Volkswagen Window Regulator - 1Y0-898-292

A local shop quoted me $700 to replace the rear window mechanism. To be fair, they were talking about the entire mechanism, assembled, as a unit that they could just "swap out". I ordered this kit instead, which just contains the parts that typically wear or break. It was installed by a mechanic and has worked perfectly. Note - replacing these parts vs swapping out the whole assembly as a single unit, does take time and effort. There is considerable effort just to disassemble the panel enough to get to it. Don't think this is a quick and easy job. But it can be done, and these parts got us back on the road again with a working rear window.

If you have a super handy husband (or you are super handy) this is a steal! Getting this replaced at the dealership was going to cost $785! My incredible husband was able to find (and follow) a Youtube video that showed how to install this. My rear window has been held up by shims for over a year. When we were in the dealership to see about getting it fixed, there was another new beetle getting the same work done. The back seats had to come out and this is not a repair for the faint of heart. BUT my window worked great and I could use the convertible top again! Yay!

This does appear to be a genuine VW part. Like I have read in other reviews and in the online repair forums these replacement cable kits are too short and thus are much too tight, which results in failure within a few weeks or months. This is the fourth time that I have replaced the passenger rear window regulator cable kit and the first time on the driver's side. Previously I had the VW dealer shop do the repair which failed within two years, and then a private shop, which did not last but a couple of months. That shop replaced it again under their warranty. That cable only lasted about one year. Therefore, I decided to learn to do the repair myself. The repair was tedious but by following the instructions posted on the VW New Beetle forums and the video made and posted by the Bentley repair manual people I managed to repair both sides. Following advice that I found on the VW New Beetle Forum I shortened the cable housing which lengthens the usable cable and makes the cable a little bit looser....supposedly this will keep the cable retainer (the plastic part that always breaks) from failing....my fingers are crossed!!!The parts arrived very quickly and I would recommend the seller.

This repair kit was exactly what I needed to repair the mechanism for the rear window regulator(s) - I ordered both sides since they broke within days of each other, on my daughter's 2003 NBC. For those DIY's with mechanical ability - allow yourself a day to do the job, watch You Tube videos, check out the forums on NewBeetle.org, and be careful. These cars are very quirky - I was careful and still managed to break a plastic seatbelt guide that cost me $18 to replace. A Bentley manual comes in handy for repairs such as this. This part is OEM and the shipping was pretty quick from OK to MA. Fowler VW has the best prices hands down - much better than my local VW dealership.

After researching this part I decided that it worth $80 to get OEM over $20 aftermarket parts due to the “cable too short” issue only to find that the cable is too dang short. I had to do the secondary modifications people mention just to get it installed. Wasted $60 and an hour of my time believing I was buying my way out of an issue.

This was a VW made replacement. Fit perfectly. The process of installation is minimum four hours and more than one pair of hands. Works perfectly.

Good Product, does what it is supposed to but is very difficult to install. I had a power window specialist put them in and they did not work like they were supposed to work. I finally took the car to a convertible top installer and they had someone there that did the job right. All in all I probably saved a few hundred over what a dealer would charge.

I would have given this product 5 stars but after installing the kit and verifying what others have said (here and the vw forums) about the design of the cable being too short and under excessive tension, I changed my mind. I'm fairly certain this part will fail again in the not too distant future. Having said, that, I haven't found a better option for this repair. Buying a whole new regulator is ridiculously expensive and I didn't find a non-oem rebuild kit that didn't have the same issue with the cable length. Like others have said, there are a couple of youtube videos (one by bentleypublishers and the other by jef4130) about this repair that are extremely helpful.