2003 drivers side window issue...

[ToolGuy]

My 2003 Vibe drivers side window fell into the door a few weeks ago. I took the door apart and one of the two cheap plastic clips that bolt the window to the arm or I assume the regulator, broke off. Since you cannot replace the clip and glue a new one onto the window, the entire window has to be replaced. I go buy a new window and install it. Over the weekend my wife tells me as she rolled the window up it made a nasty crack! I just took the door apart again and find the same plastic clip broke! I remembered when I installed the new window and one arm appeared to twist itself as the window got to the completely closed position. I thought this was odd but accepted it as normal... Now I am thinking the window regulator needs to be replaced because it should not be twisting as it is. Can anyone comment on what is going on before I buy a new window for $127 and replace the second one that lasted only 4 weeks! Anyone have this happen to them too? NOTE: I am very sure this issue is NOT related to the window recall which was done months ago... The 2 10mm bolts replaced only hold the plastic clip to the regulator and cannot be installed incorrectly. Thanks,

[maloralo]

I don't know if anyone let you know yet, but there is a recall for the 2003 vibe front power windows. Your car may be part of the recall, you should contact a dealer asap before you kill yourself trying to fix the window.

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by maloralo »I don't know if anyone let you know yet, but there is a recall for the 2003 vibe front power windows. Your car may be part of the recall, you should contact a dealer asap before you kill yourself trying to fix the window.He had that done alreadyQuote, originally posted by ToolGuy » NOTE: I am very sure this issue is NOT related to the window recall which was done months ago... The 2 10mm bolts replaced only hold the plastic clip to the regulator and cannot be installed incorrectly. Thanks,

[galvanator]

Just wondering if you figured this out yet as I experienced a similar problem which turned out to be caused by interference with the door check when the door is closed or partially closed. Finally fixed it by removing some material from both door checks to eliminate the interference (had the same issue on both front doors).

[ToolGuy]

Happened again today! Talking to GM this time since the car WAS fine before the recall.

[robb]

I just purchased a 2004 Vibe which had the driver's window wedged up; it was no longer connected to the regulator at all, the plastic clips (they called them window sashes) were broken. The recall had not been performed so I took it to the local Pontiac dealership and they looked at it. The driver's side regulator was twisted and nonfunctional. They told me they would do the recall on the passenger side, but that they would not repair the driver's side under the recall. I then spoke with the service manager and explained that in my opinion if the recalled bolts were to have allowed the plastic clips to become damaged and misaligned the window that the regulator could have, in theory, damaged itself while attempting to function. He told me that in 17 years of working on cars that he had never seen a window cause a regulator to fail. I persisted and stated that while it may not have been the cause, it possibly could have been. I told him that we could not possibly recreate what had occured to witness it, but that it was a possibility. I also stated that this was a "Factory Recall", which means it was a design mistake and must have caused many, many instances of the same malfunction for it to be merited with the "Recall" status. He said he would look into it and went online then made some calls and finally they replaced my glass, the plastic clips, the regulator, and did the recall bolts. They re-used my window motor and said that if it were faulty they wouldn't cover it and I ended up paying 30 dollars to have the window overnighted to the dealership. I would try the same line of discussion explaining that while even though you had the recall procedure performed, the damage to the regulator had already occured as a result of the faulty bolts. Perhaps they will go along with you and replace your window and regulator. It couldn't hurt to try it. Hope you get it fixed.

[robb]

Just an interesting side note:When they told me they wouldn't fix it under the recall and quoted me a price I believe the regulator with motor was something like $427 (wow). I said that I could hear my window motor when the switch was pressed and asked if the regulator could be purchased seperately. They told me that it was an assembly and could not be bought in pieces. However, when they agreed to fix it under the recall they were able to get just the regulator. I asked about that and was told that the person who quoted me the price was wrong, it could be broken into subcomponents, it did not need to be sold as an assembly. I thought it was kind of fishy that when it was going to be on me it was an "assembly" and once they agreed to do it under the recall suddenly every little piece could be purchased seperately. I am more than pleased with the end result of my experience with the dealership, but I still found that detail to be rather questionable.

