What the Job Is and What You Are Paying For
Your wipers are driven by one electric motor tucked under the plastic cowl at the bottom of the windshield. The motor turns a crank, and a set of rods called the linkage turns that into the back and forth sweep of the arms.
Inside the motor is a gearbox, brushes, and a park switch. The park switch tells the motor where to stop so the arms rest at the bottom of the glass. When the brushes wear out, the motor slows or quits. When the park switch fails, the wipers stop wherever they are when you turn them off.
A proper job means removing the wiper arms, unclipping the cowl panel, unbolting the motor or the whole motor and linkage frame, and swapping the motor. Then the arms go back on at the correct park position, and the tech tests every speed, the delay, the wash function and the park.
On many cars you can buy the motor alone. On others the motor and linkage are sold as one assembly. The assembly costs more but saves time if the linkage bushings are worn too.
The price is a mix of the part and about an hour of labor on most cars.
Why the Price Varies So Much
The part is the biggest swing. A quality aftermarket motor for a common car is often $70 to $130. Factory motors and motors with built in control modules can cost $250 or more.
Access is next. Some cars have a short cowl held by a few clips. Others hide the motor under a long cowl, a sheet metal panel and sometimes a strut brace. European cars are often the slowest.
Rain sensing wipers and smart wiper modules can add a setup step. Some motors talk to the body computer, and a new one may need to be set up with a scan tool.
Then comes the shop. Dealers charge the highest rate. Independents usually use aftermarket motors. Mobile mechanics can do this job in a driveway, and they often charge less because there is no lift time.
What Usually Gets Done at the Same Time
Some add ons make sense while the cowl is off. Others are padding.
Worth it almost every time are new wiper blades if yours are more than six months old. New blades on a new motor make sure the wipers actually clear the glass.
Worth checking is the wiper linkage. Worn linkage bushings make the arms clunk or flop at the end of each sweep. If the linkage is loose, replace it with the motor. A linkage that pops off its ball joints is also a common cause of dead wipers, and it can be fixed without a new motor.
Worth it if cracked are the cowl clips and the cowl panel itself. A cracked cowl lets leaves and water into the cabin air intake.
Worth a look is the cowl drain area. Leaves and dirt under the cowl clog drains and send water into the motor and the cabin. Cleaning it out is cheap insurance.
Usually an upsell is a new wiper switch or a new body module before anyone tests the motor directly.
- New wiper blades: do them if the old ones are worn
- Wiper linkage: replace if bushings are loose or arms flop
- Cowl clips and panel: replace any that crack
- Clean leaves and dirt from under the cowl
- Wiper switch or body module: only after the motor is tested
Make Sure It Is Really the Motor
Dead wipers have several causes, and the motor is only one of them. Test before you buy.
If the wipers do nothing and you hear nothing, check the fuse first. Then check the wiper relay if your car has one. A blown fuse often means the wipers were stuck under snow or ice and the motor strained.
If you hear the motor run but the arms do not move, the linkage has popped off or a wiper arm nut is loose on its splined post. Tightening the arm nut or snapping the linkage back on can fix it for nearly nothing.
If the wipers work on some speeds but not others, the switch on the steering column is a common cause, though the motor can fail this way too. A tech checks power at the motor plug in each switch position.
If the wipers stop wherever they happen to be when you turn them off, the park switch inside the motor is usually bad. That means a new motor on most cars.
If only the washer is dead, that is a washer pump or a clogged line, not the wiper motor.
Questions to Ask Before You Approve the Quote
A short, itemized quote is what you want. Ask these to make sure the shop tested before they quoted.
- Did you check the fuse, relay and power at the motor plug?
- Is the linkage attached and tight, or could that be the problem?
- Is the quote for the motor alone or the motor and linkage?
- Is the part aftermarket or factory, and how long is the warranty?
- Does my car need a scan tool setup after the new motor goes in?
- Will you set the arm park position so the blades do not hit the trim?
- Are my wiper blades worn enough to replace now?
Can a Mobile Mechanic Do It?
Yes. Wiper motors are a strong mobile job. Everything is on top of the car under the cowl, so no lift is needed. A mobile mechanic can usually do it in an hour or so, and you do not have to drive a car with dead wipers to a shop in the rain.
