I happen to think $13 for a single wiper blade refill is a great example of how the dealership does rip you off. But if it's the only way you can get the job done, what choice do you have?

Hardly any part store even sells wiper blade refills anymore because people can the whole blade assembly with the rubber is easier to install, and still less than what a dealership charges for just the rubber.

It's just a rubber blade that wears out like any other, it probably cost Toyota 25 cents to crank them out. There's nothing magical about them to warrant the 5,000% markup

If you're happy with paying substantially more for dealer parts, great, but I've been really happy going aftermarket on many things, and disposable things like the rubber on my wiper blades are a great example.

 

I am getting old and maybe lazy but IF you find a good dealer they are priceless. I bring in my own oil, they top off my nitro when it gets cold, will be reasonable on repairs and match coupons from any brand dealer. They have coffee/soda/bigscreen Directv, wifi computers set up, I stay away from the cookies. I practically know these guys like my family and toss em 10 spots once and a while for lunch. They have all the state of the art equipment and cut me cars for a day if it is a lengthy repair like tires and alignments. It is a Yota dealer and last month I bought a Highlander along with the LS just to keep em busy and me happy.

My last wiper blades zero free.

 

Well, there is a reason people feel this way and it's because Lexus dealers do try and rip people off ... they earned the bad rep they have.

In this particular case, I assumed wrongly that I would be buying BOTH wiper items, the rubber refill and the metal blade, because in 40 years I have never just replaced just the rubber.

I think if someone in Canada checks if you replace both blades ( metal and rubber ) this way, it would be more than $80 in Canada.

 

Nafta made it a whole new competitive world. US manufacturers now had competition, jobs/factories could now be outsourced as well overseas, unions crushed, wages lowered and pension plans abolished. The new order valued corporate profits to keep there executive bonuses and the stock market now was priority over US laborers and living wages. You are right though with this formula blades should be 10 cents but stamp it Lexus its like stamping it marine.

 

Sorry for being political, I promise to stop.

 

So true ! Whats also funny is I was happy to pay this price ... I was expecting it to be higher, lol.

Wasn't going to bother telling this, but what the hell .... jayclapp, what do you think of this ....

I didn't bother to tell about the procedure needed to replace just the rubber. The parts guy who supplied them didn't know how to even remove the old rubber, so he sent me to the service department. The service advisor didn't know either but I was lucky a mechanic walked by heard but just walked right past us. I grabbed him and asked very nicely if he could please show me how to do it .... he hesitated, looked around and then said OK. I asked him to do it slowly and explain the procedure so I could do the passenger side after myself. He actually turned his back to me when he removed it so I couldn't see ! I asked him why he didn't show me and got no answer, just a cold stare. I told him that what he did was not acceptable, and made him explain in detail how to remove it, which by the way I would have never figured out myself for fear of damaging the metal arm. When I asked him to show me how to replace it, he again hesitated, but he did replace it for me very quickly ( not really showing me as I asked ) requiring me to almost force him to give me a detailed explanation. He did so but so quickly I could just barely follow it. This was all very deliberate.

BTW, how many of you have actually replace yours yourself. Pretty ingenious engineering IMO and if you have, how did YOU learn to do it. Warminwisc, you are lucky to have a decent dealer !

Don't stop. If you did this thread would just be about replacing rubber refills on the wipers. lol

 

bosch icons fit and work perfectly..just on the driver side blade i had to modify the clip a little bit.

 

I've changed the rubber refills on Lexus cars since 1992. No big deal. You don't have to be an Aerospace Engineer to figure out how to do it either!

It's almost as easy as guzzling an 18-pack of beer which costs even more! LOL.

 

DIY Instructions >

http://lexus.sewellparts.com/pdf/How...er_Inserts.pdf

 

Now that I have done it once, you're right, but the first time without any instruction was quite interesting ... and faster than guzzling 18 beers.

Nice, should help anyone who needs to know how !

 

Im quoting you here, Stu but I agree with all your comments while Im perplexed at jayclaps. I dont get why Jayclap cant understand that when you havent done ANY task there is fear you will mess it up. In the case of the wiper blades or refills, you feel you may break it causing more cost. I respect jayclap saying its easy but, like you said, STU, thats after doing it, then it makes sense. When I 1st replced the A/C filter, I was scared Id break something, now 10 years later, Im a pro at it. We need to respect people when they dont know how to do things, and stop making them feel dumb! As for why I agreed with you Stu is simple. Dealers can be cruel and customer service is no longer the goal of many businesses today! I had a LEXUS ex-mechanic, now service advisor help me 1 time and I didnt ask. I needed a rear tailight replaced, he told me to buy the bulbs, and he would install after telling me what they charge to do it if I let them, he was kind and that made me come back. It depends on who you get to help you and in a mechanic at LEXUS' defense, they can get in trouble for giving free help were the dealer can charge us so, I would consider that being why he helped but, reluctantly. I became chatty with the advisor who helped me and he told me,"we dont make alot of $ as mechanics, were n hourly wages, and the dealer charges $95 and hour and they get that, we get what our hourly rate is"! I feel ALL dealers goal is profit and nothing is wrong with that, whats sad is when a job like wiper blade refill replacement is charging over $50 for a 5 minute job like other repairs of our cars. Some jobs should cost more but, it takes less than 5 minutes to replace filter and wiper blades! I agree with you thoughStu, great comments!LGNM

 

Yep... No biggie. Just had to break off the one leg or side of the little cap. Still snaps down to cover the mech, and looks acceptable to me.

Love ICON blades!

 

In the past I bought my refills from local Toyota dealership. Recently I went to purchase a set and called the parts department to confirm they were in stock, if not order a set. Toyo claimed Toyota and Lexus doesn't make refills anymore, that I would need to purchase complete blade assenbly.. Too funny
After educating the parts clerk, I was then told they could order them at $15 each. Declined
So now I buy mine at Oreillys Auto Parts store, exact fit OE refills...


TRICO - Wiper Refill Driver $6.29
Part # 45-240

TRICO - Wiper Refill Passenger $6.29
Part Number: 45-160

 

I have replaced the wiper arm on both the driver's and passenger's side with name brand arms I bought at Walmart.

Never had a problem.

 

This is great information. I didn't know you can get replacement refills at auto stores. Will check it out and save a few bucks.

Thanks for the info.