[jclay49]

My 2004 has the same problem. The bolts were replaced under the recall but the drivers side window "catches" on the way down..only when the door is closed. Do you have to take the door panel off the get to the inside of the door check or can you get it out and back in from the outside without taking the door panel off? Photos of the door panel removal would help...Thanks!

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by jclay49 »My 2004 has the same problem. The bolts were replaced under the recall but the drivers side window "catches" on the way down..only when the door is closed. Do you have to take the door panel off the get to the inside of the door check or can you get it out and back in from the outside without taking the door panel off? Photos of the door panel removal would help...Thanks!Hey! Yes you must take the door panel off. It is easy to do though. The is one screw in the hand holder you use to pull the door closed. Another screw is near the lever used to open the door from the inside. That screw is behind a small hinged, gray plastic cover. Open it up and remove the screw. Next, lift the power winwon switches out, starting at the top of the plastic cover. Also disconnect the electrical connetor from all the switches. Next, pull the door panel off, starting at the bottom. It will click loudly, that is only the fasteners being released and are not breaking. Next, peal back the blue plastic, vapor barrior. From that point, you will be able to move the window up and down, by re-attaching the switches. There are holes in the door to see the window regulator and screws, moving up and down. Oh forgot, you will have to remove the gold bracket that holds the cover to the first screw I mentioned to removed. It is held by two phillips screws.That is a text version, if you search the site I am sure you will find pics. Possibly in the stereo forum or somewhere. Good luck! Update for my car:Dealer wants to replace the window and regulator for $670, as a starting point. I said I just did that and the window broke again on Monday. Dealer states the reg arm is bent. I said sure, it probably is since my wife tried to put the window up after it fell into the door and was going to rain. I said put the car back together, I am calling GM again. GM or the person assigned to my case, is supposed to call me tomorrow since she is out today. Dealer could not explain why the 5 year old window and regulator were fine before the recall then the first glass broke. I repalced it, and that one broke. Replaced the glass and reg and all broke on Monday.

[jclay49]

Update: I removed the door panel and sawed off a corner of the door check stop with a die grinder/cut off disc. My theory is that if the door is caught by the wind or thrown open hard against the stop, the stop which is inserted into the end of the plastic guide is pulled out enough to be in the path of the window when it goes down. That is why the new ones do not do it. If anyone needs photos of how to remove the door panel and cut off the stop, I can e-mail them direct.

[ToolGuy]

Glad you fixed it! I am taking my car in on Wednesday. The dealer said they will pay for a regulator and labor, if I by the glass. I bought the glass, so we will see from there if they can "Fix" it.

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by ToolGuy »Glad you fixed it! I am taking my car in on Wednesday. The dealer said they will pay for a regulator and labor, if I by the glass. I bought the glass, so we will see from there if they can "Fix" it.Car is now fixed. I told them, better fix the issue or I will be back, AGAIN!

[migitalwarfare]

In June of 2007, my driver side window shattered because of these faulty plastic clips. Took it to a shop and had the window replaced.In May of 2008, I brought my car to a dealership for the recall. I also had been reimbursed for the previous year's fix. When I picked up my car, I asked the mechanic what they had changed with the clips to fix the problem. He said "As far as I can tell, they're the same thing as what was always in there."Almost 1 year later to the day, my driver side door starts making the same clicking noises that it had made in 2007 just prior to my window shattering. As of today, I can no longer roll my window all the way down, it stops about 2/3rds of the way down. I called GM and was told that because my car has already been in for the recall, it's no longer considered a problem, and that I will now need to pay $89 an hour (for what they claim is a 2 hour process to open the door and look) for them to diagnose the problem so they can determine that it's the same issue as before. Once they determine that it's the same problem, they'll create a case number, and review whether or not GM will cover the repairs. I also can't bring my car back to the dealership I had brought it to for the recall to work something out wit them because, lucky me, they were one of the dealerships that ended up on the chopping block. So really, I was told I should give them money on the off chance I might get it back if they decide to bless me with their approval and accept responsibility for faulty parts.I argued with them for about an hour, telling them that I would sooner bring my car to a local mechanic and have them fix it the wrong way, than to bring it to the dealership so they can replace the broken clips with the same clips that only lasted me a year.The GM rep said "Well then you might start seeing quality issues", to which I replied, "I'm ALREADY seeing quality issues with YOUR replacement parts, I don't really see any reason to give you any repeat business"She rattled off some scripted closing remarks, and got off the phone as quickly as possible.So here I am, stuck with the same problem, and as far as I know, there aren't any parts available to actually fix the problem, only more faulty parts to postpone it. What am I supposed to do here? Do I bring it to a mechanic and have them rig up a fix, which may or may not work? Does anyone know if this is a big enough problem that they might be issuing a second recall for? I'd really like to take care of this soon, because I'd rather not pay to fix this window when it should already have been fixed by the recall.Also, just a matter of technicality, but when they issue a recall, they might want to have their engineers cook up an actual fix for the problem instead of just replacing bad parts with bad parts.

