When power windows stop working, the cause depends on whether one window is dead or all of them. One window is usually a motor, regulator, or switch. All windows is usually a fuse, master switch, or a child-lock-style lockout. Here is the ranked list and how to tell which is which.
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You press the switch and hear nothing - or a faint click but no movement. Tap the door panel near the motor while pressing the switch; if it moves once and then dies, the motor brushes are worn out. Cost: $200 - $450. DIY: Medium. Severity: Low.
Get a Free AI Diagnosis →You hear the motor spin but the glass does not move, or the window falls into the door. The cable or scissor mechanism (regulator) has failed. Almost always replaced as a motor-and-regulator assembly. Cost: $250 - $500. DIY: Medium. Severity: Low.
Get a Free AI Diagnosis →If only the master driver switch operates a window and the door switch does not, the door switch is bad. If the door switch works but the master does not, the master is bad. Easy to swap-test. Cost: $30 - $250. DIY: Easy. Severity: Low.
Get a Free AI Diagnosis →Check the dash for a "child lock" or "window lock" button on the driver master switch - it disables every window except the driver. If that is off and a window is dead, check the fuse box. Cost: $0 - $10. DIY: Easy. Severity: Low.
Get a Free AI Diagnosis →The bundle of wires that crosses from the body into the door flexes every time the door opens. After 100,000+ cycles a wire can crack inside the rubber boot. Affects windows, locks, and speakers in that door together. Cost: $200 - $500. DIY: Hard. Severity: Low.
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Most often a worn-out window motor (you hear nothing or a single click). Less often the regulator (you hear the motor spin but no movement) or a switch.
$200-$450 installed at a shop, including the typical motor-and-regulator assembly. DIY parts $80-$200; takes 60-90 minutes per door.
Sometimes. With the door panel off and the regulator intact, you can usually hand-crank the regulator up by turning the motor gear. If the regulator cable is broken you cannot.
Almost always a blown fuse, a tripped window-lock button on the master switch, or a master switch failure. Check the lock button first - it is free.
On many cars with auto up/down, yes. Hold the switch up for a few seconds after the window stops, then down for a few seconds. Specific procedure varies by make.
Worn brushes in the motor - up takes more current than down because of gravity. The motor manages down but stalls on up. Replace the motor.