How long should it take for a pair of wiper blades to wear out? I had mine replaced a week after I bought the car in April because they were cracked, and I think they put on a bad replacement pair. They just scrape across the windshield and sort of smear water/condensation rather than smoothly wiping it away.

Would I be correct in thinking this should be covered free of charge? I've used them probably less than 10 times in consistent rain. I only waited until my first service to get them checked because I didn't want to trek the 50 miles to the dealer. Thanks!

 

I'd definitely tell the dealership and have them replaced. I just changed mine at 15k, after a year and a half of ownership.

 

Doubtful that something like that is covered under warranty but it all depends on your dealer. Personally I replace mine twice a year during my service intervals but only because I have a long commute and use them often. To me its worth it for the minimal cost to have them regularly replaced.

 

I live in sunny CA (read: limited use of wipers), and my wipers started squeaking in less than 6 mos since I got the car in January! I always wipe the wiper blades and clean the windshield thoroughly when I wash the car, too.

 

I replaced mine about 5 months after first getting it. They were still working ok but the BOSCH ones I put on there work so much better. I live in SW Fl, so get to use wipers a lot!

 

Twice a year in Seattle. Too many days with fog/drizzle/rain to be driving without good wiper blades.

 

I'm on 10 months and they are still perfect. Wiper blades have two killers.

#1 is wiping the windshield without sufficient liquid, wiping on a dry windshield is the equivilant of locking up your tires at 60MPH, kills them instantly. don't try and save a squirt of windshield cleaner, douse it and keep it wet.

#2 is the sun drys out rubber. the more powerful the sun & the warmer the temp the faster they will get eaten up.

 

Sorry to hijack your thread, but are our stock blades rubber or silicone? I'm not so impressed with them and would guess they are rubber. Silicone blades seem to last longer and work much better.

 

Is it just me but I love the factory blades they seem to work perfect for me!

 

Rain-X helps them work better.


Something else that kills wipers: Dirt and grime.

I wipe off my wipers with a paper towel every time I fill my car with gas. They last much longer and work better this way.

 

Also make sure that your wiper arms are "pulling" the wiper across the glass, rather than "pushing" it. My driver's side arm got twisted and started sqeaking horribly. I tried a new wiper (obviously didn't help) until I tried twisting the arm just a bit. Quiet again...

 

Out of habit I replace mine once a year. I have had mine 11 months and they are still working fine but I will pick up a new pair at the next service. I have found the blades to work very well.

 

I get this light haze when my wiper swishes back down that disappears after a few seconds. Is this normal from rain-x, or is it the wipers? It doesn't bother me too much but I thought maybe I suck at applying rain-x. Still, the beading makes a huge difference in the vision.

How much are you guys paying for the windshield wipers at the dealership?

 

They arent that expensive from me... they are really nice blades IMHO...

 

how much does it cost to replace at the delaer?