic clip, a 10mm ratchet/socket and a flat screwdriver …so $38.50 out the door is more like it. One 10th of the dealer cost! Of couse my showroom floor isn’t quite marble & granite either, lol. Good job and great site! I’ll be back. Dave
This past wintr I undertook the project of replacing the blend doors for the heat. This was a breeze comraed to that. Same headache, broken cheap plastic pieces. Your instructions were complete and helpful. I got my replacement parts at Autozone, $114.95. It took me about 1 1/2 hours. The most difficult part was putting the vapor barrier back in place usibg the old adheisive. Caio!
This past winter I undertook the project of replacing the blend doors for the heat. This was a breeze compared to that. Same headache, broken cheap plastic pieces. Your instructions were complete and helpful. I got my replacement parts at Autozone, $114.95. It took me about 1 1/2 hours. The most difficult part was putting the vapor barrier back in place usibg the old adheisive. Caio!
I have the solution for all jeep owners, I repairs this regulators and with my repair it will not brake again, I’m a ebay power seller, my ebay id is gato500 or can e-mail me direct to alex500@bellsouth.net for any questions, I have more than 2900 jeep customers satisfied and I offer lifetime replace warranty in all my regulators.
GREAT JOB!!! I don’t do much work on cars, but with these directions I was able to fix my window. Just like most, the window began to fall and ‘float’. When I used the button to move it, all I heard was the motor running, but no movement. I went to the dealership and bought the regulator and motor ($190). It has a 12 month warranty on it. My window was the RR. I took the screws out and got the panel off. Took the speaker out and the vapor sheet. I lowered the window down toward the bottom so I could get to the clip easily. Just used a pliers to pull the pin out. I moved the window back up and taped it off. The window doesn’t need to be removed. Took everything out and removed it from the larger hole toward the latch side. Put everything back in and worked like a charm! THANKS AGAIN!!!!
Had to replace the rear passenger side regulator on my 2004 Jeep Liberty. Thanks for the help! I have a neighbor that works for Ford. He was able to get it through his connections for $60. Took about 3 hours and is back in working order. Thanks again!!
I started taking my door apart on 03 Grand Cherokee ltd then check internet and found your link. I put a screw in the plastic block to hold it until I get back from my fishing trip. It does work well but it’s just a short term fix. Thank you.
The other thing that I fixed a month ago was the heater blend doors, the plastic brakes and the heat or ac will not work. Found BlenDor on internet alum doors and alum shaft with instruction to install thru glove compartment with life time. Worked great cost about $100
Much better than the $1,500 at the shop.
another problem that should have been a recall
Thanks again for this sight
Hi,
I was just trying to figure out how to put the window back on the track and I can’t figure the darn thing out, I’m sure it is simple. Think you can help me out!
Thanks, Pam
Hi Pam,
I had the same problem at first. If you look down from the top you will see the slots the window fits into. Lift the window up and push it toward the inside of the door and it should go into the slots.
Rich
If its attaching the window to the regulator put the clips in first and then push the pegs and they will snap into place.
Rich
Hello,
I have a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee and both the driver and passenger windows have gone out. I took it to the dealer just to see what the damage ($) was going to be and they said it was going to cost around $400-$450 just to fix one window. They told me that more than likely it was the regulator as the window began to just work its way down as I was driving. Anyway,I did some research online and found the regulator with the motor (new) for $69.00 each.I just ordered both of them from Partspro.com and am awaiting to install them myself once they arrive. Thanks for the installation info.
Thanks so much for the installation info! Called Jeep dealer this morning to order part and was told that it was BACKORDERED! I told the parts manager seems like it was not an un-common problem, he said he had 2 other people call about them this morning…this Louisiana heat is apparently melting all those plastic parts! Wanted $170.00 for the part that I couldn’t get for about a month or so. I found it cheaper on line ($99 + shipping) and plan on replacing it myself. Thanks again for the info.
Just got back from AutoZone. Paid $99.00 for regulator with motor. Took me exactly 1 hour to install. Earlier today Jeep quoted me $285 for part + $220 for labor for a total well over $500 with tax. Thanks for the tips!
HI
being I have been hit hard by recession.
I repaired the broken bracket. myself
I drilled through plastic bracket and into cable about half way thru. then inserted a hard steel pin into hole made sure it did not bind then hot glued it to stay in place. so far after 3 weeks still holding.
It took me longer to affect repair than to take unit in and out I pluged regulator and motor in when it was out of door to check before I put back in
I think the fault is with design and original installation at factory., the plastic where the cable screwed into was so thin there is no way it would hold for long time. it should never have been used in the first place.
thanks for all the great tips.
Thanks for the information. The dealer wanted $500 to replace this. With your direction it only cost me $99 and about 90 minutes of my time. Thanks for your help. Now my rear window just failed and I’m hoping it’s just as easy to replace.
Everyone that has posted to this site with a complaint should get a hold of the BBB in the area and let them know this an ongoing issue for most jeep owners. This was my first and last jeep, I am looking at getting a FJ Cruiser made by Toyota.
Josh and Lisa you guys rock! If I didn’t have the extended warranty for my jeep I would have been up the creek with out a paddle. Also thanks for taking the mystery out what the dealers want to charge a ton of money to do.
Hello Josh,
Your a good man to put that effort into making this reliable procedure. You made the difference in me doing it myself rather than give it to the dealer.
The next couple of craft brews are me!
Thanks.
Mike.
This was excellent info. I have had 3 of these replaced on my 2004 Jeep under warranty (although 2 actually went just outside the period but Jeep fixed one for free and the other for $100 deductible) but the 4th one went well outside the warranty. I took the window to bit and found the plastic holding the cable had worn. I was able to reattach the cable with a nut and bolt and everything appears to be great. The 2004 door is slightly different so it was tricky to get the glass out but I’m really hoping this is fixed for free and not the $450 I was going to pay Jeep….No wonder they went bankrupt if this is the best window design they can come up with.
Hey folks. My wife has a 2005 Jeep Liberty and she
just had her left rear window regulator fail.
Jeep ordered the part and replaced this a.m. In the mean time, she called Chrysler and was informed that yes this is a chronic problem. It has been fixed on the 2009 vehicles (Finally). They also told that all she has to pay is a $ 50 copay and Chrysler will absorb the rest. She is over warranty. The woman said that they are doing this for people who contact them but they are not putting anything in writing to the public. So, next time you have a failure, call Chrysler direct first.
