Bad Wiper Blades? | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Bad Wiper Blades?

I don't know how the Ford rain sensor works, but with some cars, my Audi included, using Rain X messes with how the sensor detects the presence/volume of rain on the windshield.

I haven't had any issues but if worried you can just avoid the sensor. I have RainX'd over and around the sensor on multiple Fords 2013 and 2016 Explorers, 2015 Mustang, and 2019 F150 and haven't had issues but I think I prefer to RainX over it but that is just my preference. It seems to make the wipers work at a slower pace which I prefer.
 



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Perhaps it's not the wipers but the windshield.:dunno:

Peter

It could be the windshield, certainly. Could be some sort of contamination that I'm not seeing. Could be a contour issue with the glass itself and the blades are not holding tight to the glass. Could be some factory coating that they used when manufacturing the glass that isn't jiving well with the rubber on the blades. Could be the geometry design of the wiper arms that has an uneven pull during the stroke. Could just be my bad luck. But the fact that I've driven three identical models and they all smear the same seems awfully coincidental.
 






I drove through some rain in my loaner this evening. Same exact issue, it streaks badly in the center of the blade during the return stroke. Either these OEM wipers stink, or there is a contact/geometry issue with the wipers on these vehicles. I have now driven three 2020 Explorers and they all have the same issue.

There have been a few of us that had the factory blades replaced by dealers now and it seem to dramatically improve with replacement Ford wiper blades. They did mine a couple weeks ago and that helped a lot.
 






It could be the windshield, certainly........................... But the fact that I've driven three identical models and they all smear the same seems awfully coincidental.
I'm guessing the windshields are produced in bulk, so if there is an initial issue with the production, it would affect subsequent windshields. That could explain why the three other vehicles had the same issue.

Peter
 






There have been a few of us that had the factory blades replaced by dealers now and it seem to dramatically improve with replacement Ford wiper blades. They did mine a couple weeks ago and that helped a lot.

Yeah they replaced mine once already. Still have the same smearing issue. I made sure the glass was meticulously clean. Who knows. I've never had this issue on any of my past vehicles.
 






Even in the 5th gen Forum, this wasn't an issue. I wonder how many others will encounter this problem?

Peter
 






Same with mine, streaks right in front of where my vision is through the windshield.
 






What are the top windshield vipers out there?
 






What are the top windshield vipers out there?

Michelin Ensurance XT silicone beam are supposed to be very good. They are expensive.
 






Glad I found searched and found this thread. Had my ST for a week and the wiper blades seemed like they are a year old already with streaks everywhere. I'm thinking about asking the dealer to replace but I think it's a bad OEM wiper blade to begin with and should just get Bosch ICON or something.

I looked through the manual and can't find the size for the wiper blades. Anyone know?

Yes they are garbage. I replaced with Bosch ICON and couldn't be happier. 26OE and 21OE
 






Add me to the list. Mine was the GM's demo unit so it had 6k miles on it so I figured they just are worn but it streaks in the middle just like everyone else is mentioning. On my previous one I always purchased Ford replacement wiper blades because the quality was really good and the price was reasonable compared to the blades at the auto parts stores. But I did notice the last set were different so I wonder if Ford changed suppliers.
 






If you buy Ford, you get 2 year warranty so can get swapped put as many times as you need to within the 2 years.

Granted if every pair is like this, that will not help. But a major benefit of going OEM. Any other brand is just throw away and buy another pair.
 












I also have the same problems, horrible wipers. I just assumed it was a bad Ford design = My first Ford Vehicle. I will reach out to the dealer on my next visit.
 






I've used my ST's wipers a lot in heavy rain for the past month/1000 miles with no problems. Tonight in light snow with road salt spraying, I was still impressed with how well they clean the windshield quietly and smoothly. My 2013 MKZ had terrible OEM wipers always streaking and sticking and making noise. I replaced them with Bosch frameless ones and they did an amazing job.
 






I switched to the bosch icons. Better than OEM but I still have the smear when the blade is coming back down. Both in the middle of the blade.

Is this a wiper blade arm issue?
 






Mine are fairly noisy for being brand new, and I can feel them going back in forth in the brake pedal pretty badly.
 






Mine are fairly noisy for being brand new, and I can feel them going back in forth in the brake pedal pretty badly.

You can feel the wiper blades going back and forth in the brake pedal?
 






You can feel the wiper blades going back and forth in the brake pedal?

Yes, there is slight thump in the brake pedal at the end of each wipe of the blades when the car is at a stop.
 



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Washed the Explorer this afternoon and dried the windshield crystal clear, no blemishes. Applied Rain-X. Probably won't drive in rain for four months now that I did this.
 






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