The versions that take longer are European cars with long cowls and strut braces. Those are still driveway jobs, just slower.
Give your year, make, model and whether you have rain sensing wipers when you call. Some models have two motor versions based on that option.
How to Make the New Motor Last
A good wiper motor should last many years. Most fail early from strain, not age.
In winter, clear snow and ice off the glass and free the blades before you turn the wipers on. Frozen blades stall the motor and can burn it out or blow the fuse.
Turn the wipers off before you shut off the car in winter. That way they do not start sweeping against ice the next morning.
Keep leaves and pine needles out of the cowl. Debris jams the linkage and holds water against the motor.
Replace worn blades on time. Old blades drag on the glass and make the motor work harder on every sweep.
Signs you need this repair
- Wipers do not move at all on any speed
- Wipers stop in the middle of the windshield when turned off
- Wipers work on high but not low, or not on the delay setting
- Wipers move slower than they used to
- Humming or clicking from the cowl but the arms do not move
- Wiper fuse keeps blowing
- Wipers move on their own or will not turn off
Cost by vehicle type
| Vehicle | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Compact / economy car | $135 to $475 | Compacts usually have a simple cowl and a cheap motor. Plan on about one hour and the low end of the range. |
| Midsize sedan / small SUV | $145 to $510 | Midsize sedans are similar, though some bolt the motor to a linkage frame that comes out as one unit. Many have rain sensing wipers that can add a calibration step. |
| Full-size truck / large SUV | $170 to $600 | Trucks often have a large cowl and the motor sits under a sheet metal panel. Labor runs mid range, and parts are often affordable. |
| Luxury / European | $210 to $745 | Many German cars use a motor with built in control electronics and a long cowl that needs the wiper arms, cowl and sometimes the strut brace removed. Expect the top of the range and factory parts that can top $300. |
| Hybrid | $160 to $565 | Hybrids use the same cowl and wiper system as their gas models. Price and labor are the same. |
| Electric vehicle | $170 to $590 | EVs price like their gas versions. Some have the front trunk or the cabin air intake under the same cowl area, which can add a few minutes. |
| Diesel / heavy duty | $205 to $720 | Heavy duty trucks share the wiper system with their lighter models. Expect about the same price as a full size truck. |
Ranges assume national-average labor rates ($95, $140/hr) and quality aftermarket parts.
Cost by state
State ranges reflect typical independent-shop labor rates for a midsize vehicle.
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace a windshield wiper motor?
Most drivers pay about $150 to $500 at an independent shop or mobile mechanic. Common cars with an aftermarket motor sit at the low end. Luxury cars with long cowls and factory motors with built in modules cost more, and a dealer adds more again.
Can I drive with a broken wiper motor?
Only in clear, dry weather, and even then it is a gamble. If it starts to rain or snow, you cannot see. Most states require a working windshield wiper, so you can also get a ticket or fail inspection.
Why did my wipers stop in the middle of the windshield?
Usually the park switch inside the motor has failed, so the motor does not know where to stop. It can also happen if the motor quit mid sweep or the fuse blew. Check the fuse first, then the motor.
Is it the wiper motor or the switch?
A tech checks for power at the motor plug while you work the switch. If power arrives and the motor does not run, the motor is bad. If no power arrives in a given speed, the switch, relay or wiring is the problem.
How long does it take to replace a wiper motor?
About one hour on most cars. Some take under an hour. European cars and cars with large cowls can take one and a half to two hours.
Can a wiper motor be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes, if only the brushes or the park switch contacts are worn, but few shops do it because new motors are cheap and come with a warranty. The fix that often saves money is a linkage that popped off, which needs no motor at all.
Is a wiper motor worth fixing on an old car?
Yes. You cannot safely or legally drive in the rain without wipers, and the part is cheap for most older cars. It is one of the easiest repairs to justify.
Related Repair Guides
More Electrical Repair Costs
Sources and further reading
Primary sources behind this page. Federal safety, emissions and consumer-protection references, worth reading before you authorize any repair.
- FMVSS 104 Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems (eCFR) The federal standard that sets wiper speeds, coverage and the washer system every car must have.
- ASE certified technicians Look for ASE certified electrical technicians before you approve a quote.
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