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We own a 2003 BMW 320d which has an annoying and frequent wiper shudder across the windscreen.

I've tried all sorts of different blades, but the shudder persists. It almost puts one off buying another BMW!

What do you think is the most likely cause?

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 6 October 2010

One of my colleagues is an ex-BMW Service Manager who tells me BMW’s are particularly prone to wiper shudder especially if non-genuine wiper blades are used.

If the wiper arms have the slightest twist, this can cause the blade to "dig" into the screen on either the up or down stroke, which will also cause shudder.

BMW have a special service tool to check and adjust the wiper blade angle which may be worth asking your local agent about. Otherwise any obvious twist may be corrected with a suitable pair of plyers.

Genuine blades/arms are an option especially if the shudder is starting to put you off the brand.

Cost is obviously the biggest reason non-genuine parts are used for any make/model however, often there are compromises that owners have to accept and live with.

Not all non-genuine parts are bad, the problem is trying to separate the acceptable from the unacceptable. It is not unusual for some new vehicle franchises to offer a second tier part (non genuine) for older models.

These parts have in many cases the backing from either the local distributor or the mother factory.

It would pay to ask your local BMW dealer whether this may apply to wiper blades and arms for your particular model.

I had this problem and in my case it was not to do with the make of the car. Go to Supercheap Auto or somewhere similar and buy the whole windscreen wiper assembly - they clip on and off easily. It costs not much more than wiper blades alone. It definitely fixed the problem on my Toyota.