[jclay49]

Just to make sure it is not the door check problem, will the window go down ok when the door is open? If so it is probably the door check. I have walked through this problem above. BTW, it takes 15 min. to remove a door panel if you have not done it before.

[migitalwarfare]

I went out in between bouts of pouring rain to check it out. It turns out that its was actually being caused by the door check screws being loose. I tightened them up, and now the window doesn't hit it at all (which was probably causing the clicking sound of the glass nicking the door check). Problem solved... I hope

[jclay49]

GRRRRREAT! Let me know if you need photos of the door check fix in the door. It's pretty easy.

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by migitalwarfare »I went out in between bouts of pouring rain to check it out. It turns out that its was actually being caused by the door check screws being loose. I tightened them up, and now the window doesn't hit it at all (which was probably causing the clicking sound of the glass nicking the door check). Problem solved... I hopeGlad you fixed it! The recall is nothing more than replacing the two 10mm bolts that hold the sash clips, the clips glued to the bottom of the window, to the regulator arm.When the glass actually breaks, that is a different issue then what I had. Anyways, glad you fixed yours, it is frustrating to not know if the widow will work or not when you push the switch.

[ehe59]

please email the photos of cutting off the door checks. thanks ed

[tunertype]

WOW that door check is a really common problem that should be a recall. I had to do that on my car too because it was scratching my window and I wanted to install tint which would obviously get very scratched up as soon as I rolled the window down. To me it looked like the plastic that the door check metal piece was inserted into was not strong enough to withstand consistent opening of the door and it bent it out. I fixed it with a die grinder. That is possibly the real cause of the window recall, because imagine rolling down the window onto the door check could break off plastic pieces and shatter windows as well as twist up regulators.

[manickels]

HELP! I have been fighting with my Pontiac dealer since I bought the car brand new in 2002. The drivers side window has ALWAYS made a popping sound when I rolled it down. It finally shattered on me 3 weeks ago. I took it to another body shop & they said it was the door check strap. Do you know if there is any recourse? Especially since it has done it since I bought it?Thanks M.A. Nickels

[manickels]

Did you get the e-mail pics of the door check strap thingies? If so, could you forward them to me? I'm gonna get this thing fixed if I have to do it myself! It may end up with sequins and fringe but I'm pretty handy for a girl!

[ehe59]

I have no pics, but the door check is the metal part that keeps the door from opening too far. the part inside the door is "T" shaped. I cut the end off closest to the window, about 1/4 of an inch. It's worked so far for me good luck ehe59

[jclay49]

I have detailed photos but I do not know how to post them. If you still need it I can give you a detailed description of how to take the door panel off and how to cut off the end of the door check. There is a "T" shaped metal piece on the end of the plastic rod that fastens to the door frame. At some point the door gets opened too hard and the T pulls out of the end of the plastic a little. The corner of it is then directly below the window so that when the window is put down it catches this "T". You can check this by putting the window down when the door is open. It will not catch the T then.

[bull77]

here's some help guys with picshttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=24086http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=32536

[northvibe]

my sister had the recall done on my old vibe, now its clunking again... this recall was not done right I dont think...

[jclay49]

The recall was to replace bolts. GM will not fix the door check issue. Again, you can tell if it is the door check by running the window down with the door open....if the window goes down smooth with the door open, then it is the door check. In that case, take the door panel off and cut the corner off it.

