Are OEM Windshield Wipers Better Than Aftermarket?

Is it time to replace your windshield wipers? Are you debating between OEM or aftermarket windshield wipers? If so, we’ll help you make the right decision.

In this guide, we’ll go over the 3 most important factors to consider while looking for replacement wiper blades. While discussing each factor, we’ll weigh each option against each other and see which one comes out on top.

Knowing the key differences between OEM and aftermarket windshield wipers will help you make the right choice.

1. Quality

Wipers

This is an important one. The material quality plays a big part in whether your replacement wiper blades will last a long time.

OEM wiper blades are built to glide perfectly across your windshield. Ford makes a point to make its wiper blades with high quality rubber or a proprietary material. Most aftermarket manufacturers use cheap materials in their windshield wiper blades. That means a lot of aftermarket blades wear out faster than OEM wipers. You'll find a lot of one-star reviews on Amazon for aftermarket windshield wipers. Here are a few:

  • "The rubber [part on my aftermarket wipers] separated from the arm after less than 3 months of occasional use. Total garbage!"
  • "[My aftermarket wipers] squeal like there's no tomorrow. They have been since about a month into using them. We actually recently went on a road trip and decided to take our other car solely on the basis of not wanting to hear these wiper blades the whole trip."
  • "The plastic blade worked its way off on the first day of rain. The wiper blades leave a big area of windshield uncleared."

2. Fitment

When it comes to replacing your wipers, you don't want any fitment issues. OEM windshield blades are made to the specs of your make and model. They're also direct replacement parts, so perfect fitment is always guaranteed.

Aftermarket manufacturers make their wiper blades at high volumes. They also make their blades to fit many different cars. So fitment isn't quite perfect on aftermarket wiper blades. Some of the most common issues with aftermarket blades include:

  • Too bulky for the mechanism
  • Inability to fit into the connector
  • Weak connection with the connector (separates or slides off easily)
  • Hopping, dragging, or smearing across the windshield
  • Uneven wear on the blade

If you check out Amazon, you'll see lots of negative reviews about aftermarket wipers. Here are a few:

  • "I thought I could use the arm that's already on my back window. Nope! The blade [on my aftermarket wipers] won't touch the glass. So the entire thing has to be replaced. Silly, when just a blade should work."
  • "The clips [on my aftermarket wipers] don't fit my 2011 Ford. I had to use my old ones."
  • "The blades [on my aftermarket wipers] are a little long for my car, so they don't lay flat enough to clean the whole area."

3. Performance

OEM wiper blades are made from higher quality materials, and they fit better. That means they perform better than aftermarket wipers. The following Amazon reviews reflect how poorly many aftermarket wiper blades perform:

  • "I installed [aftermarket wiper blades] on my 2015 Ford Explorer. They do not wipe the water clean. I will never buy this product again and would never recommend it to anybody."
  • "Garbage. The driver’s side wiper is noisy, but it does an OK job when it rains. The passenger side wiper misses a large area in the middle. Will not buy again."
  • "Completely useless. The wipers just spread water around the windshield instead of pushing it off. During the first use, the rubber blades slipped out of the holder. Don’t waste your money!"
  • "After years of buying OEM wiper blades, I decided to give [aftermarket wipers] a try to save a few bucks. Living in the Pacific Northwest, having good quality wiper blades is a must. The only good thing about these are that the installation was a breeze. Other than that, these are definitely not OEM quality as they are stated in the description. They streak pretty bad. The driver side wiper skips and squeaks. The passenger side wiper does not make full contact with the windshield. There is a 3-inch wide x 6-inch long area that does not get wiped. I took these off and installed OEM wiper blades."

Finding The Right OEM Wiper Blades For Your Ford Model

Another benefit of using OEM wiper blades is the fact that they're very easy to find. All you have to do is to look up your Ford in our catalog to find the right part numbers.

Feel free to contact us with any questions about finding the right OEM wiper blades for your Ford!