A new (and sad) record for windshield wiper lifespan.

Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
948
Location
Virginia, USA
As an avid Bosch ICON fan who usually gets 3-4 years out of a set before they start streaking, I was excited to try out Bosch’s new premium flagship wiper the Bosch Focus (especially because stacked rebates and coupons brought them to about $12 per blade). I’m sad to report that the Bosch Focus wipers lasted under 10 days and three rain storms before they began streaking badly.

Luckily because I purchased them at my local AAP, they did a warranty exchange and set me up with some newer Bosch ICONs with absolutely no hassle. The manager noted that I’m not the only one who has come into complain about the Bosch Focus blades.

TLDR: Skip the Bosch Focus wiper blades, they are junk.
 
You are not alone. I replaced the factory wipers on my Mazda with Bosch ones and they did fine for a few months then started to chatter on misty days. After about six months or so they were streaking. I had considered Bosch to be a good product.

I just had them replaced recently with Denso OEM. What a world of difference.
 
I just ordered a pair of Aero wiper blades and a set of Eantac blades. They have good reviews on Amazon. The Aero blades come with a spare set of rubber refills. Each pair was under $20.
 
I think the valeo blades lasted the longest for me. I've noticed that the Bosch wiper blades don't seem to last like they used to. I think when I was in High school they said Made in Germany, but now say made in China. I used to get good results with Rain-X blades but the last pair didn't last long either .
 
As far as I'm concerned, PIAA silicone wiper blades are the only wiper blades that exist. OEM, Bosch, Valeo, Napa, Rain-x, Denso, etc. all wish they were PIAA. You get what you pay for. They don't last "months." They last years.
 
As far as I'm concerned, PIAA silicone wiper blades are the only wiper blades that exist. OEM, Bosch, Valeo, Napa, Rain-x, Denso, etc. all wish they were PIAA. You get what you pay for. They don't last "months." They last years.
I usually get 3-4 years out of my Bosch Icons. I haven’t tried the PIAA silicone blades but I got less than 2 months out of the RainX Advantedge Silicone blades.
 
I had the same experience trying out the Bosch Focus and Bosch Envisions (probably a copy of the focus for autozone)

Shame on them because they're so expensive.

I switched to OEM for the BMW and cheap Valeo "Ultimate Beam Hook" from rockauto for the Honda and haven't looked back.
 
As far as I'm concerned, PIAA silicone wiper blades are the only wiper blades that exist. OEM, Bosch, Valeo, Napa, Rain-x, Denso, etc. all wish they were PIAA. You get what you pay for. They don't last "months." They last years.
I've used them, pretty expensive but I figured hey you get what you pay for and a couple years use makes them actually economical.

BUT:

#1 They don't last years in Texas heat
#2 The paint was fading away after 1 year so I replaced them for that reason alone while they were still working decent but they would have needed replacement in a few months anyhow.

Since I keep my cars very clean and I don't like faded paint on my wipers - I just go on and replace them every 6-8 mos with whatever good deal Rockauto has on Trico Exact Fits. I'm happy and safe.
 
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