Has anyone else ever noticed how good the wiper blades are on a new car or truck, and how lousy the replacements are?

It seems, over some 8 or so new vehicles in the last 15 years, the original wiper blades do a good job for a year and a half or more, but any replacements I buy are lucky to last 4 months. I buy only Anco or Bosch wiper blades, lesser brands seem to be only good for a month.

Coming up on 2 years and 55,000 miles, the wipers on my pickemup are starting to get a little streaky. Anyone know where/what I might buy to replace them that will last as long as these have?

I put winter ones on the daily rides, and I find that twice a year I just take off the blade assembly & throw them out. I used to try to get more than 1 year out of them, but I never did, so I gave up.

I don't think it's the blades themselves. I get just about as long of life out of refills as I do the factory ones. Many things come to mind that could cause the problem you are experiencing. When installing, you could be slightly bending the wiper assembly or twisting the arm caising the blade to not contact the glass properly. Wax buildup on glass can cause the blade to not work as well, even worn glass from the previous wiper blades pushing the dirt back and forth if you don't keep the glass clean or run the wipers when the glass is extreamly dirty.

If you are just buying the refills you might try the full replacement blades that just attach to your wiper arms. If that's what you are getting make sure the attachment area has the right adapter as well. Also always replace the blades on a nice day so you're not standing in the rain and cold trying to futz with them in a hurry...

Whenever I think that my wiper blades need to be "replaced", I spray windex on both sides of the blade and wipe off. You would be amazed how much gunk comes off ie, oil, grit etc. My blades last about 2-3 years.