To Bill on July 29th, 2009 -
What Chrysler phone number did your wife call? My passenger-side rear window regulator went this past Sunday, but haven’t gotten it fixed yet - suppose to tomorrow. This is the 3rd regulator that has gone bad on me since I bought my 2004 Grand Cherokee new, would like to save some money. Thanks
I also had this problem with the regulators twice. Chrysler just don’t care. I suggest that everybody files a safety complaint at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm. Make sure you point out the potentially lethal consequences of rear passenger windows falling into the door as you drive along the freeway.
After replacing the front passenger side window regulator of my daughters 2001 Jeep Cherokee, she had both rear regulators go out and my other daughters 2003 Jeep Liberty she had one rear regulator go out. After the first one I had the other blocked up. Then I found this site. So I taped the windows up and took the three regulators out. I begin thinking of ways to repair. I went to Home Depot and purchased cotter pins (3/32 x 3/4 inch). For the Jeep Cherokee, I run a cotter pin through the cable and through the hole of the plastic nylon piece that had broke and secured it on the backside. Just to be provide a better secure fit, I put some marine epoxy in the hole to fill it up. BINGO FIXED! Works like a charm. For the Jeep Liberty, the regulator is completly different. But I used the same technique to repair it. I drilled a small hole “3/32) through the plastic anchor being careful not to pierce the side that slides on the bar. Then I placed the cotter pin around the cable and sunk it between the spring to provide the clearence I needed so it would slide freely and secured it on the back side. ONCE again BINGO FIXED! But thanks to this website to get me to thinking and pull it out so I could consider ways to repair. It took very little time and effort. Cost: 70 cents for a bag of cotter pins and 5 dollars for the epoxy.
Wow, I have a Jeep Liberty 2007, with 37,000miles on it, and I have had 4 window regulators replaced under waranty, and now a fifth one has gone. The dealer quoted me $450 plus labor. The craziest thing is that I don’t even use these windows. I drive with the A/C on and I only roll down very seldom.
Anyhow, I now need to find a window regulator for the right rear door and replace it myself.
So hopefully with this webpage, I can be able to get the gist of what i have to do.
Thank You,
Forrest
Thanks a lot man. I printed off the directions and had the window changed in about 2.5 hours. I bought the regulator and motor at http://www.1aauto.com for $82 including shipping. Much appreciation!
Thanks for the info!
I have a 2002 Grand Cherokee Laredo Sport. My Front Driver Side regulator broke in 2006 and now the front passenger 2009. (shameful that this has gone on so long without a recall or a FIX!)
I ended up taking it to my trusted Mechanic who gave me a quote on changing the motor and the regulator + labor for 300$. So, i spent a little more then i had to, but i just didnt have time to do it myself. Your info gave me insight into a fair price. And as usual my guy keeps his markup very reasonable.
(would like to see that Class Action)
Stephen,
Just used your instructions to change out the regulator in my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The estimate from the shop was $380 and instead I found the part at autozone for $95. Thanks a million man.
Window was in down position when my wife slammed the door kind of hard. I can hear motor run for just a short time when activated then stops. Window doesn’t respond at all to the motor’s input. Is it my regulator?…or motor?…a cable?
Hey…I got it fixed. Once I got in there and took the unit out I saw that the cable end, held by a small piece of plastic had broken. I bought the replacement part at Kragen for 99.99 plus tax. The Jeep dealer wanted $289. Is it any wonder I don’t want to shop with the dealer?
Thanks Josh for a great web site! If you get to Southern California I’ll take you to the Stone Brewery in Escondido…fresh Stone IPA is the best!
just spent an easy hour reading thru your blog as my niece has same window problem and i am going to attack it next monday when she comes down, im definatly loaded for bear now after all the info ive gleaned here. will let you and lisa know how it all goes josh.
Thanks for posting this.
Went to the dealership…again today to have a regulator fixed on one of my 05 jeep’s windows. This will be at least the 6th time, I’ve lost track, but each window has gone down at least once. Driver’s rear today, last time that went was November of last year. Luckily the first 4 times it was covered under warranty, and as I have extended warranty it’s “only” $100.00 deductable which after the first hundred they started waving it cuz I have been there so much!!! It is a pain in the ass though!!! I only have 24,000 miles on this car, and want to give it my son when it’s paid off…but really?? Can anyone tell me if the regulators you have purchased and replaced yourself are better than the ones, that keep failing from Chrysler??? Hate to say it but my next car will be a Toyota…which really makes me sad because my husband and I (we are in our 50’s) have never bought anything but American…except for that Yugo he had when he was down on his luck…but he got over 100,000 miles out of it.
Julie
thank you for the great instructions for replacing the power window regulator on my 2001 jeep gran cherokee limited. i bought the part for $99.00 and installed it in about one hour. could have gone faster but i took my time, next time it will go much faster. dealer wanted $400.00 to replace.thanks again
ralph
Hi, thanks for the great instructions, but I have to offer that when reinstalling, steps 13 and 14 are a little confusing. These are actually better than others on the internet (that say something like “reconnect the motor to the regulator”). What needs to be highlighted is that you’re taking the 3 screws from the new motor and attaching the motor back to the inside of the door, not to the regulator. Took me 20 minutes to figure out what was supposed to happen. Thanks again though!
Grant
Thank you Thank you Thank you!
1999 GC drivers side regulator replaced for $79 and 2 hours of my time…versus the $400 the Dealer was going to charge me.
Thanks,
Been driving around for months without being able to lower the passenger window. $79 and 1 hour and the wife thinks I’m Superman.
Josh,
I’ve got everything removed in order to replace the regulator (a little white piece of some clip broke off, haven’t seen what it broke off of yet.) I must be blind, but I cannot separate the stupid power window cable from the motor; It has to be a push or squeeze then pull thing, like all clip connectors. What am I missing???
Thanks, Ron
Thanks for the help. I was wrestling with this today and blocked my window up until I can get the part ordered. You have helped greatly with this exellent article. Thanks.
Just to add to my above post. I own a 2004 Jeep Grand and have 84000 miles. This is the first one to go.
