Wipers? WTF, or is it just me

Is it just me, or does anyone else have problems with their wipers wiping? Two years and two months, 30K miles on my truck and I've gone through I believe five sets of wiper blades as well as tried numerous others ranging from [literally] a couple of dollars a blade to $30+/blade, and the results are all the same.

If not on the first use, then very shortly (as in, 2-3 uses) thereafter, the wipers stop wiping completely, and leave a skif of water, usually the top 2-3" of the driver's side, and similar on the passenger side. Often, they also leave a strike about one inch high/wide right in the middle of the blade. I've noticed when cleaning my windshield at gas stations that the glass seems to have more of a curve than other trucks I've had, as the squeegee blade only contacts part of the surface, mostly near the top.

Has anyone else notice this, and if so what have you done? How long are wiper blades lasting? What brand of blades are you running?

 

The only problem I had is when I first bought my Tacoma. In February from Arizona the first time it got wet & used the wipers they stuck to the windshield as if they were melted to it maybe from the sitting at the dealer in the AZ heat they replaced both blades no charge & no problems since works Great! Good luck

 

This post is the first I've seen with your complaints. That doesn't mean that you aren't experiencing problems by any means, but I haven't seen anyone else have issues with the wipers yet. Maybe your windshield really is misshapen. My first set of oem wipers lasted about 2 years and 45,000 miles in Colorado high country weather. I bought just the rubber replacement inserts and kept the rest of the original wiper because I like them so much.

 

I bought bosche icon beam wipers and every car wash I clean the rubber blade and wipe a little wd40 to keep it from cracking in the California heat. Been good so far.

 

My wipers usually last about 6 months, or about every other time I wash my truck. Pay attention to the wiper size. There is an "A" and a "B" that have to do with the placement and curvature of the windshield. IIRC the "A" can be used on either side and the "B" only on the passenger side.

 

Mine have started to streak after about 12K miles / 5 months. Probably because of the crazy California heat this year so far.

 

I don't have any problems either. I'm also nearly 2 years old on factory wiper, I'll just buy the inserts too, rather than going generic.
OP try cleaning your glass really well, one of my old work pickups needed the glass cleaned over and over, to get rid of the film left from a radiator burst from a car ahead of me.

 

This, sounds like there’s a film of crap on it, not letting the wipers get to the glass

 

I actually haven't had to replace wipers on my 3rd gens. I traded the previous two at 2 years and about 31-32k miles. They were needing to be replaced around that time, but I traded before swapping them. They've honestly worked pretty well for me. That being said, I usually keep something on the windshield to keep it slick, so the water is already running off and the wipers don't have to do a lot work to keep the windshield clear.

 

Try cleaning your blades every so often. Once a week should be good

 

I'm going on 4 years 45k miles on the original set. That being said, their performance is starting to leave a bit to be desired. Will probably replace them soon.

 

I'm coming up on 2 years with the original wipers and they still work fine. Parked outside all the time in the roasting Texas sun. I'm not sure what you are running in your window piss tank, but I run the cheap blue stuff with no problems. I tried the RainX stuff once in my old truck and that was very unpleasant, streaked and gakked up the wipers. Like the previous poster, I clean the blades every so often as well, not every week, but occasionally.

 

I just bought replacement wiper inserts from Toyota. They work great. Just replaced at 40,000 miles. OEM and very cheap $14 for the two.

https://parts.elmoretoyota.com/p/To...Rubber--Wiper-Insert/66834818/8521404030.html

 

No, I don't think it's just you ... Funny thing is .. On every new rig I've ever bought .. The AM blades just never seem to work as well as the OEM blades.. I have zero idea why. Maybe it's just voodoo or something .. LOL!
However, I did buy a set of 'Die Hard' beam blades for my wife's rig about 6 months ago (I think Amazon, and I think they were about $12-13.00 each) and after 6 months are still holding up very well. So, we'll see....
I think as others have said .. I do spray a little corner of a paper towel with some WD-40 and clean the crud off the edges of the blade every now and then.

 

Get silicone based wiper blades.

You won’t need to use your wipers half of the time.

 

SoCal based Tacoma owner here. 100% outdoor kept truck.

I replace my wiper blades twice a year, every 6 months, because of air pollution (ozone rots rubber) and sun damage (UV rays rots rubber). I haven't had a wiper last me more than 8 months and by that time, I'm deep into the rainy season so I'd rather have a performing wiper at all times by replacing them twice a year. I buy the cheap Duralast wiper for $6. They last 6 months perfectly.

I'm out $24 for the year for 2 sets of wipers, and always have a good set of wipers on my truck to help me see.

 

All i know is don't let the dealer talk you into buying new wiper blades.

 

I would suggest one thing however .. Since they came out with the 'beam' blades? For those of us who have to drive in snow and ice ...?? These are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Nothing there to get full of ice (Like having a 'frame' holding a blade) and not 'curving' properly to wipe the schumtz off the windshield. I will gladly pay the extra for those..

 

I've had PIAA Sci-Tech blades on my truck for 2 years now and they work like the did the day I put 'em on. I'll never buy another brand of wiper again.

 

The OEM wiper blades are very good, I replace the rubber inserts with OEM from the dealer every two years.