VW wipers trashed after ~7 months.

[pezzy84]

So either VW dealer put some cheap wipers on my E-Golf when they CPO'ed it or VW Parts replacement wipers are not good quality.

Even after a year of above average rainfall (aka regular wiper usage) the 7 month old wipers on my E-Golf are ready to go to the bin, they are dried out beyond belief. I have never had wipers kick the bucket this fast, they still wipe fine but chatter, squeak and buzz like crazy even after 20+ minutes of moderate rain wiping. The rear wiper is so bad I thought a car was scraping my back bumper as they were passing behind me as the wiper was banging away at the back glass. For 18 years now I replace 1x per year no matter the condition, until now every wiper has been fine to the 1 year mark and all of them could have probably gone quite a bit longer - this is a first for me where they need replacement before my preventative 1 year replacement mark.

Car was only at dealership for less than 2 weeks and I am pretty certain the wipers were new as I took delivery when it was raining and they worked like new wipers should back then. Going to try another set of VW parts wipers (I have an unusal aversion to aftermarket parts) and see how they do, if the new ones only last 7 months I may have to get over myself and get some decent aftermarket replacements.

 

[Leo99]

Curious how often do you change your battery? You don't know if the wipers were new when you bought car so don't condemn VW yet.

 

[PimTac]

Spend some money and get quality wipers.

 

[pezzy84]

Curious how often do you change your battery? You don't know if the wipers were new when you bought car so don't condemn VW yet.

Unless the dealer fudged the CPO service invoice (dealer I bought from shows you the service invoice from CPO process) they should have been new wipers and they wiped like new wipers when new so I am safely assuming they were new.

Battery - that is a whole different ball of wax and the 12V in my E-Golf was replaced as part of CPO process as well and I can confirm it was new at purchase. $30-40/annually for a critical safety feature (vision while driving) is much different than a battery that will leave your car parked in one spot if it fails. Regardless my car is a BEV so the 12V doesn't really get much use except for accessories that don't run off the traction battery.

 

[Rmay635703]

Recently I’ve had a variety of expensive wipers break at the base mounting point
after under 6 months.

I think a lot of really crappy Not cheap wipers have been in the market the last couple of years.

Not sure why there is so much garbage, I’ve never had the base of a wiper break ever before But now...

 

[Astro14]

Or, they didn’t change the wipers at all.

I’ve seen wipers trashed in less than a month, by a person using them to clear frost, instead of properly scraping the frost with a scraper. Grit, frost, junk, anything on the glass, particularly when the glass is dry, will wear out the rubber quickly.

Who knows what these wipers have been subjected to...but clearly, they’re done.

I change wipers annually, too. Just put some new ones on.

PIAA makes some very long lasting silicone wipers that perform quite well. They fit my Volvos. Perhaps try a set of those. I’ve got Bosch on my MB ( the only option for that car) and they’re good, but not as durable as the PIAA.

 

[TiGeo]

I use a variety of wipers on m VWs - VW-branded, Bosch, Valeo, and PIAA. I've had similar issues on both my Sportwagen and Atlas. I get them from FCP Euro now so I just return them for new ones with my oil change kits so if it's 2-3x a year, so be it and it's a one-time cost for unlimited wipers....only really works out if you combine return shipping like I do with the oil change/plugs etc. The worst is my rear on my Sportwagen. It's got to be related to dirt/film on the window. I need to clean them with an abrasive glass cleaner next wash.

 

[skyactiv]

I once owned a 2013 VW GTI I bought new. It was made in the Wolfsburg plant in Germany. The original wipers were the longest lasting and had the tell tale Bosch symbol on the plastic bits.
Valeo is another wiper supplier for VW.
Being that the Golf is such a popular car in Europe, Bosch makes a packaged wiper set for Golfs that contain both the long and short wiper blades. I'm sure you know how to put the wipers in the park position to change them? Don't get confused with it saying left hand wiper, we are not in the UK.
Bosch part number on Amazon is
3397007863
https://www.amazon.com/BOSCH-AeroTwin-Front-Wiper-Blades/dp/B00FZWPO5Y

 

[Trav]

VW cars can be fussy about windshield wipers, I tried them all, OE, Bosch Icons, PIAA silicone, Michelin, Anco, Trico, and a couple of others and none fit properly except the short lived OE (Bosch non Icon) then I tried Rain X beam type. I was not expecting much at all from a company that produces snake oil for windows but these things are the best ones I ever put on a VW or any car for that matter.

They lasted 3 years and 3 harsh NE winters without breaking a sweat and this car is parked outdoors, the old thing is not good enough to take garage space. After 3 years the pass side got a small streak in it, nothing serious so I changed them for the same ones that are now over 2 years old and still going good. I am sold on these!