DO YOU HAVE A PICTURES ON HOW TO PUT IN A BACK WINDOW ON THE LEFT SIDE OF A JEEP LIBITY?
Just wanted to say thanks for the effort you put into posting this. I had the passenger side front regulator fail while I was on vacation last week. I had to tape it shut until I got home. My 02 laredo has 145,000 miles on it and this was the first one to go. I had bought a hayes manual to do my brakes but your work instruction as well. The hayes manual did not have a lot of detail. I had to buy the whole assembly with the motor from NAPA for $115.00. It took me about three hours. I need to get a new moisture barrier as mine had degraded. Again, great job thanks for the help.
Thanks so much for this info! I have an ‘03 JGC and three of my regulators are broken. I was able to cope with two of them going out, but then the front driver’s side went out. My boyfriend came across this site and he’s going to fix it for me using all the wonderful info found here. Thanks everyone. My only question is this: I’ve found the part I need on the internet at AM Auto Parts for $55. Has anyone ever ordered from them? I’m just curious to know if they’re a reputable company and who makes their parts. All the local auto stores want $99 for the Dorman brand. Any advice on which brand to go with?
I’m also going to call Chrysler and add to the complaints.
And to whoever posted about the brakes…Yes, I’ve had the same problems. Replaced all four sets twice now.
I wanted to thank you for the blog/postings. My 2007 Jeep Liberty has had to have all FOUR window regulators replaced within the first 18 months. One window regulator has been replaced twice. This is my first NEW vehicle purchase and I have been disappointed with the issue. Thank goodness the problems happened while under manufacture warranty (within 30k miles), however, it is TIME out of my work day to get them to the dealer and fixed. The dealership is complacent about the issues and told me that they see it all the time. Wouldn’t you think that Chrysler would fix this problem well before now? Give me a break! My other complaint about the vehicle is regarding the cloth seats. They stain easily (water leaves marks) and instead of being the ‘durable’ quality that I thought Jeep provided, they have been a pain to deal with. The dealer told me to pay to have someone coat the fabric with a rain-x type substance. Any other ideas?
Signed,
Unhappy and Annoyed 2007 Jeep Liberty Owner
Hello!
Wow…okay so I think I can do this myself just a few questions before I begin!
Two months ago my rear passanger window stopped working..no big deal the window was up. A month later my rear drivers side window stopped working…big deal it was down. My friend took the pannel off and used a portable jumpper with two nails an “jumpped” the window up, put a note on the switch warning my kids not to touch it or else! Last week my drivers door locks stopped working strange but I used my alarm button to lock the car. Today my drivers window, passenger window, and power mirrors stopped working too! Before I go buying 4 regulators…could this be a fuse or something?
Thanks for our help!
Your pictures and instructions were every bit as good as any manual written by a manufacturer. Thanks for the tips - I completed the job in 1.5 hours. Thanks again.
Your pictures and very detailed instructions were very helpful in getting this job done. I went to Partstrain and purchased the new regulator for a total of $79, including shipping and handling. And in previous comments by others the bill would of been $450. That is a savings of $371.00.
You can find many of the Dorman regulators on Amazon and they sell them cheaper than the local auto parts stores and with free shipping. For instance, one for my Jeep was around $72 at Autozone/Advanced/Pep Boys but I could get it for $52 from Amazon and not have to pay sales tax. Some of the other online stores were also in the same neighborhood as Amazon. I’ve never used the Dorman regulators, but Amazon and the auto stores both list them as having a lifetime warranty. From the pictures, they’re made pretty much the same way as the original regulars — with plastic pulleys and connectors. I’d recommend getting Dorman or another brand with a lifetime warranty instead of one from the car manufacturer which will be more expensive and will eventually break again. At least with Dorman, you get a lifetime warranty if that happens. Even better would be buying one from a manufacturer that makes the critical pieces with metal parts that won’t break, but I couldn’t find one.
In my case, my 9 year old Jeep is too old in my opinion to even spend $52 on so I just fixed my regulator. The plastic piece that the wires connect to to move window bracket up and down broken, making it impossible to move the window up. I drilled a hole in the metal bracket (the metal plate shown in the picture under Step 12), ran a bolt and some nuts into it as spacers and then looped the wire around and tightened it with another nut. I figured that the only fix is to replace the damaged regulator so it couldn’t hurt to try my solution. Worse case, if it fails again, I can just install a new regulator.
The Jeep Liberty window regulator can be repaired permanently with a 10 cent cotter pin. The cotter pin eye wraps tight around the coiled cable and through a drilled hole in the plastic traveler. I did two doors in two hours. Use the strongest cotter pin that will not exceed the diameter of the cable.
Re: Jeep Liberty seats
I totally agree with the comments about the stains (even water!). I finally broke down and bought “you can’t believe it’s not leather” covers specifically for the Liberty. They weren’t cheap ($300), but it’s the BEST money I’ve spent in a long time. The fit perfectly and are amazingly easy to clean, and dog hair doesn’t stick either.
Good afternoon Josh and Lisa,
I want to thank you for your website. Yesterday I tried to lower the passenger window on my Jeep 2004 Overland and it stopped about half way down.(Our son traded my Honda for it because of the traveling he does and the Jeep is a gas hog) My husband found your website and he was able to repair my window. He followed your instructions and had no problems. He checked around and O’Riley Parts had the motor and regulator for $99 with a lifetime warranty. Your site saved us about $400.00!!!!!! My daddy always told me what goes around comes around. Ya’ll get ready, GREAT things will come your way!
Thank you,
Richard and Jan Stewart
Jasper, Alabama
Many thanks for the information you have provided for the Regulator replacement on our 2001 Grand Cherokee.Regulator on ebay-$51.95 w/ free shipping,Brakes-$???.??(Lost count),Transmission(42re)parts and well….looking at a rebuild @ $1200.00-$1600.00. Your wbesite advice on the window regulator….PRICELESS! And this damn company got my tax $$$ in a bail out.Plastic parts in a door with cold weather spells inevitable self destruction.Daimler/Chrysler has shot their own foot of in my opinion with their greety,use the customers for the research engineering!.We are no longer brand loyal.Don’t screw the people who purchased your product!Thank you to aftermarket and those with the knowledge and kindness to share info. that helps get around the stealerships money railroading schemes.
