Last updated 15-Sep-2022
The windscreen wipers on all Tesla’s but especially the Model S and Model X, are known for not performing brilliantly. They can often judder and flex leave streaks across the windscreen. It appears as if the blades themselves are too flimsy, but the problem is slightly more complex as it can include the wiper blade alignment being slightly out. Even if the alignment is corrected, it rarely lasts because either the alignment drifts or because the weather (i.e., the temperature and wind), speed you are driving at etc can all change the behaviour of the wipers and the flexibility. We've some suggestions on how to improve their performance.
Before we get to those, there is a secondary issue with the auto wipe function. When Tesla switched to their own autopilot hardware, they decided to drop the industry standard sensor and decided to rely on the cameras. 5 years later and it's still not working well in all conditions. Heavy rain is usually fine, but light rain, mist or mizzle, splashes of water etc, all result in variable performance, as does driving in the dark. There is little you can do to help with this problem other than set the wiper speed manually, although even this has become limited lately with Auto wipers being enabled automatically when Tesla Vision autopilot is engaged.
The basic first step it to try and keep the windscreen and the wipers clean. When driving dirt and film build up and these are not always removed by the wipers leading to a poor contact between the wiper and the glass, and if the contact is uneven across the length of the wiper can lead to dirt trails and uneven wiping.
Tesla generally ships Model S and Model X cars with Bosch Aerotwin wipers. These eventually wear out and would often be part of a service or maintenance check but with the low servicing requirements on Tesla models this is likely not to be done. Tesla provide a guide to replacing windscreen wipers which is easy to follow and can be done by most people. Some retailers also offer a service where they will change the wipers for you for a small fee although we'd still recommend reading the guide so the wipers are put into service mode before they start.
The cars are shipped with US spec wipers which are harder and longer lasting than European spec wipers but that extra hardness is at the expense of cleaning performance. You can change the wipers to the European specification wipers or we would recommend switching to Michelin Stealth wipers which have a stronger body and less likely to flex.
You can also look to just buy a replacement blade edge rather than the complete blade although we find this more trouble than its worth.
As mentioned previously, it is also possible to get Tesla to adjust the blades. We'd only suggest going this route if the car is new (and it is a build issue) or the wipers are particularly bad and it may be a sign of a warranty issue. Tesla may otherwise want to charge you for a slight adjustment when the car is otherwise within the 'tolerance'. Tesla will adjust the angle of the wiper arm against the windscreen using a specialist tool. In essence, Tesla adjust/twist the wiper arm mount effectively aligning it better to the screen, and we strongly advise owners NOT to trying to do this themselves.
The second adjustment is the length of the sweep. If the wiper arm is removed when say a new windscreen is fitted, it is possible that it is replaced on the wrong notch of the motor spindle. This results in the sweep either extending past the end of the windscreen on to the A-pillar or more typically a short sweep where it doesn't wipe far enough. There is a specialist tool to remove the wiper arm without damaging it and as a result we'd suggest taking it back to have it refitted. It's literally a 2-minute job with the right equipment. We’ve tried to remove the wiper arm ourselves before, and there is a real risk of damaging the windscreen without the right tool.
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