Windshield wipers

The rain-x latitude wipe the windows the best, but are cheap looking, and the blades dont secure into the prius blade housing. My new car had terrible wipers so I went to the service center and had them change the blades from a set of wipers with housing that they had in the shop. I think they we Bosch. Better than the ones that came with the car, but not as good as the rain-x. It was important to me to keep the same housing.

 

Have you tried cleaning the wiper rubber inserts? Dust and dirt buidup is usually the typical cause of streaks this early.

I am getting 18 months out of these blades and only replace the rubber inserts. I also clean the rubber inserts frequently.

 

Yes, I only buy the original Toyota wiper inserts, and have no problem. There is no way the factory can be blamed for the crap that eventually deposits itself on our glass windshields. Expecting a thin rubber wiper to last forever is crazy. I do clean my blades every morning before leaving for work and also wash my windshield every day. You would be amazed how much dirt just sits on the blades waiting for you to wipe them across the glass. Those little chips on your shield that are not visible for years also are picking away at the rubber wipers.

 

Sure! I'm currently using a pair of Trico Onyx blades - they were on special at Amazon a month or two ago, and they're fantastic. Leave a very clean surface, no streaks, even at highway speeds. Unfortunately, it looks like Amazon no longer carries them - I haven't looked elsewhere, but I might, just to have spares. I've also had good luck with various "Valeo" and Rain-X brand wiper blades.

But even the best wipers out there won't last forever - Consumer Reports says most wiper blades last about 6 months. So watch for sales on good ones, and stock up when you can.

I think the most important thing is to plan on replacing your wiper blades regularly - it seems to me that a new cheap blade is better than an old good one. I'm sure regular washing of the blade and the window, would extend a blade's life, as described above. New blades twice a year works out to something like $4/month for me.

Andy