Class act suit could soley be base upon SAFETY issues.Here is my vision on a reliable new Jeep-Manual crank windows,Manual transmission and Fred Flinstone type braking. Obviously the inline 4.0 engine was to reliable for the parts dept. income and was discontinued.Hmmmmm,Fix it yourself when you can and save $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!
I have an 07 Liberty and I now have two windows out. This has happened before under warranty. I am not paying to have them fixed. Thanks for the instructions so I can do it myself. Jeep /chrysler wont do anything about the problem because they are making a killing on the parts and labor. They are laughing all the way to the bank, which is sad. I have had Jeeps before but this one is the LAST!! I am having same problem with the stains in the seats as well. Expected better from Jeep!! Thanks for the great ideas and comments!!!
Josh,
I’m right smack in the middle of the job on a 2001 Grand cherokee laredo 4×4 - V8 engine. Passenger side. Question? Do I have to remove the window from the door or can I do what the guy near the top said, and “tape the window” in the UP position? Taking the window out sounds like a bitch and I am alone on this on. Please advise when you have a minute. GREAT SITE THOUGH, I PRAY mine works when I put it all back together again. I sound like the “Humpty Dumpty” nursery rhyme. Bobby in Jersey sounding off. Thanks Bro’
You say to do everything in reverse order. but now I can’t get the glass / window back in….. I’m ready to reinstall everything in reverse order and the glass won’t go back in……Can’t get it in. H-E-L-P !!!
Well….What can I say ? If the world had more people like Josh in it, we would be much better off. I completed the job and now I want to become a Jeep window regulator technician. I was AMAZED to see how perfectly everything went. My passenger window is going up and down like a Jack-In-The-Box !!! PERFECT !!! The internet and contributors such as Josh and this site make life quite a bit easier to live in. I bought my regulator with motor from Advanced Auto Parts and a few extra clips for the door panel. Total Repair - $109.00 = YES !!!!
Awesome awesome awesome! I was warned about this problem and it finally happened to me. Have the door apart and waiting for the part. *uck dealers! Remember the good ol days when all parts of cars were ez to fix.
I love beating the dealers….! It’s a high for anyone. They can kiss my *ss. Thank you so very much.
Wait till your heater AC door fails. $1000 to remove the dash for a $100 part. No ez escape from this one.
Got my replacement front door regulator for $61 total from Auto Warehouse in three days. Took 45 minutes to change it out. Works great . Thanks for your article. It saved me time and money.
If anyone has the heater control failure on the Limited model it is easy to fix with the heater treater part available on ebay. Cost me $125 and 1/2 hour to save $1200 dealer fix.
One more thing….the window regulator part that broke was built by Bosch in Mexico to German specifications .
I think Jeep gets slammed for parts that they buy from first tier suppliers. So far I have had very few problems with my 2002 Jeep GC Limited V8. I bought it new and will buy another one.
My car has had the heater and regulator problems. I did not have the brake rotor problem. Mileage 104,000.
George - where were you a year ago when my heater door went out. Ok everyone, here’s another success story. I got my regulator and motor from Rockauto.com. Motor and regulator overnight from Wiscon to California $120.00 total. Dealer wanted $340 with tax.
Im not a rocket scientist and fairly clumsy with a wrench and I did the repair in 2 hours. Going to go ahead and repair the other 3 windows before the fall.
Thanks Josh and Lisa….
It is wonderful to find i am not the only one dealing with these stupid freekin windows and spending high $ after $ on them to be fixed. I have four windows and its now five times they have gone kaput. I’m sick of tapeing them but who has 600.00 for every time one fails to work. I have no one to help me take it apart and fix it since it was my husbands car and he is passed. We should print all these comments and go hand them out at our dealerships to protest against anyone considering buying this car. Oh yes and i too have one window where i have to manually lock it or it won’t lock.
Anybody have any pictures or further instructions on how to repair this with cotter pins and drilling holes?
Would rather spend 20 cents at Home Depot than give Jeep another dime.
Any word on the aftermarket regulators? Are they lasting longer than OEM?
comment from john in west australia on Dec.4th,09
I think i have a unique problem,in my JGC overland 02. All at once the front passenger & both rear auto window controls do not work, but the drivers side multi controls do make each window work.any ideas?
Josh,
The first time this happened to me it was the passenger side. It was the middle of summer and it broke suddenly. I took the door panel apart but had no other instruction or knowledge. Had it fixed at the stealership the next day. Big mistake…got me for $486.00. Last night, very cold, was leaving a birthday party, went to lower window to clean side view mirror and SNAP! Man… it was a long ride home. Couldn’t sleep all night knowing probably going to cost close to another five bills and Christmas right around the corner. Found your site with great instructions & very nice illustrations. Called Advance Auto and they had the part for $95 and some change including tax. I couldn’t believe it! I thought this would be a dealer only item. I know I could have probably gotten it on eBay for less. However, having to wait and worry that I could potentially get the wrong part….then send it back and wait again was a weighing factor. Anyway…bought the part locally…. got it home and less than 2 hours later…. old regulator out…new regulator in….everything was back together and working perfectly! If not for your help, the expense of having this fixed would have been somewhat devastating during the holidays. I don’t make a ton of money and I know this will sound cheesy but…you saved Christmas!
Thank you…Thank you….Thank you!!!!!!!!
I hope you have a Wonderful Holiday Season & Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Joe
I just contacted Chrysler about this problem. I have replaced one regulator every winter now for the last 4 years, and just had another one break. I suggest anybody with this problem call and do the same. The number is 800-992-1997. I told them of my discust and was assured of having a phone call returned to me by the end of the business day tomorrow on what they intend to do about this problem. As soon as I hear something I will post there response!!! Thanks Josh for all the help!!!!!!
Thank you!
Dealership wanted $550.00 for replacement of the motor and regulator. Cost me $60.00 and 45 minutes thanks to your Help.
Thanks again,
Jeff
Thank for sharing!
I have this problem with the driver side rear door. Is the disassembly simular to the front door?
I can hear the motor running but the window will not go up or down. Sounds like this regulator issue
Great info for an easy fix. Happy New Year!!!
