How to replace wiper blades and fix washers

Safety: only do jobs you are confident with. Never work under a car supported only by a jack, and if a repair affects brakes, steering or suspension and you are unsure, have a garage do it or check your work.

In 2025, 5.2% of car MOT tests failed on the driver’s view of the road: wipers that smear, washers that don’t squirt, and windscreen damage. Wipers and washers are quick to fix yourself, and an empty washer bottle is one of the most avoidable MOT failures there is.

Signs your wiper blades need replacing

• Streaks or smears left behind, especially in a band across the screen
• Juddering or chattering across the glass
• Splits, tears or hardened, cracked rubber
• Missed patches where the blade doesn’t touch the glass

Rubber hardens with sun and frost, so most blades need replacing every 12 months whatever they look like. For the MOT, the wipers must clear the screen well enough to give the driver an adequate view.

Changing a wiper blade

1. Get the right size. Measure the old blade or check the handbook. The driver’s and passenger’s blades are often different lengths. Most car parts shops look them up by registration.
2. With the ignition off, lift the wiper arm away from the screen. On some cars you need to put the wipers in “service position” first (often by switching the wipers on within a few seconds of turning the ignition off). The handbook will say.
3. Put a folded towel on the screen under the arm. A bare spring-loaded arm snapping back can crack the glass.
4. Find the clip where the blade meets the arm. On the common hook type, press the small tab and slide the blade down, away from the hook. Other types press a button or lift a cover.
5. Slide the new blade on until it clicks, then lower the arm gently onto the screen.
6. Test with the washers, and check the blade sits flat along its whole length.

Don’t forget the rear wiper if your car has one. It is checked at the MOT if fitted.

Fixing washers that don’t work

1. Check the bottle is full. Use a proper screenwash mix, not washing-up liquid, which leaves a film and can damage paint. In winter use a mix that won’t freeze.
2. Listen for the pump. With the ignition on, operate the washers. If you hear a whir but nothing comes out, the jets or a pipe are blocked. If there is silence, check the fuse, then the pump’s wiring plug.
3. Unblock the jets with a fine needle or pin pushed gently into the nozzle. Wiggle it, don’t force it. Many jets can be re-aimed the same way so the spray hits the middle of the screen.
4. Check the hoses under the bonnet for splits or connectors that have come apart. These are cheap rubber pipes and easy to rejoin.

Windscreen chips and cracks

The MOT looks at damage in the area the wipers sweep:

• In the zone A area, a strip 290mm wide centred on the steering wheel, any damage larger than 10mm is a failure.
• Elsewhere in the swept area, damage larger than 40mm is a failure.

A small chip can often be repaired by a windscreen specialist for £50–£80, and many comprehensive insurance policies cover repairs without affecting your no-claims bonus. Get chips repaired early: temperature changes make them spread into cracks.

Other things that count as “view of the road”

• Both door mirrors (and the interior mirror) must be present and secure, with glass that isn’t cracked or missing.
• Air fresheners, sat-nav mounts or stickers in the driver’s line of sight can fail if they obstruct the view.

Which cars fail on visibility most?

From our analysis of every car MOT in 2025, these popular models failed on visibility most often. If you own or are buying one, it is worth checking this area more carefully. Older cars naturally fail more, so the figures partly reflect each model’s age.

See every model in our MOT data by model.