(98 MkVIII LSC)
Okay, so my driver's side pw gets stuck last week. I take it in and they replace the regulator. All seems to work fine. Now, it gets stuck in the down position. I take it back and they say that the window motor is bad. They take it off and beat on it (the motor) and now it works.

So, how typical is this chain of events? Is the regulator-motor failure a coincidence? Now that it's "working" do I go ahead and have the motor replaced because it will probably go out anyway?

Any advice?

P.S. I'm still looking for a driver's side power seat track.

I'd say the motor was at fault to begin with.

I had the same problem with my '93 just 2 weeks ago. The passenger side window occasionally got stuck up, and had been that way for years.
When the driver side window got stuck in the lowered position 2 weeks ago, I decided to take action.

I bought a used Mark VIII passenger side window motor from eBay, and used that as my passenger side window motor. I then disassembled my original passenger side window motor, and used the bushings that were still in good shape in place of the ones that wore out in my driver side window motor. Problem solved. Total cost: $23.

I don't often read of the motors themselves going bad; just the bushings.
They are only $3.95 in this eBay sale (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-E-150-E-250-VAN-WINDOW-MOTOR-REPAIR-KIT_W0QQitemZ8008088332QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33706QQs sPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). I'd have purchased those myself had I known better at the time, and saved even more money.

You should grab your tools and go after it yourself; it's easy.

they should of done the motor when they did the reg since they had it off anyway. the motors are common i cant think of what kind of reg the viii has (sorry i rarelly see them or birds at work) if its a "sissor" style (look at your sissors it will make sense) these rerelly never go out unless they bend or strips the gear out (never seen it yet) or they have the "cable" style, uhg these suck but usually they will have a grinding sound when the cable comes off the spool and wraps around the motor. i think you needed a motor.
just a quick tip if your window is stuck hold up/down on the window switch and slam the door, sometimes the brushes on the motors rust and need a little jolt to free them up but it will happen again more and more frequently

i believe it is scissor style if im not mistaken.

i believe it is scissor style if im not mistaken.

if it is then the window would actually stop moving till you pushed it down or pulled it up from the gear being stripped, not stop working at different points

I don't often read of the motors themselves going bad; just the bushings.
They are only $3.95 in this eBay sale (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-E-150-E-250-VAN-WINDOW-MOTOR-REPAIR-KIT_W0QQitemZ8008088332QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33706QQs sPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). I'd have purchased those myself had I known better at the time, and saved even more money.

I bought a window regulator repair kit at Napa, it included a 52 tooth gear and the things I've heard called 'cam buttons,' 'bushings,' and 'torque pins.' When I get my door panel off and the regulator opened up I hope the gear will be OK, if so I'll just order those and you will have saved me about $20 over the Napa kit.