You are talking about the #1 problem with the second generation Mazda 929s. With the frameless window design, which I personally like, came a less than durable window regulation mechanism, which wears out way too fast. For all the extra spiff and technology Mazda put into its short-lived flagship, this is probably it's most frequent shortcoming. You are dead-on that a $30,000+ car should not have these failings. Unfortunately, ten years later, there's little recourse.
Your dealer's quote is about right. It cost me $550 from a presumbly less expensive local repair shop to replace one defective window. You could check some independent repair shops to see if they could give you a better price. The only other alternative I see would be buying some aftermarket window regulators that are out there (due to the frequency of us owners having to replace 'em) and either disassembling the doors on your own or contracting with a local shop at an upfront rate to do it. The danger in buying your own parts and consigning a shop do it, it gets more expensive and difficult to unravel if any of the regulators are defective or if it is improperly installed.
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