GM does not sell parts to repair assemblies. They want you to buy the entire unit. That business practice goes back to the 1970s and is one of many that makes them very profitable after the sale.
There are many aftermarket companies that make "Problem Solver" parts to address the common failures. You can find them on racks at many auto parts stores. A former coworker ran into a similar problem with the power window regulator on his Buick. Two plastic slides cracked apart and the assembly was no longer available for his seven-year-old car. Since he taught machine shop, he had access to the equipment to make new parts out of metal which solved the problem.
There are other companies that specialize in rebuilding window regulators. The problems really started once the manufacturers began using wire cables and plastic pulleys. Everyone knows plastic under tension is going to break, and dirt that normally gets into the door is going to chew up the cables, but their concern is for cost, not reliability.
I would start by hauling one of the broken parts to the auto parts stores to see if they have replacements. Next would be a trip to one of the "pick-your-own-parts" salvage yards where you might find the same part in an older GM vehicle. One chain of yards that I like very much is called Pull-A-Part. Their yards are very clean and well-organized. You can do an internet search to see if one of their two dozen yards is near you. They are between Indianapolis, Ohio, and southern Georgia / Alabama. The people there are very friendly and parts are inexpensive.
Friday, May 27th, 2011 AT 11:16 PM
