Three Reasons that Ram 1500 Owners like Bosch Wiper Blades

Mission started the discussion on a popular Ram 1500 forum. He lives in New Hampshire and is looking to replace his OEM wipers. “Want to replace the blades I had on for the winter, with some nice quality blades. I read somewhere that even though our trucks use a 22" blade, we can use a 24" without any problems. What brand wiper blades are everyone using? I was looking at the Bosch Icons.”

Most on the Forum Back the Bosch Icons

It is a thought provoking question because the responses were overwhelmingly on the side of Bosch. Here’s a sampling.

Trucktime, from New York, says, “For me, the Bosch Icons are the best. Although they can be pricey, try to get them when on sale. I used them on my last truck and will use them again once the OE ones need replacing.”

John, from San Diego, says, “I tried several and without question, the Bosch Icons are the best.”

Barron, from Alaska, adds, “Another vote for the Bosch Icons. Make sure you get the 22 A (drivers) and B (passenger).”

Mission is especially worried about the wear and tear that the wiper blades will get in the winter. I find it interesting that regardless of where the other truck owners live, most seem to really like the Bosch Icons.

Bert, from Michigan, points out that Bosch stands behind its products. “The icons are built to last and come with warranty. They should hold up for the winter no problem.”

Out of nearly 100 different posts, there are some other suggestions. Express says, “The pair I now have are Rain-X and bought last fall and they have held up very well through the winter. Forget how much I paid for them, but would buy them again.”

Audio makes this recommendation. “I used to use the Icons as well but we started carrying the Trico Ultra which I have been much happier with. I have them on my truck, wife's van and son's Dart.”

A Number of Votes for Ram OEM Wiper Blades

Razz, from Northern California, says he is pleased with Ram’s original equipment. “I have been very surprised with the stock blades, they work exceptionally well. At $14.95 each online I’ll buy em again over $50 blades any day.”

Neil, from Oklahoma, says, “The Mopars on my 18 look like a Bosch Icon.”

Junior bought Bosch when he was in a jam, but really liked the Mopar ones. “I have the Bosch Icons on there now and to be honest, the stock blades were just as good if not better. I did notice that the Icons are a tad shorter since I put them on when my truck was dirty and could see them falling a touch short of where the windshield was clean. I spoke to a buddy of mine who works for dodge and he said they have three versions of replacements, the value line, Magneti Marelli and OEM. From what I remember the OEM were in the 2x.xx area. However my wiper blades fell apart one night and I needed replacements, so I got the Bosch from Advance Autoparts. Btw my OEM blades lasted just short of two years until they came apart (and were still working great up til then).”

One of the major reasons Ram owners seem to like Bosch is the Icon’s durability. It has a metal frame and hold up even in the roughest winter weather.

Neil adds two other reasons that he prefers the Bosch Icons. “All wiper blades will pretty much be streak-free... when they’re brand new. Sheds water well.... when they are brand new. Even last for a pretty good bit. Those frameless wiper blades are better in the winter time because they don’t freeze up as quickly and as bad. That’s primarily the reason why winter blades are covered in a rubber boot. Keeps the water out of the movable parts. Premium wiper blades usually have better wiping edges and are made of much better materials that are proven to last longer.
I prefer a premium blade that will last a very long time because it’s not just necessarily because of longevity; premium wiper blades are usually more expensive for a reason.”

JWith, from St. Louis, had an interesting comparison for the group. “Fwiw, just got my Bosch icon. Looks like I had rainx previously, which ran great for the entire 8 months I had them (previous owner install) until I used my entire washer fluid reservoir to defrost my windshield one day. Construction is nearly identical. Only difference I found was that the Bosch had the rubber boots on top of the frame covering the entire frame where as rainx did not.”

It sounds like many of the owners were pleased with the new OEM wiper blades on the new Ram 1500s that look and handle like the Bosch Icons and appear to be less expensive.

The biggest reasons that most of the drivers like the Bosch Icons are the durability, longevity of wear and how well the Icons work at clearing off the windshield regardless of the weather conditions.

Consumer Reports outlines some of its findings and suggests that many of the top brands have similar ratings, but some degrade faster than the others.