In May the driver's side window mechanism (motor + "window regulator" are the primary parts) self destructed on my 2002 Hyundai Accent and left the window stuck in the down position. Since the car only has 35,000 miles on it, and since I live in a cold climate and didn't lower the windows much, I concluded it was a manufacturing failure.

So rather than spend about $700 to have the mechanism redone, I elected for 1/10 as much money to have a body shop remove the mechanism and wedge up the window in the up position permanently with blocks and screws.

Since I was told by a couple of mechanics that this type of failure occurs in other vehicles, I was still sticking by Hyundai and planning to buy another one 3-5 years from now.

But I have been forced to change my plans. Today (in September) the passenger side window mechanism self destructed and, once again, left the window stuck in the down position!

Naturally, I am going to have the same solution applied to the passenger side window now. The mechanism is hardly worth $700, so that decision is a no brainer.

As a result of this (and an unbelievable brake problem that I don't have time to get into) I have been forced to change my mind and can no longer support Hyundai.

But I am naturally curious, and I am wondering why Hyundai can not supply dependable power windows in it's vehicles. Does anyone know: is this a problem that many other Hyundai owners have had, or is it an unusual problem? Also, has Hyundai improved their window mechanisms since the 2002 Hyundai Accent version? Thanks for any information.

This post has been edited by tremaine: Sep 11 2008, 09:07 PM

I should have a been a little more specific about the failures. It appears that the mechanism got jammed up somehow. The failure was NOT due to a failure of the motor, or due to inadequate power for the motor to do it's job. This is the kind of thing that the average, logical person will conclude is due to a manufacturing design failure, or to shoddy parts.

This post has been edited by tremaine: Sep 11 2008, 09:12 PM

Ok, I am reading the forum and finding evidence that this has been a chronic problem. For example, there was this topic:

2007 Topic on Hyundai-Forums

I have seen that one Hyundai mechanic posted on this forum in 2007 that, as early as 1999, this was a big problem with Hyundai cars. Another mechanic (or maybe it was the same one, actually) stated that a recall should have been done to replace the mechanism with a more durable one.

One poster may have the underlying cause of the failure:



If anyone knows more, please take a moment to post. Keep in mind that if a window can not be shut in extremely cold weather, it is an actual health and driveability risk, because how can you drive safely when you are freezing to death?) So this is not really small potatoes.

OK, I just finished reading all the power windows topics, and I have my conclusions:

1. The Hyundai power window mechanism has been a chronic problem for owners since the inception of the power window.

2. The most likely specific problem seems to be that cheap plastic is used where metal or at least high quality plastic is needed in the regulator-cable mechanism.

3 If you drive a Hyundai, you are at much greater risk of having your power windows fail than you would be driving at least some other and probably many other models of cars.

4. The dealer cost of repairing a power window failure is extremely high, especially when you realize that manual crank windows are both reliable and cheap. There is a possible de facto scam involved here, when you consider that owners are commonly reporting not just one of their window mechanisms failing, but two or more of them, each one requiring $500-$700 (including tax) to replace at the dealer.

5. My seemingly crude solution (to permanently brace up any window whose mechanism has failed) is fully reasonable and justified. (But do not do this unless you live where summers are cool, or unless you keep your a/c in great working order!)

6. I'm actually not as upset as I was when I started reading the forum, because I now know that it is not simply my notorious bad luck that caused both of my windows to stop working, but bad manufacturing. If you drive a Hyundai, this is likely to happen to you sooner or later.

This post has been edited by tremaine: Sep 11 2008, 11:07 PM

I am sorry to hear of your issues.

I don't think that I have ever owned a vehicle with power windows that did not give me trouble.

Because of this, when I purchased my '03 Accent, I purposely got it without power windows.

Actually, I purchased it without any features or extras.

love my hand crank windows even more =-)

Yes, the smartest thing anyone can do is get a car with manual crank windows.

After my driver's window destructed, I said that I would, if I ended up with another power windows car, never use the windows and tape over the switches to stop myself from using them. Right now I am angry that I didn't tape over the passenger window switch on my current car. I have a tradition of not fully adopting and acting on my own theories, which generally turn out to be correct. So once again, I did this: I assumed that the passenger window would work for another year or more, simply because it was used less than half as many times as the driver's window. And so I didn't tape it over. And then I used it and it broke!

Conclusions:

1. Believe in and act on what you are reasonably sure to be true. Don't compromise with your own theories the way I have been doing too much in the past.
2. If you drive a Hyundai or who knows how many other types of cars, You have five choices:
--Get a car with manual crank windows
--Tape up your power window switches and leave the windows up at all times
--When the power windows break, get a good body shop man to remove the mechanism, and permanently brace the window in the up position with blocks and screws
--Get ready for many, many hours of do it yourself replacement of power window mechanisms, and for $100-$$300 per year for parts.
--Budget in $200-$400 per year just for repair and replacement of power windows on your vehicle. That's $17 to $35 a month for power windows! Are they worth that???

To me, the choices are listed in order from the best to the worst.

My solution was a little more simple: WD40 the seals and run window up and down several times having said that my car is over 8 years old with worn out seals and the motor prolly on it's way out.. still wd40 in the glovebox saved me when my window just stopped one day halfway and it was lashin rain lol

Got the same problem with my Latra Sports Wagon over here in Australia. Front and rear drivers windows regulators have broken the pullies causing the wire to get all muched in the motor thingo..

Over here they are charging $25 at a wrecker for replacement ones or $500 at Hyundai Dealer