 

[Astro14]

I’ll add that wipers last longer if I polish the glass. I use Griot’s glass polish to get the glass really clean.

 

[Trav]

I find using Bon Ami 1886 original formula (the only one that will not scratch the windshield) then polish it it turns out even better.
Its under $3 at the local hardware store.

Amazon.com: Bon Ami 1886 Formula - 12 oz (Pack of 2): Health & Personal Care

Buy Bon Ami 1886 Formula - 12 oz (Pack of 2) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

www.amazon.com

Bon Ami 1886 Formula Cleaning Powder (Discontinued) - Bon Ami

For a natural clean Our original formula uses only two ingredients to clean life’s everyday messes. Together, soap and feldspar, gently and effectively clean and polish hard surfaces, including glass*. *Not intended for use on coated glass with polymer additives or added plastics.

www.bonami.com

 

[pezzy84]

I once owned a 2013 VW GTI I bought new. It was made in the Wolfsburg plant in Germany. The original wipers were the longest lasting and had the tell tale Bosch symbol on the plastic bits.
Valeo is another wiper supplier for VW.
Being that the Golf is such a popular car in Europe, Bosch makes a packaged wiper set for Golfs that contain both the long and short wiper blades. I'm sure you know how to put the wipers in the park position to change them? Don't get confused with it saying left hand wiper, we are not in the UK.
Bosch part number on Amazon is
3397007863
https://www.amazon.com/BOSCH-AeroTwin-Front-Wiper-Blades/dp/B00FZWPO5Y

I'll have to check these out if this next set from VW wears out too soon.

Yeah know the trick with the wiper service position, sometimes I will plop them up into service position when its gonna rain pretty heavy so the rain tray and bottom half of the blades gets rinsed off.

It seems VW ditched the MK5 wiper shifting feature I'm guessing maybe with the MK7, the Sportwagen does it but my Golf does not (at least not that I have heard). They may have ditched it with the MK6 as the Sportwagen is just a facelifted MK5.

 

[Rand]

the drivers side wiper on my 2019 jeep was trash at about 1 year.. normally I get 2 years out of a a set.

spend 25$ on oem and its still good after 16 months. Note the rear and passenger side wipers are still OEM original and work great.. no streaks.

I do use aquapel so my wiper use is below average and I'm not one of those dufus that drive around with the wipers on high in a light rain.

I really like the OEM wipers on the jeep. Probably try to find refills or OEM online for the next set.. dealer is too much $$$ but handy.

 

[TiGeo]

I'll have to check these out if this next set from VW wears out too soon.

Yeah know the trick with the wiper service position, sometimes I will plop them up into service position when its gonna rain pretty heavy so the rain tray and bottom half of the blades gets rinsed off.

It seems VW ditched the MK5 wiper shifting feature I'm guessing maybe with the MK7, the Sportwagen does it but my Golf does not (at least not that I have heard). They may have ditched it with the MK6 as the Sportwagen is just a facelifted MK5.

Wiper shifting feature? You mean when you turn the car on and it moves them a little bit so they don't always rest in the same position? My MK7 Golf Sportwagen still does this.

 

[Nick1994]

How clean is your windshield? Might be time to clay bar it.

 

[JTK]

So true on the short lived wiper blades. I dunno if it's because of the size of them today compared to many years ago and you notice the degradation faster? Lot of factors I suppose.

I rarely have a blade last a year.

 

[wdn]

Costco is having a sale on Michelin Guardian wiper blades, $3 of from September 30 through October 25. It brings them down to $5.99 each. Limit of 4.

Putting Rain-X on the windshield seems to make wipers last longer but it might be due to slower interval wiper settings are enough to keep the rain off. Or maybe the smoother glass surface is easier on the rubber.

 

[ctrcbob]

Once you start to use Rain-X, you must continue using it, otherwise the blades start to chatter after a few weeks

(1) I only use Rain-X to clean the "scum" left by the blades at the end of their stroke (a little on the tip of a cloth cleans the scum right off). I also use Rain-X as listed below

(2) my wipers last a looooong time, but I take care of them. Every so often (I.E., when I feel like it) I clean the blades with soap and water, then I go over the blades with Rain-X. Works for me my blades last a long time

 

[wdn]

Sounds like heroin.

 

[pezzy84]

Wiper shifting feature? You mean when you turn the car on and it moves them a little bit so they don't always rest in the same position? My MK7 Golf Sportwagen still does this.

I have not heard them do their shift on my e-Golf, ya know the random wiper clunk every so often after pulling away after a start? It was obvious in my '06 Jetta, my departed '12 Sportwagen and 'the 11 Sportwagen. I don't hear anything at all from the wipers on my e-Golf unless they are in use.