Thanks Josh,
I bought the 2003 Jeep Liberty Auto Repair book from my Autozone for $25 and it just has blk & wht pics of the doors with arrows point to 6 bolts! WTF!!! at least your photos actually show what to work with & taking out. My wife just finished talking IPAC where I bought the Jeep from and we still have warranty there from the last time we had to fix the damn thing. Yes, it has happened before. Get this, it is just my wife and I. She drives her JP LIB & I drive my FORD Pick-up–DAMN GOOD TRUCK! & no CHILDREN!!! so no use for raising or lowering back windows what so ever! Now I would understand if the windows were in constant use and it kept breaking, then wear and tear is the issue, but when not used but very, very, very randomly why in the world does it break? Answer, Chrysler/Jeep want us to keep returning to them to continue paying for a small piece of plastic for the price of $150 to $500. That is why! The 2 front windows which are always in use no probs! Thanks to the Big Man UPSTAIRS! But the RT passenger this will be the 4th time for repair in 3 yrs, & 3 times on the LF rear window. So thanks for the superb info, and when this occurs again, which it will, I am simply doing it myself for almost $85 to $95, than $195 to IPAC Jeep Dealership! Plus, it is a great excuse for me and my 2 best bros to come by and have some COLD DDOOSS XX!!!!!!! Thanks Josh-Take Care and GOD Bless You! Laters Bro. Jimmie S.
grasias muchas grasias my friend….it help me and save me money thanks for posting and thanks for you time …
Hi,
this is well described, unfurtunatly I was a victim of the dealer. I paid 450 USD for this in California. In the future I will do it my self like you described. The dealer even told me that I needed a new window! terreble!
Just did my third Window regulator repair with just a 10 cent cotter pin. Works great. If you need pictures contact me at old49plymouth@yahoo.com
Amazing instructions! I owe you BIGTIME! 2004 Jeep Cheorkee with dead window for second time! It took me 3 hours to do it myself but that counts driving to O’Reillys and buying the part and eating out for lunch! I didn’t even have anyone to help me! The whole replacement assembly costs $108 (including the tax) but shop charged $600 last time here in Charlotte for the fix. I still can’t believe I fixed it myself but NO WAY it would have been possible without the instructions!
I got a new regulator off of Amazon for $85.00. Took about 1.5 hours . Your instructions made it easy! Thank you so much! You saved me about $400.00!
Thanks so much for the instructions!! They were great!! Appreciate you guys!!
I have an ‘05 Liberty CRD and like many above, my window is falling but not broken. I ordered this kit: http://www.steigerperformance.com/products/sp13001.html
and am hoping it provides a permanent fix. Between the instruction above and the ones from Steiger I think I’ll be ok. If it works as well as I hope I might just order a kit for the other window too.
i am about to tear into this tomorrow and i have a 2003 jeep liberty i appericate what you have done on this web site, as i look at the door i am anly seeing 2 of the three screws you are mentioning , arm rest and door handle is there a possibilty that there is only 2 screws instead of three the one by the mirror is not there with a cap to acess thanks for any help you can give and IF you do not know thanks anyway i appericate all you have done already
Hi there I just want say think you so much for helping me and others those who had no idea how to change or fix their car door. you guys are really realy did good job for this people. I had 2002 jeep cherockee, the driver side the window wasn’t work but according to you principle,I fixed my car door and you saved me to pay 400 doolars this is really big deal to me. I just bought motor and regulator and I fixed it by my self. it took about 2 hours. so I don’t know what I am going to say for you guys.
thank you so much
Like all the others thanks for the info i am giving it a shot tomorrow.
Thanks so much for the information. That’s really cool of you to take the time to explain the procedure. I have one question though, so far. What tool did you use to unscrew the torx screw underneath the door handle? Can you use an allen wrench?
I just used a torx bit on my screwdriver.
Josh,
Did you happen to take pics when you did the rear side window? It looks like thr fron door has a lot more room to see and to work. Thanks.
Jim
Josh,
I forgot to mention that I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have the door panel off and have used a small carpenter’s clamp on the track to hold the window closed. I can see a bare wire, but have no clue as to how the thing works. The motor sounds like it works, but the window does not go up. Thanks again for your efforts. I wish more people were like you, especially Jeep machanics online who charge just to answer a question.
Thanks bro! That did the trick. I had originally bought a Haynes guide, but found your instructions far more informative. I never could have done it with just the Haynes guide. Thank you so much. Everything was spot on. On to the next honeydo for my wife. Yay!
Jim:
Sorry, I never did the rear window on mine, so I wouldn’t know. I just replaced 3 front window motors.
As all the others said, I greatly appreciate it. I used a dealer to replace the front 2 windows a few years ago. I just did the left-rear. I found the part of $69.45 from AM-Autoparts (online).
The other 2 windows cost about $450-550 each. This one, $69.54 and 1 hour.
where can i find front window regulators for 2006 jeep liberty? Can’t find them antwhere other than chrysler/jeep. No way! They want me to buy a new window with the redesigned unit at 300.00 plus dollars per window. Any ideas on aftermarket replacements. thanks john
I have had my Jeep for 2 years, and have replaced all 4 motors… Ridiculous, I know. I have done lots and lots of research and I have found the dealer to be the cheapest. I have paid an average of $78 for each of mine. I even went to junk yards and they wanted more than that.
Forgot to mention… I was hit in my drivers side door and when I went to have that repaired, they threw in the window regulator also, saying that the wreck caused it (it was broke before the wreck!). The mechanic said that ordering a new motor doesn’t fix it, that we have to have a whole new window. That’s the only side I have replaced the actual window on, because it was included with the repairs from the wreck. I haven’t looked into that much but just wanted to pass that information on…
Thank you Josh and Lisa for publishing the instructions. 8 months ago my son’s 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo was in need of a new passenger side front window regulator/motor assembly installed. The dealer wanted $300 to install. I got the new part from a reputable Jeep recycler for $100 and did the work myself in a little over an hour. This past week I replaced the driver’s side assembly as well in about an hour for $60. Thanks again.
I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee - I paid the mechanic $300 for the drivers side window a few months ago and I was able to replace the passenger side by myself using your instructions. It only cost me $75 from Autozone for the regulator. Thanks!
