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Wiper blade inserts being "phased out"??


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I have a 2016 Legacy. I went to the dealership today to get wiper inserts. He came back and said "Subaru is phasing out the inserts. All you can buy are the full arms." Ummmm....Nope. My car is 17 months old. I'm not replacing the whole arms.

Has anyone else heard this? Anyone know where else to get the inserts?

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I don’t think he meant the actually wiper arm. He most likely meant the whole blade, rather than the insert alone. I have heard that dealers will say this to not replace the insert under the 3/36 warranty. I cannot say wether the inserts are truly being phased out or not, but I have heard this before over the years.

 

 

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Some auto parts sell them. I've been using the Trico break-to-fit refills for awhile, both for the front and rear wipers. The trend is not to sell refills, since stores make more money on selling the complete blade. Agree with you it is an unnecessary waste.

 

Make sure you get the right width. There are two different widths (i.e. thickness of the "claw" that holds the blade).

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I don’t think he meant the actually wiper arm. He most likely meant the whole blade, rather than the insert alone. I have heard that dealers will say this to not replace the insert under the 3/36 warranty. I cannot say wether the inserts are truly being phased out or not, but I have heard this before over the years.

 

 

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Nope. He meant the whole arm. He brought left one and a right one out with him from the back, I guess Hoping I was dumb enough to buy 2 complete (And probably $70 each?) arms.
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Nope. He meant the whole arm. He brought left one and a right one out with him from the back, I guess Hoping I was dumb enough to buy 2 complete (And probably $70 each?) arms.

 

 

 

Wow, I stand corrected. That’s absurd.

 

 

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I was actually told the same thing a few months ago when looking to just replace the inserts. So I was forced to buy the 2 complete wiper assemblies, for double the price.

I was in a bind as my car had failed inspection for "ripped or torn wiper blades (total BS as the shop turned my wipers on HIGH on a DRY HOT windshield and shredded my blades)

So I bought the complete wiper assemblies as I needed to install them ASAP and go back to the private shop so they could "re-inspect" the new wipers and PASS my car.

I don't know why Subaru would be phasing out the inserts. I can see why dealers may try to say or do this, as the labor to feed in the new insert and install the wiper is probably greater than popping in complete new assembly, but that shouldn't be a reason for SUBARU to stop making them.

Honda sells just the inserts. That's what I do for my wife's car. Simple, affordable, effective, and DONE.

 

I would consider stocking up on some spare inserts, but they would dry out.

I'll just have to wait another few years and see what my options are.

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I have a 2016 Legacy. I went to the dealership today to get wiper inserts. He came back and said "Subaru is phasing out the inserts. All you can buy are the full arms." Ummmm....Nope. My car is 17 months old. I'm not replacing the whole arms.

Has anyone else heard this? Anyone know where else to get the inserts?

 

@Mark N...your dealer is an IDIOT and I can't say it any nicer than that. Of course you can simply buy a new blade assembly. I buy BOSCH ICONs as they are the best blades on the market. Cheap from Amazon at about $15-$20 per side versus about $5-$8 more at the local auto parts store. Sometimes you can find them at Walmart too.

 

As an aside, your Subaru dealer DOES sell the blade assemblies too but why buy the Subaru when you can Bosch for less or around the same:spin:

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It's still pretty easy to still get the wiper inserts even if you want OEM ones and it probably will be for at least a few years:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2015-2017-Subaru-Outback-Or-Legacy-Front-Windshield-Wiper-Blade-Refill-Set-OEM/142176909455

 

There is nothing magical about then though and the cheap ~$2 inserts on ebay work great too and last almost as long. I highly recommend them. I think they normally come in one size and you just cut them to the right length.

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For those who were told they needed to replace more than just the insert, please contact SOA with this info. If PAID more than you should have, demand a refund for the difference.

'15 FB25

Magnatec 0W-20 + FU filter (70,517 miles)

RSB, Fr. Strut Bar, Tint, STI BBS, LED er'where

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I think there was a misunderstanding. When I look at the parts diagram online, the arm doesn't include a new wiper blade and insert. If you buy the wiper arm, it looks like you only get the wiper arm, that's it. I'm guessing they might be phasing out inserts, which I would understand. Also not sure what a windshilde is... Probably similar to a windshield I'd imagine.

 

https://parts.subaru.com/a/Subaru_2016_Legacy-Limited-25L-CVT-4WD/_52016_6464685/WIPER-WINDSHILDE/B15-870-01.html

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They misinformed you. I just was told that the inserts were being phased out by my local Subaru dealer also and bought the entire blades instead (not the arm).

 

The inserts I think were about $6 each, the full blades were about $13 each. I'm going to just go with aftermarket blades next time, some nice Trico's or Bosch blades. The Subaru ones don't seem to last that long.

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...I'm going to just go with aftermarket blades next time, some nice Trico's or Bosch blades. The Subaru ones don't seem to last that long.

Trico sells the break-to-fit refills and they will fit the stock Subaru arms. Inexpensive, I keep a few extras around so I can replace them whenever needed.

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