I don't know if anyone can help but our 2012 Fab estate has a strange problem wherein when we start the engine for the 1st time each day the rear wiper wipes, just the once. It's ok then until the next day! Any thoughts would be appreciated.....

Just a thought, and hopefully not an insulting one:- you don't park the car in reverse at home in the evening, then next morning start the car with reverse and the front wiper on auto - that will prompt a single wipe of the rear wiper even when it is switched off.

Not offended, but no, it does it just the once, every 1st time you start the car that day, very strange. I thought it was damp weather to start with but it's dry as a bone now but still does it, just once at the start of the day. Thanks anyway!

rum4mo mentioned that as if you have the front wipers on, even on intermittent, the rear will swipe once, if reverse gear is selected. 

I mentioned on another post, a glitch with wipers from years ago and I think it came down to an iffy fuse. Perhaps blown or cracked as often, fuses touch but make a rubbish connection so they act intermittently. Might be a blown fuse on one circuit making the circuit act differently, etc so look up the relevant fuses and check them vey closely. Renew them if in any doubt and ONLY REMOVE ONE FUSE AT A TIME! Its very easy to find you can't remember where any fuse came from!

I might have your solution. When my battery was going, the back wiper would do one sweep every time I started up. As soon as the battery was changed, it solved that problem. At least get your battery tested.

You would be surprised the havoc a duff battery can cause. Similar to a fractured fuse which works intermittently.

Hmm, methinks the battery is worth a try, mysterious; having owned old cars in the past I'm used to batteries not working, but it SEEMS fine, even in the winter, but enough people have suggested it for me to give it a try, especially as our Australian friend seems to have had the exact same problem.  thanks to you all, very kind, I'll let you know what happens...