2014 Civic - Dealership says I need to spend $300+ to pass inspection - what should I do?

Look closely at the rubber inserts of the wipers.
If they have cracking or separation (usually starts at the ends) they’re failing.

Wiper blades seem to fail more frequently now,but the inspection of wiper blades is subjective,there is a set of wiper blades on the Truck I drive and I believe they are 10 yrs old and they seem to work about as well as they ever did,lests face it,most auto repairs are very expensive a young Ford mechanic told Me one time the Brand new Chaampion sparkplugs(or whatever brand they were,wouldnt work in my Focus,said the computer wouldnt read them corrrectly,felt like calling BS on hIM(The service manager apparently felt the same way I did)now I either do the repairs myself or take it to someone I trust,as you found out,doing it yourself can save considerable money.New cars need so little ,they like to milk em…As CS said"look and see if the wiper blades are starting to seperate"if they are just a bit dirty but otherwise fine,they shouldnt have failed.

Next time you could try my strategy OP. I used to live in a state that required safety inspections, and pretty much every time my truck was due, the shop guy insisted the wipers be replaced. For first year I just let them do it, but I soon discovered they were charging me a pretty penny for the new blades. Like 3 times more than if I purchased them myself. So after that, whenever safety inspection was due I’d install a new set whether the old set was good or not. Then after the inspection I’d re-install the old set, provided of course they were still doing the job of keeping the window clean. And I had a new set waiting on the shelf to use whenever the time came.

Here’s a simple test . . .

Get your water spray bottle and mist the windshield

Hit the wipers

If it chatters, you need wipers

if it streaks, you need wipers

In my opinion, if wipers aren’t clearing EVERYTHING smoothly, or a leaving tons of little water drops behind, in their path, then they are no longer doing their job

I replace my wipers when I do my oil change, service and tire rotation. Think of it as preventive maintenance. When I need wipers, they’re good. I’m not going to get a nasty surprise

I honestly don’t see what the big deal is

Spending a few bucks for wipers . . . so that you can see where you’re going, or what you’re about to hit, just makes good sense

Really you can wear a pair of wipers out in a week in bad weather with salt and sand, or they can last more than a year if they aren’t in the sun all the time. I don’t think the wipers were the big issue though. The problem was a hole in the tail light and that was the major expense. I think the wipers were just incidental.

OP … if you find the cost of the wipers to be too much, they can usually be purchased for considerably less $$ on-line, sites like Rock Auto. For some reason the price of wipers in retail stores has skyrocketed. Much more now than 10 or 15 years ago.

@Bing

When @Caddyman said “The need for new wipers is a pure profit play by the dealer” . . . that is when I decided to explain why selling wipers is not necessarily a ruthless scam

If wipers don’t meet the criteria I mentioned, then they’re no longer doing their job . . . that is my stance

For me, the taillamp AND the wipers are both no-brainers

Replace them yourself . . . or pay somebody else to do it, your choice of price and quality . . . and then stop complaining

Get the car inspected, get your sticker, and move on with life

Most of my stations look at and fondle the wiper blades(never had a failure,because of wiper blades)always replaced blades on my own when they started losing effectivness,its rather obvious when the blades arent doing their job,like the others said replace them yourself its beyond easy to do.

A cousin says the wipers in Mexico are inferior to US blades, because the rubber is cheaper. They asked me to give them my old ones when I replace, because year old US wipers are better than new Mexican wipers. I am not sure he is right, but I am also not sure he is wrong.

Hmmm. My GM blades are made in Mexico. They cost $25-$35 each depending on the dealer but are very good quality and last several years.

Quality stuff can be made in Mexico, as well as junk.
Depends on who’s running the show.
Same goes for China.
They make stuff for domestic that would never pass muster here in The States.

From what I hear, some of the Chinese-made vehicles would never pass US crash standards

I’m talking about the vehicles sold under the Chinese label, not the Buicks made over there

I will assume . . . perhaps incorrectly . . . that those Chinese-market Buicks are higher quality and more crashworthy than the Chinese built AND chinese brand vehicles which are intended solely for the Chinese market

IPhones are assembled in China from parts made mostly in South Korea (Samsung). I’ve owned several mobile phones and my two iPhones are By far the best quality.

Wiper blades don’t seem to last that long here in OK. The summer heat dries them out and ice finishes them off.