It sounds like the window regulator failed. I have a 94 camry and back then they used a cable on the regulators. When the cables break the window falls in the door and that is it. I have had 2 fail so far. You may have a similar problem. The solution is not hard, simply take off the door panel, peel away the plastic liner and replace the regulator. The hard part is paying for the new part they are usually a couple hundred bucks. But you can try ebay they have tons of regulators for sale because they break often.

If it’s a new car it’s probably not a good idea to try and fix it yourself. Now, I’ve taken door panels off and worked on handles, I’m just saying bad idea because of the glass. Just check your repairer’s manual and see whether it recommends doing it yourself.

Don’t know what kind of car but you have to get inside the door to see what’s wrong. Remove the inside trim form the door. Be carefull, it will break if you are rough with it. Use a small hand mirror and flashlight to examine the inside of the door and the window mechanism. Take your time and study the workings. If you need to, take the trim off the other door and look in there at the window that works. It’s a mirror copy anyway! Don’t be hasty and don’t get mad, just fix what needs fixing if you can. I know, doors and windows can be a pain, but what can be assembled can be repaired!

i needed some help replacing my window motor…but i guess anyone can do it as long as you have someone to give you a hand. it’s usually easy to remove the door panel..but it depends on ur car, i have a 95 corolla and managed to pull it off with some help. if u hear a noise however the motor might be good. just do what the other guy said and check it out by removing the door panel, it might be stuck or just out of place.

it is not a problem a non- mechanic should fix but you can try. You may have a window motor or regulato problem or a problem with the glass coming off the track. you have to remove the door panel to inspect what is happenig when you push the button. sometimes special tools are required. Good luck.

Trial and error. I learned in my back yard. ‘Course, I learned on cars built in the 40’s and 50’s, so it was much easier……

TODAY’S cars can be screwed up easily and cost a fortune to repair.

Some community colleges and technical schools offer classes. A couple of kit car manufacturers give workshops on building their cars (Factory Five is one I know of) but that ain’t cheap. Frankly, I think it would be a great idea for a local service shop to offer classes, or maybe a weekly “shop night” for gearhead wannabes.

It might be as simple as the door latches, but without knowing more about the beetle in question it’s hard to know. Here’s what you do. Once you have a good description of the symptioms, pop onto this free car forum for New Beetle owners, and post it there saying you’re thinking of buying the car: The experienced NB owners will have some idea of how hard/how much it would be to fix.
For your dad, I’d recommend a Bentley repair manual. These cars aren’t exactly harder to fix, but they have some unique design features that made my regular mechanic comment “I’d never guess if you didn’t tell me.” I own a ‘98 5-spd I nick-named ‘Ladybug’. She’s currently got 204,000 km on the odometer, and I’m planning to keep her forever. They’re really tough little cars if you buy one in good used condition. The one your friend’s selling might not be the best bet, but there’s more of these cars out there.

From their dads, older brothers, or high school friends.

Check the link below to learn about Beetles.