I bought my 2003 new and the only thing people warned me about was the trans. I’ve replaced it one time and had to have the front drive shaft replaced, but I do have 180,000 on it now. The passenger window went out last fall but the window was up, so no biggie, it’s starting to get warmer now so I finally bought the part online for $46. I took less than an hour, thanks to your help. I wish I would have looked up my heater door before I paid the $1200. Through it all, i would by another Grand Cherokee again, I Love it!
Thanks for the help on this…. I owe ya a beer or three….
Thanks Josh. Your guide with pictures was just great…beer money is on the way.
Josh,
Thanks for the help you have cost the Dealers THOUSANDS of $$$$. You are great! I am working on my wifes 02 libberty tommorow and I think my Mom’s (93 ZJ) may have the same issue. Folks this is why my Wrangler has Manual windows
Lin
PS when I am done I am going to by you a 12pack via Paypal!
It took me only 1-1/2 hours at a leisurely pace without a single problem. Found the part motor and regulator assembly for only $55 at http://www.am-autoparts.com.
Thank you so much Josh for these great instructions. My wife appreciates it too as I didn’t cuss even once while doing this job.
Dieter
Josh, I have a 2001 grand cherokee and i am going to attempt to do the driver side window my self. To install the regulator you say i have to take the entire window out is that correct?
Ted:
I took the entire window out. Some folks in the comments above have discovered that if you just duct tape it in the “up” position, you can leave it in. Sounds like that would probably make the job even easier, but I have not tried that method.
Good luck!
I have an ‘03 Grand Cherokee and could not find my Haynes Repair Manual(not even sure if this process is included). Your step by step directions and images are better than most manauls anyhow. You saved me a ton of time and headache. Thank you!!!
I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. I followed your steps to replace window regulator and it took about 5 hours start to finish. I went to Jeep dealer and purchased 5 plastic dood panel holders that broke no problem. Ordered the window regulator with motor from http://www.Directauto.com for 63.00 and 40.00,overnight air, total 103.00. Wortks great now. Dealer wanted 556.00 to repair. Thank You
When I was removing the door panel, one of the white plastic clasps over the cover of the metal rods for the door and lock mechanisms broke (mentioned in Step 3). Do you know the technical name for this clasp and where I can purchase it? I’ve been unable to locate one on the web. I would prefer to not go to the dealer for this part as I know the price will be much higher than normal.
Josh
Found your instructions by mistake or pure luck and they were perfect!! I changed it out in three hours including going to the parts store. I paid $99 for the entire unit. I didn’t have time to shop around because I already had the door torn down. Even at that it’s better than paying a dealer $500 to install a $100 part. Thanks so much !! My neighbor is a Jeep freak and I showed him your instuctions after the job was done. He now has the printed copy I used. He said it was great info. Once again, THANKS SO MUCH!!
what an absolulutly brilliant website all the information required on one site saved me a packet of loot and i thought it was only ROB (Rip Off Britain)
my sincere thanks to you both
Roue
My 2004 Liberty window regulator broke yesterday, I spent hours looking for the part and it’s only at the dealership, Why? Because they re-designed it and it now requires new window glass too. If Jeep couldn’t redesign their defective part to go with existing window glass they have no business in the industry. At the least THEY should pay for the new window. $263 just for the part and glass. Huge rip off. Please file consumer complaints if this has happened to you.
Hi Josh
do you know if the Front drivers Regulator is the same as the rear drivers? I cant get a Regulator easily and can afford to sacrifice the rear window
Cheers for you expert Knowledge
Thank you so much! This site was a big help changed by 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Window regulator/motor last night. Took 1.5 hours I used the duct tape method which worked great. I got the part off ebay for 50 bucks last time it cost me 300 to have a window done. Could not have done it without your help thanks again
Perfect, big help to everyone who sees it. You did it correctly. I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The passenger side front cable snapped on the regulator/motor. Received the part today for $49.20 from ebay and completed it in good time. Thank you.
Did a class action lawsuit ever get filed? I’m interesting in jumping on board. What a fantastic feat in craptacular engineering! Replaced the two fronts myself just to have the two rears go about 2 weeks later. My solution: two pieces of wood + disconnect switches.
I would not have attempted this without your instructions and pictures.. they were great, the dealer wanted $275 just for the regulator. I did the complete job in about two hours - the little clips at the bottom of the window were the hardest part.. thanks again.
i have a 2005 jeep liberty, and this weekend i had all 4 windows stop working, i checked fuses, wires, everything i could think of. all of my windows are up except for my drivers one which is open enough for my arm to get through and open the door. i found this site and im gonna order the part and fix it myself.
thanks
I followed the step by step instructions and for $150 I replaced both windows. Great instructions, great advice, ez to do. I let my windows go for two years and because of this information, fixed both in 4 hours. Thank you. Knowledge is power!
This is great documentation. Can’t beleive there hasn’t been a recall or TSB for this. I have had two of the white plastic clips break off my 2003 Grand Cherokee.
After having 3 regulators replaced (two by the Jeep dealer and 1 at a private garage) at a total cost of more than $1000, the 4th one just broke yesterday! This is my Mom’s vehicle and she isn’t prepared to attempt the installation, so I may give it a shot. (I’m a 38 yo female w/no mechanical skills, but I can enlist the help of a friend.)
I can’t believe there hasn’t been a recall or class action lawsuit over this. It’s obviously a defective part/design issue that’s cost consumers a tremendous amount of time and money. When my Mom’s broke yesterday, she was visiting from out-of-town and had her GPS and other electronic items in the Jeep (2002 GC) that could have been stolen when the window dropped.
4 Year old Jeep Liberty, this marks the 8th time I’ve replaced the motor due to window problems. Drivers door was replaced 3 times in 18 months. First time occurred less than 3 hours after leaving the lot w/ a BRAND NEW vehicle. There should be a class action from all the stories I’ve heard about the poor design of the jeep power windows. Will NEVER buy a Jeep product again.
Brilliant! just finished mine and it was pretty easy! 60 bucks for teh regulator and about 2 hours! way to save me 300+ bucks! thanks
I have a 1997 GCL, and the dealer said that the switch broke on both the driver’s side and the rear passenger side. The windows are all up (none have ‘fallen’), and the motor isn’t running at all. The door’s all lock except for the driver side.
