Well this isn't so much a question post as some answers for anyone who happens to search these forums, as I had a very hard time coming up with answers until I saw the posts in this thread:
https://www.audiforums.com/m_505199/tm.htm

So that got me on the right track. Basically the A4 2003-2004 (and 2005 B6 variant) has a non-standard, abnormal method of mounting a blade to the wiper arm. The arm itself does not have the typical "hook" at the end, unlike all other modern cars sold in the USA (as far as I know).

Taken a step further, this means that I cannot buy the following at Murrays/NAPA/etc: blades, replacement clip that holds the blades on, or rubber refills for blades. The fun gets even better if you call the dealerships in my area (East Cleveland), who only carry the rubber refills for the blades. Not the full blades, and not the clips that hold them in place.

See, when I was cleaning the snow off my recently purchased A4, the fragile and brittle plastic clip snapped a little piece off, and the wiper fell right off. I didn't look very closely at it, and stopped at my local Murray's parts shop on my way to work to snag a set of blades - but they didn't carry them, to my surprise. No biggy, I had a set of new Bosch Icon blades on the way in the mail, and they arrived that afternoon. It only took a minute looking at the packaging to realize these wouldn't even mount on my wiper arm system.

After quite a bit of painful research around forums and dozens of wortheless store websites, it came down to deconstructing the bracket / clip that holds it on my wiper arm assembly, and figuring out that there seems to be no alternative blade options out there. You get to use stock, or nothing.

Here is the info you need to avoid being screwed by your local dealership, which is where you will probably need to go for these parts (I have not seen anywhere online selling these parts). Two Cleveland dealerships tried to sell me the entire wiper assembly (arm, etc).

Plastic wiper clip part numbers...
Driver side: 8E1-998-430
Passenger side: 8E0-998-430

I just ordered these, and am going to photo them and the wiper arms when I go through putting them on. Stay tuned... (yeah, pun intended).

 

i wouldve just invested in some aero blades

 

If that didn't include replacing the wiper arms, it would have been my first choice.

 

Hey so I ran into the same problem... Well my plastic hook piece broke... So you ordered them just from the dealer? Or where did you order with those part numbers? Also about the whole aero blades... Whats so special about them and how much do they cost?? Are the blades on the aero easy to replace? This I mean getting them at the local auto store?

 

If the plastic clip broke, I would just go for Aero. You can get antire set (both arms and both blades) from ECS Tunning for $125 + free shipping. What I heard is Aero suppose perform better and easier to replace than non-Aero ones.

I just replaced my wiper blades (cost me total of $28 for a pair of blade sets from a dealer by me). I will go for Aero when my clips brake.

 

If your car is CPO, the dealer will replace the wipers for you every time you go in for service.

 

I'm still fighting this one, going to post a new post here in a minute.

 

Forget the clips... where do you folks buy the blades?? What a PITA. Maybe I'll just change the wife's A4 over to Aero.

 

I just bought a pair of bosch blades from ECS tuning for 40 bucks... I still need to get the clip... I looked into the aero blades and you still prettymuch have to order the blades special and they cost just as much... So the upgrade didn't seem worth it to me... Just be careful with the plastic clips and they are really simple to replace...

 

$15 each for the full blade at the dealer.