OEM wiper blades

[ingenieur]

I've noticed on a few of my more recent cars that trying to get wiper blades is a bit of a mission.

Halfords sell blades which will occupy the space but they don't fit properly. Most common complaint is that the wiper arms will be a good 'inch' off the screen because the hole in the wiper blade is that high up in the blade that it pushes the arms out.

I've tried Bosch, Halfords own brand, Valeo... none of them fit. This is on BMWs and Mercedes.

I went to the main dealer the other day where I got my last set of Mercedes blades and they don't stock them. So I'd have to order the wiper blades the same way like I would order an alternator.

Anyone worked out how to make this process easier or is this just something that bothers me alone?

[Ice_blue_tvr]

Bought some valeos for the 330e a few weeks back from ecp, very easy to fit.. Work well..

Bought some Michelin branded ones from Costco just yesterday for the GLS.. Took a while to figure out which adaptor was required and how to remove the wipers, but once on the fit is perfectly fine? The adaptor doesn't fit into the arm the same way the oem one did, but the fit is tight and correct.

[descentia]

I always buy Bosch and never had a problem

[Panamax]

descentia said:

I always buy Bosch and never had a problem

You can get an unfortunate surprise buying Bosch if your car is engineered for Valeo. Mercedes chop and change between the two companies for OEM supplies and the respective cars are built with different wiper arms.

[RammyMP]

I ordered 3 new ones for my car over a week ago, ECP delivered 2 a few days ago, I’m still waiting for the drivers side blade, who’d have thought there was a shortage!

Incidentally I got some Michelin ones from Costco a few years ago and they were st.

[vikingaero]

I normally buy Bosch flatties (aeros) for most of our cars.

I noticed that the Bosch ones on my Mums Jazz wasn't as good as the previous Honda branded ones at they seemed to lift off more at the edges. The Honda wiper was a flattie, but more curved than the Bosch ones and the blade had a more pronounced arc.

[E-bmw]

There are a few notable exceptions (generally those with very curvy windscreens in which OEM blades work best) but aside of these I have only ever used Bosch & have always been pleased with them.

[TwinKam]

In some cases, mainly with what are known as 'hybrid' blades, and notably with Honda, the OE can be cheaper than the inferior aftermarket alternative.
Incidentally, this can be true of many other parts, always worth a phone call to the dealer first.

[RammyMP]

My missing blade turned up this morning so I fitted them to the car. The new Bosch blades don’t have as bigger wing as the OEM ones, I’ll see how they perform on the motorway…