How Much Does a Window Motor Replacement Cost?

$ Labor costs: $50-$120 per hour

$ $ Window Motor (part): $60-$550+

$ $ $ Professional Replacement (part and labor): $150-$900+

Thanks to window motors, it’s never been easier to open and close a car’s window, turning manual windows into power windows that don’t require the human force to operate.

Without the window motor, power windows won’t be able to function; that’s why the window motor is often to blame when the power window is not working correctly.

The window motor is located inside each car door where a power window is installed, closely related to the window regulator; the window motor and window regulator are crucial parts needed to make the power window function.

Table of Contents

How Does A Power Window Motor Works?
What Are The Signs Of A Failing Window Motor?
What Affects The Replacement Costs Of A Window Motor?
Top Companies
Things To Consider

How Does A Power Window Motor Works?

Inside each car’s door with a power window, the electric window motor is located, which powers the mechanism in charge of pulling up and down the power windows.

To activate the window motor, the driver or the passengers need to push the button that’s on the door.

The window motor is connected and gives power to the window regulator, the actual part in charge of moving the window.

Here’s a video made by The White Byte that shows how window motors and the power window mechanism work.

What Are The Signs Of A Failing Window Motor?

If the motor of a power window is failing or damaged, the window won’t operate as always, or it will be inoperable.

As the window motor and the window regulator typically work assembled together, some common signs will tell you there’s a problem with one of the two of them; according to Your Mechanic, these are:

It takes multiple presses to roll the window up or down.
Window speed is slower or faster than usual.
Clicking from the door when the window rolls up or down.
The power window won’t stay up or is crooked.

If all windows are malfunctioning, then the problem probably lies in a blown fuse or a problem in the vehicle’s electrical system, but if it’s just one window that’s having problems, the cause will surely be the window motor or the window regulator of that window.

What Affects The Replacement Costs Of A Window Motor?

The costs for replacing a window motor can vary depending on many determining factors like the make and model of your vehicle, how old it is, where you take your car for the job, labor costs.

Whether the replacement part for the window motor comes from an OEM or an aftermarket shop greatly influences the final costs.

Buying the window motor replacement part can go from $60 to $550 or more.

For labor costs of a professional installation, experts can charge around $50 to $120 per hour; replacing a window motor usually takes 1 to 3 hours.

Then, the total costs for professionally installing a window motor, including parts and labor costs, can be $150 to $900 or more.

Top Companies

You can get the power window’s motor professionally replaced at car dealerships, independent repair shops, automotive glass services like Safelite, and national auto care chains like Midas and Pep Boys.

And you can get just the window motor replacement part at online retailers like Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, and Amazon.

The following comparison shows examples of price differences between some online retailers:

Company	Type of Work	Price Range
Midas	Parts and labor	$180 – $400
Mr. Tire	Parts and labor	$185 – $415
NAPA	Parts and labor	$170 – $425
Walmart	Parts	$100 – $250
Amazon	Parts	$90 – $270

Things To Consider

Before Buying

First, it’s essential to test the window motor to see if it’s responsible for the failure. If all the windows are not working properly, the problem is not the window motor. Here’s a video made by Auto Repair Guys that show how to test the window motor.
After ensuring the window motor is not working correctly, it’s time to check auto repair shops near you and compare prices and what’s included in their service.
Buying a window motor replacement from online retailers is cheaper than getting the complete job done at dealerships or glass repair shops.

When Buying

To replace the power window motor, the professional will require to take off the door panel and remove the glass and the window’s mechanical system.
Replacing a window motor is considered an easy DIY project that helps reduce costs. Here’s a video made by ChrisFix that shows how to replace a window motor.

After Buying

Be aware that many states have a core charge for old window motors of $20 to $60. The core charge does not have to be paid if the old window motor is exchanged for the new one.

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Giovanna Soto

Price Specialist at Costopedia

Hi there! My name is Giovanna and I’m a Med Student from Venezuela. My not-so-hidden passion for writing and research lead me to start working as a freelancer in 2016, and it’s been quite an interesting journey ever since. Speaking three languages (Spanish, English, and Italian) also contributed a lot by opening many doors for me in this field. I love to write my articles the way I would love to read them, full of interesting and true facts about the topic, and easy to read and follow, making them valuable for anyone out there. I like my job as a freelancer because I get to try and learn new skills with each new job, so I’m always excited to start new projects and for what’s next.