The switch module for the rear passenger is inexpensive, however the Dealer wants $1300 for the driver’s door. I think that’s more than the vehicle is worth now! I have had a couple of issues with the heating on the floor front passenger side.. And frankly, the a/c has never worked as I would expect it to.
I was thinking about buying another jeep, but having second thoughts now.
2004 GCL: The driver’s window was working intermittently. The dealer wanted $650 to replace the driver’s window regulator after charging $50 to “diagnose” it. After I pulled the door apart as described here I was able to track down a broken wire in the door pass-through bundle. A quick solder job was all it needed (I spliced in a couple more inches of wire). At one point all the windows had stopped working because when the door switch lost power, the system thought the child safety switch was engaged - so I recommend checking the wiring before replacing anything, especially if more than one window is affected. Total repair cost was about $.50 and and hour’s work including troubleshooting.n I’ll be having another conversation with the dealer today trying to discern what specific actions were taken in their “diagnostic check.”
Hi, I just changed my drivers side front regulator on Saturday…it just stopped rolling up today about 30 minutes ago. It move up about 1/4″ and stops. Like something is holding it back. Any words of wisdom? When it is in the up position, the cable is very tight.
Do you know why it is doing this?
[...] to hear that. Fortunately it is a simple task. Here is the write-up for getting to the glass. » HowTo: Change a Jeep power window regulator Josh-n-Lisa (.com): wondering what to write in this &#…Check the operation when you are done so you know if the regulator still works or not. Rather than [...]
I have a 2000 Grand Cherokee Larado , back left window, went down by using that switch only,but now will not go back up. I have checked the switch with meter seems ok. Motor never made a noise.window never made a noise.Glass is tight no slop.No the window lock is not on.And child lock is not on.The drivers switch works all other windows. MOTOR? REGULATOR? WIRES? HELP! Does this window come apart like the front?Do I need to take out the speaker?Thanks FOR ANY INFO!
Gene
I have the exact same problem with my 04 Grand.
Back passenger window would not work from drivers door.
Back passenger window went down from switch on the door itself but will not go up.
I cannot hear motor at all
Switch on back door still makes a clicking noise when pressed.
Glass is firm and cannot be pulled up
I’m rocking a trash bag and tape until I get back from an out of state trip next week. Does this sound like it needs a regulator and motor?
Most of the other posts mentioned their windows falling down. My window will go down further if I press the button on the door but by no means has it fallen.
Any ideas?
Ordering the part tomorrow and hoping to tackle this job with my 24 year old son next weekend. Thank you so much for keeping this website open. Its obviously helped so many of us Jeep owners!
This website is definitely being bookmarked for future use!
i may give this a try i have a jeep liberty 2005 and this is the second time one of my windows stopped working. does not seem that hard but how do i know if it is the motor regulator or the window just fell off it hindge.
last time the dealer said it was the regulator but since the regulator is tided to the motor you have to get a entire new system
this is a crapy thing and since it is the second time this has happen and after seeing how pretty much everyone has this happen a few times i guess its time for me to start learning.
thanks for the lesson
This is crap, why hasn’t there been a recall on this?? My 2007 Jeep Liberty left passenger window stopped working and the door was effected also. I was going to open the door to push the window up and the door barely opened. Then I could neither open the door or fully close it. So I was driving with the door ajar, my interior lights on and it kept dinging to let me know door ajar. This is a hazard!! I had no idea this was a problem and would NOT have bought this car if I had known. I am unemployed and do not have the money to have this fixed. Well I guess I get a crash course in fixing cars. I guess Chrysler would only care if someone gets hurt or dies. Thanks Josh, no spare money to send but I will click on your Google Ads
Update to my post, this guy has created a kit to fix the window problem for 2006-2007 Jeep Liberty models….may already be listed but here it is again… http://www.steigerperformance.com/dif.cgi?sp13006
Good luck
I replaced the regulator/motor on my rear window about 1/2 an hour ago. It only took me maybe 50 minutes. But, my window will still not go up (only down) so now i’m thinking that it is the actual switch on the door itself that needs to be replaced. I’m only into the reg/motor for $55 bucks so I dont feel too bad yet.
I have a 2007 Jeep Liberty, and I’ve been having problems with my windows from the get go. The driver side window keep dropping down on the front side and you would have to pull back on it to get it to go up. I took it to the dealer several times and within a few days it would do it again. They said they replaced the regulator every time I took it in but I don’t think so. Then we went on a road trip to California and both rear windows went out in the same day. Then we went to the drive in and the front passenger went out. The motors still run, but the window will not move up or down. So now I have 4 windows that don’t work, there out of warranty, and I’m unemployed, with no way to fix them. this is just so wrong in so many way’s. there really should be a class action suit on this.
Lucky for me your website and instructions came up on a google search. Your instructions are excellent. I am a 49 year old female with no mechanical experience and was able to do this myself using your step by step instructions. I did manage to lose 2 of the screws that hold the door panel on and am having trouble finding replacements. If anyone can suggest a place to find them. The plastic clips broke like you said they would and I was able to purchase thos at the advance auto parts. You saved me about 400.00. I paid $99.00 at Advance auto parts for the regulator w/motor. Works like a charm. After reading all these posts, I now carry clear packing tape with me in my emergency kit to tape my windows up in case another breaks. Thankyou so much again!
I forgot the mention in my previous post that my Jeep is a 2003 Grand Cherokee Laredo and this is my first trouble with the windows. It was the Driver’s side front and happened with no warning while I was out of town. the cable was broken and I’m pretty sure it was that clip everyone keeps talking about. I’m pretty sure the motor was ok because I heard it running but I just replaced the whole thing. My sons friend who is a mechanic was able to secure the window up and closed with clear packing tape wrapped all the way around from the inside over the top of the door jam to the outside until I could get it fixed which was about 6 weeks.
Here is what I did. I went to the dealer and they diagnosed it as the regulator. The service manager’s exact quote, ” Yup, its the regulator…just like all of them “.
I called Chrysler and explained to them the issue and I was given a case number. The next day they called and told me if I have the dealer fix it and pay out of pocket they will reimburse me.
I did exactly just that. This is definitely a reason to recall the vehicles but with what Toyota just went through I think they are weary of causing a panic. They will just wait for them to break and hope the Jeep customers dont do what I did. hint hint hint….