[manickels]

Basically, where the check strap is fastened to the body of the car, the metal is rather weak and it has a tendancy to bow out a bit, which tweaks the check strap just enough to mess up the window again. If this happens again, I might try to take a half inch diameter bolt, place it on the head of the bolt that attaches the check strap to the body of the car, and give it a good whack with a hammer in an effort to un-bend that metal, thus re-aligning the check strap. So, there you go folks. I don't know if that will actually work, but for now my window is working fine! Thanks again to all!

[manickels]

Sorry this is out of order. Anyway, Thanks to all who replied! I spoke with the manager of the svc dept an the pontiac house and he fixed the check stap and reimbursed me for the money I spent getting the window replaced. He said that GM had issued a bulletin that "was not a recall" but that anyone that came in with that problem that they should fix it for free! He was a very nice older gentleman and I can only hope that you can all have such a good experience. He even gave me a loaner car for the day! Light years from the treatment I had been getting. Thanks all!

[B14CK_H4WK]

so cutting the stop off would that fix the weird noise the drivers side windows makes on its way up and down? sounds like a clunk as you guys described?

[jclay49]

Just the corner of the stop needs cut off. You can see it get hit by the window when the door panel is off. put the window down when the door is open..if no clunk, then it is the door check.

[sepaj1]

I had the exact same thing happen and I called customer service and the whole 9 yards. Customer serice told me they had no complaints and have not heard of anyone else having a rub between window and door check stop. They told me if I wanted them to take care of it I would have to do what the service department wanted, then file a complaint saying it did not work, and continue this process til it was fixed.So, after a month of trying to get someone to just do it I did it. However, now a year later my door check stop broke off. And they say the piece is $150. WOW... nothing but headeaches on this car.

[LuvMyVibe]

HiI know you posted this a couple years ago, but I just bought my 03 Vibe in Feb 2011. It has always made that clunking noise, I never thought anything of it until the window stopped working. I found your how to manual and now I will see if I can fix it. I wanted to thank you for posting it.

[tripsT33]

The window on my '03 started coming out of the track shortly after the recall work was done. I tried with two different dealers and neither one identified the true problem. They just put the window back in the track. I dealt with it for a couple years (taking the dorr panel off, putting the window back in it's track, etc, before I got fed up. Long story short, it turns out the regulator was badly bent and one of the sash clips was broken and no longer attached to the window. I assume that the bad regulator caused the sash clip to break (did the dealer bend the regulator when performing the recall work??? there seems to be a pattern here). So I bought a new regulator but could not find the sash clips anywhere. I asked GM about the clips and was told that they are only available attached to the window. The new window was $318! I got lucky and found one at a salvage yard for $50. Good thing the 2004 and 2003 are interchangable.I reused the existing motor and 30 minutes later, the window is good as new. whoop! Love my VibeGT again.

[StaciWithaRedVibe]

these plastic door sashes as they are called are available at pep boys 2 or 4 (i forget which ) for 9 dollars .. they will tell u the window is broken as the GM garage told me .. however when i took it to an honest garage the 500 plus dollar price tag i was given to repair the window turned into a 3 hour 60 dollar job .. the window was not at all broken not even a scratch .. the awesome mechanic took the broken clip off cleaned the old glue off took the 9 dollar clips i bought from pep boys filed them down a smidge to make them fit perfectly , glued them to my widow let them sit for a bit reinstalled the window told me not to roll it down for 24 hours and it has worked perfectly ever since .. no cracking to awful noise nothing .. just smooth sailing .. THANK YOU A & J EXHAUST IN FOLLANSBEE, WEST VIRGINIA YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST MECHANICS IN THE WORLD AND ARE HONEST AS THE DAY IS LONG !!! do not let the gm garage dupe u this is an easy fix they CAN be glued and unless your window is truly broken super bad even a corner broken off the bottom wont make this repair impossible ..

[zyzyix]

Has this issue affected any later model year Vibes besides the 2003-2004 models?

[03VIBEswfl]

Having similar issues myself. Bought a used 2003 Vibe about 5 months ago, and sometime about 4-5 weeks ago the driver window went crooked and then almost dropped into the door... Was able to pull it back up.

