I've been buying window regulator with motor from a-premium off Amazon. I'm on the third one this year cause they all start out great then eventually I'll hear a crunching sounding and next thing you know the window doesn't go up or down anymore. Today I removed it and this is what I saw. Anyone know if this is just due to the quality of the aftermarket parts? The OEM is like $900. I don't want to spend that much.

Do you need it for a convertible? For my hardtop, I see about $275 for genuine MINI regulators on ECS.

No it's the regular hatchback.

Check out partsgeek.com for a regulator.

I’ve only replaced one. drivers side - in 2023. Got a used OE for $100? Less and less is good in aftermarket

Unfortunately aftermarket parts seem to be going downhill, considering the age of these cars i assume these parts aren't constantly being produced. Likely lots of old stock in warehouses ect, aging alone will deteriorate plastic to become brittle and such.
I installed the URO parts regulator off rockauto, curious to see how it lasts as its only been half a year so i cannot speak all that highly yet.

I did have a previous post on here documenting that you can use pre-facelift or facelift regulators and motors on either or. You just need the motor matching the proper year as there is gearing changes between the two.
Hope this is of some help

Not to derail the thread but can you expand on this? I just bought two doors (complete with glass, working regulator, motor etc.) from a facelift R52. Will they not be plug and play to swap over to my pre-facelift R53?

@GLEX Sure, the regulators themselves are identical. (mind you i have no cabrio experience but i highly doubt they made one off regulators for cabrios)

The difference between pre and facelift is simply the motor, and the gears on the regulator the motor bites into. You cannot put a facelift motor on a pre regulator, or pre facelift motor on a facelift regulator.
(i believe the pre facelift had a plastic gear off the motor, while facelift is metal. These gears are also difference sizes hence no interchanging what so ever)

The motor also mounts difference on the two, so you cannot mount a pre motor onto a facelift regulator. or vice versa. There is a workaround of mounting a facelift motor on a pre regulator with an adapter plate.
here: https://www.minimania.com/part/NMA7649R/Mini-Cooper-Window-Lift-Motor-Adapter-Right-Side-06-2005-0

So, entire assemblies can easily be swapped if all the parts are the same year.
Personally have the entire pre facelift regulator and motor in my 06 facelift without issue.

Hoped this helped clarify!

My original post regarding this.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...m_content=post

To second, the motor adapter plate i am unsure would work. I do remember the two motors having different size gears, and obviously that reflected on the regulator to. It could have been the parts I received from URO, but I do know it varied greatly from the oem BMW one I removed. It obviously works in some cases or wouldn't be sold, but it didn't help me!

i installed an aftermarket unit on the right side. its already making a pop noise when closing.

ive had some luck in the past with used units from allmagautoparts.com

if anyone knows of a good brand i'd love to hear about it

Great info, thanks @Scoobaru2010

I plan to try this in a few days, but apparently if your cables are intact and nothing is physically cracked/broken on the unit, cleaning the armature is all that is needed.