I have a 2002 Gran Cherr.Lar. Last yr.my passenger window went. A friend fixed it so it stays up.Now my frt.driver side is down.My friend is gone…I under stand every thing u explained,im just afraid of breaking the clips..YES! Im female but im willing to try to fix the window…I was told it would cost $650 to have it fixed.Can u give me an idea where the clips are located?Would appreciate it…THANKS!
Wife and I replaced passenger side regulator as per your instructions. Easy to follow instructions, bought the regulator from Amazon, paid like $60 with shipping. Just needed three machine screws from auto store to tighten the motor part to door frame. Didn’t remove glass, just taped it in the up position. Thank you very much. I see you’all drive a Ford now. LOL.
Thanks for the great info! My problem was also the 20 cent plastic piece that broke (that holds the wire to the regulator). What a shoddy design. I am going to just solder the wire to the regulator though.
Very helpful instructions! The pictures were very helpful, as was the description. It is definitely not necessary to actually remove the window, a bit of tape over the top of the door works just fine. I used a Dorman regulator, which cost $70 thru Amazon (no shipping) (fit perfectly, works smoothly and quietly). I also got a box of 50 interior trim clips for $11 (which includes mailing) from Clips and Fasteners.
Directions were accurate, got the part pulled out, it was a white piece of plastic where both ends of the cable connect to. I duct tape the window in the up position till the $49 part on ebay comes in.
Thanks a lot!!! Saved $500 for not going to the dealer
I just wanted to write and say thank you for the great info, I know now that I am not the only one with problems, but I seem to be the only one with this regulator. Jeep even had to find the right part the many times I had to take it in for warranty service, and now by reading this and all the posts and taking the door apart as well as the regulator, it looked nothing like what everyone described. Now with all that said, I now know that all my years and skills and experience as a shade tree mechanic and rigger will be put to the test with this, the 2nd, Chrysler POS to grace my garage. It took me all of about three hours to pull the regulator, diagnose the problem (cheap plastic), and fix it using steel wire, and putting everything back together, greasing it all up so it slides nice, and putting my door together. I dont know about everyone else but I have 100% confidence in my fixes and now need to repair all my other windows as they are all being held up by vise grip pliers on the window rails. I tip my hat to those of you with the parts you were supposed to have in your windows. Anyone can contact me if they need help with a 2006 jeep liberty crd POS.
I was recently dropping my sons off to an afternoon movie in our 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited when as I pressed the button to bring up the passenger window we heard a loud pop sound in the door. Knowing that it probably wasn’t good, I rushed the boys into the movie, came back, to find the window half way down. I pulled it up and it went all the way down.
The next day I took it to the dealership, they told me that the window regulator was broken and would cost $590 plus taxes to replace. They charged my $59 for their diagnosis.
I relayed the details to my wife and she found this blog, which gave me the confidence to order the part for $239 the same day. I’m mechanically capable so the instructions were absolutely what I needed to put me on track.
I replaced the window regualator the next day, it took less that two hours.
Josh-n-Lisa you’re blog is awesome. Need I say I didn’t really have the $239 to spend so as $351 saving option your blog instructions were very welcome.
After spending two days trying to get my new motor to work. I found the answer. If you close all doors wiht the PDM “passenger door module” connected and start the jeep is will reset the PDM and the passenger side windows and locks will work again.
Spotted this write-up while getting ready to go out and replace the regulator on my mom’s ‘04 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Saw the suggestions from some folks on fixing rather than replacing (if the issue is the plastic clip for the end of the cable) I’m pretty good at MacGyvering things so I decided to give it a go. It was easy and saved my mom $165. I was happy Josh hosted this site so I threw a couple bucks his way.
A couple of things I wanted to add from my experience: I used two self-tapping sheet metal screws and a piece of metal to hold the cable in place. I was very careful to make sure the cable was in the same position (same length) but then noticed that I couldn’t get the cable back on to the regulator. Turns out that the cable was not wound tightly in the motor since it broke.
Fix: plug in the motor (and switch - motor won’t work without its door switch plugged in) and run the motor up and down while keeping some tension on the cable. This gave me about 2 more inches of cable to work with and the rest is history.
Forgot to add one thing: Used my dremel cut-off tool to cut off the tips of the self-tapping screws protruding through the metal regulator bracket so they wouldn’t hit anything.
Oh my goodness!!! I was told to take it to a dealer, but after seeing this I will be doing the job myself.
Thank you so much saved us 300.00 was real easy with your help
Josh&Lisa’s website is a real education on the many experiences Jeep owners have had with these crummy plastic parts that break under little or no use.
So far I’ve been unable to tell if the rear(right)door panels have only 2 screws or if there is a third one like the front door panels. Can anyone clarify this or describe how I might verify 2 or 3 screws???
Having a problem with disconnecting the Motor wiring connector in step 10 in a ‘99 Sport. I pushed the red tab over and tried to pull mating connectors apart. Is there another tab to push while pulling apart?? Can someone confirm this.
Man, you guys were lifesavers! The duct tape and cardboard shims finally quit holding and my window fell all the way down. I knew I couldn’t put off fixing it any longer, considering I’m in coastal AL and it’s ALWAYS the rainy season! Well I followed your walkthrough and the whole ordeal took less than 2 hrs, not counting the trip to the hardware store for a couple nuts and bolts (2 of the new regulator mounting bolt holes were untapped) and pulling the panel back off after realizing I left off the moisture barrier in my enthusiasm. Oops!
Finished just in time to start getting ready to go to Mobile’s Beer Fest. I’ll definitely be making a toast to Josh-n-Lisa!
Dale Goff
Mobile, AL
I have a 2007 Jeep Liberty Sport and this is my third window regulator failing (different windows).
If your vehicle is out of warranty, Jeep will be a pain to deal with.
Steiger Peformance (www.steigerperformance.com) has kits to repair your windows “for good” since they replace that cheap plastic part with a metal part. They also have instructions (free pdf files) on their website that guides you through the repair. They’re worth looking at even if you don’t buy the part from them.
They guy that runs Steiger (Mr. Steiger??) has a machine shop and had problems himself and designed this part and now sells it for under $100.
Thanks for the tutorial! Saved big $ doing this myself!