Dealership tried to fix it and charged me $135 for the labor - guy says that they used some epoxy to try to stick the glass back on or something like that. This was supposed to be the cheaper option. He told me when I picked it up that "well if this happens again you're gonna need a new window."

Long story short, I get home and the very next morning after having it "fixed," the window does the same damn thing again. I have to struggle to get it to close. (Rainy season in SW Florida, can't leave it open...)

Called the dealer, and now their offer is to get me a new window but not charge me for labor... but, the window by itself would be $275. So they would charge me $275 plus tax to get it fixed right.

I go online and I see on ebay that a driver window for a '03 Vibe is is about $70-80.

Any ideas?

I'm really not the most technical guy and never did anything beyond changing a tire - how difficult would this be for me to order the window from ebay and fix it myself?

I guess the other option would be to take it to the local mechanic here in town and hope for the best.

Definitely not going to the dealer for a 300% markup. "Not charging for labor" my (removed). Though, if money weren't a concern, it does sound tempting to get it done right by "certified" Gm/Pontiac mechanics...

Also, I guess I shouldn't have rolled the window down so quickly after getting it fixed, but maybe this would have happened anyway...

Thoughts?

[03VIBEswfl]

^^^

[davhamm]

Just bought a 03 vibe and working my way threw all the issues. Took the door panel off to fix the loose bolt recall, bolts were tight. Then found this thread. Open door window down, slowly closed could hear the metal t touch brought the window up (after opening the door) sure enough there is even a scratch on the glass (more like a gauge) So does anyone have a pic of how much they cut off the metal T.

FYI to do this fix you do need to take off the door trim, the check is held to the body by 1 10mm bolt and to the door with 2, take those off and it will pull through the door so you can go to a bench and cut the T down. then re-install. Or leave it off, just watch out on a windy day.

If someone could send a pic or tell me how much to cut off that would be great.

EDIT: Found the toyota part http://www.toyotapart.com/68620-02061.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; looks like at a later point they modified it by cutting the corner off themselves.

[TerribleTim]

I just got done doing a lot of routine maintence and repairs and one was gluing the bottom of the driver door master switch panel down (permatex black-- Lol). I was looking at one in a boneyard and noticed the bottom is where it latches to the door liner. The panel has been loose for a while and my latch was missing / broken off.
I was wondering what the wife and kids been doing to the poor Vibe to cause this.

I forgot completely about the window bolt recall years ago until reading this thread and another on the newish airbag filter retrofit recall. Now it makes sense. Thanks to my cheesy Pontiac tech for breaking the panel latch while performing the window recall and not bothering to fix the damage.

Word to the wise. Inspect thoroughly after / while taking the car back from your mechanic.
Here, I fixed that for ya (but broke something else you won't notice for a while).

I will definitely get the details on the new recall before I let these clowns touch my car again.
I should have wized up when these guys were doing 16 point vehicle inspections and reporting on the rear brake lining thickness without taking the drums off...

[TerribleTim]

Update---
The permatex black on the door switch didn't last very long.
I used a hot melt glue gun and it works great and is still tight. No fixturing, just hold still for 30 secs.
Was thinking about JB Weld, but I may have to take this switch off someday...

[ZZvroom]

2003 GT
I too have a broken window bracket err sash?
I'm catching up on the issue on my "extended fixVib weekend."

Does anyone have a number for the recall discussed upthread?

Or looked at Pepboys recently?

Or found the rubbery windows track available?

[ColonelPanic]

Does anyone have a number for the recall discussed upthread?

You can find recall documents on nhtsa.gov. 08V162000 is the NHTSA campaign ID.

Also, go here and input your VIN: https://experience.gm.com/ownercenter/recalls

GM made some nice upgrades to their recall site compared to the last time I was there. You should be able to see details on what is applicable to your VIN and completion details.

Or looked at Pepboys recently?

It's a building that's been empty 5+ years and will never find a new tenant to go in there.

[ZZvroom]

08V162000 gets me a list of cars/years; I find 2 complaints about windows there.
But it does show the 8 recalls but not what they were when resolved.
Will look further, but now working on parking brakes.