Honda inserts usually require Honda specific wiper frames.

I've been using the "hybrid" Michelin or Goodyear wipers from Costco with good results.

Obviously, there's no quality like OEM quality. So likely the best overall wiper frame/blade combo will be the ones you source from Honda.

 

The wiper arms and motor are designed to control a specific type of blade at a specific length.

The windshield curve is also a factor.

 

WTF is a safety inspection and why is the government looking at your wiper blades? I had to look this up because I've never heard of such a nanny law, having lived in Michigan, California and Arizona, the last two only require an emissions check every other year (only in Phoenix)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl..._United_States

Wow. Sorry you guys have to go through that. Must be a PITA.

 

It doesn't rain in CA or AZ.
Michigan and AZ have a low population.
AZ has almost no laws.

Its not unreasonable to check wiper blades as part of an inspection in an area where it rains and there is a large driving population. You need to see in the rain.

If the blades are good...you pass inspection. You don't want some dummy plowing into you because his/her wiper blades are tattered, right? Not such a big deal, eh?

 

Thanks for that link. I was wondering the same thing. What is this inspection thing? I was thinking the guy was in the UK or something and facing MOT. But the link shows I'm surrounded by States that require periodic safety inspections. Somehow I never knew, and I'm a bit shocked to find out.

But stopping to think about it, whenever I see a car that is clearly unsafe to be out on the road, its plate is from my own State, CT.

Here we only have an inspection if registering a car bought out of State. Doesn't matter if its 60 days old or 60 years old. But then they mostly just check if all your lights and horn work, and any rust holes in body. And not excessively loud, has a cat. Tires have tread. The floor could be missing, the brakes not functioning, steering ready to fall off. You'd still pass.

Only if you're reregistering a salvage car or like a kit car, then they actually put it on a lift and poke around.

 

I'm def not trying to make this a 'my state is better then your state thread' lol, there are pro and cons to all of them. I just never heard of such a thing until today. Spent 20 years in Michigan, lots of snow and rain, they have zero inspections and it's the 9th most populous state. If I can't see, I'll replace it, don't need to pay someone to tell me that. In AZ we have an actual monsoon season, dust storms, 14th most populous state. California gets big rainfall packed into just a few weeks at a time, if it just looks like it will rain everyone starts driving like retarded monkeys.

But it seems most of the inspection states are in New England, none are in the plains where the winters are much worse. I'm a 'the less government regulation (i.e. TAX) the better' kind of guy. The less I have to interact and pay the state for a new 'safety' law the better. It's just another nanny life tax, that as you pointed out Arizona doesn't have as many (9th most free state according to recent stats).

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I learned something new today.

 

I believe California never went to inspections as this place is the cradle of do it yourself auto building. It is left up to cops to identify and cite any non compliance with any laws for vehicles. Wiper blades are not even required to be installed, LOL!

 

No worries, bruv.
I'm just saying its a reasonable thing to check during an inspection.

Honestly speaking, the condition of most cars on the road in the USA is appalling. Inspections are minimal. There should be some reasonable amount of inspection, IMO.

Also...NE winters involve MASSIVELY more precipitation as compared to winters on the plains. I don't know how their summers stack up if we're having a contest of, "whose state's weather sucks more and who's dumber for staying in a place with the worst imaginable weather".

 

We have annual roadworthy inspections, but if your car is an import first registered before some time in 2000 (I think) it's 6-monthly.

The flipside is we can pretty much mount a Saturn V rocket to a skateboard and get it road registered as long as the brakes and seatbelts are up to the task.

 

Just want to point out total State population ranking isn't nearly as relevant to the usefulness of vehicle inspections as the ranking of the States population density.

The NE is cramped...