Honda America has had a tough time with AC condensers in recent years. Here is why if your Honda's AC condenser has failed the cost of the repair may be covered
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Honda is extending the warranty on AC condensers to a full ten years for select models like its Civic. Torque News expects that this warranty extension may spread to other models. If you own a Clarity, Accord, Insight, or other Honda model and your AC condenser fails outside of the vehicle's 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty period, you should visit a dealer and ask if Honda will cover the needed repairs.
This is not a recall. It is important to understand that recalls are related to safety, and a condenser may not fall under that category. The number of owners reporting condenser failures seems to be at a high point for models built from 2018 through 2020. Here is what one 2018 Honda Accord owner reported to CarComplaints.com: "It was warm outside today, so on my lunch break at work I went to go get food, got in the car to find no AC. The A/C seats were blowing cold air, but not the vents.I went to Honda, he said the systems are separate. He confirmed the AC was not working. They found out that all the refrigerant was leaking out. He said during manufacturing it must’ve gotten caught on something. AC system had to be replaced. Under warranty."
What To Do If Your Honda's AC Condenser Fails
If your Honda's AC condenser fails we suggest taking the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer. Ask that it be repaired under Honda's extended warranty program. If the dealer declines to cover the cost, phone Honda's owner hotline and ask for help. The number is (800) 999-1009. Ask if there are any technical service bulletins (like this one)describing condenser issues for your vehicle, and if Honda can cover your repair costs. If they agree, Honda will work with the dealer and you will have saved hundreds.
If Honda declines, consider taking the vehicle to an independent repair shop. You may pay less there than at a Honda dealer. It is important to get a detailed receipt and to retain that receipt in case Honda later settles a class action suit and pays owners for repairs already conducted.
What Is An AC Condener?
An air conditioning condenser is one of the key parts of any HVAC cooling system, Replacing an AC condenser in a Honda can cost between $500 and $900 at a dealer. Independent shops may charge less.
How Do I Know If My Condenser Fails?
If your Honda's AC is not blowing cold, it could be a minor issue. The first thing to check is your engine's coolant level. You can see how to do that in your manual. If it is not a simple problem, the AC compressor may have a leak that let the refrigerant levels drop to a point where the system cannot blow cold.
If you have a Honda and your AC required repairs, please tell us about it in the comments section below. Your experience may help a fellow owner.
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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HI so, this is exactly what
HI so, this is exactly what happened to my Honda Accord 2018,
the ac suddenly stopped working,
when I went to the shop they never talked about any warranty, however they put this on my receipt and said I had to pay 560$ because a hose was broken.... what a coincidence? can a hose be broken because the compresor was failing?
thank you!
Hi, my 2018 Civic AC not
Hi, my 2018 Civic AC not working, dealer asked for $165.00 plus tax for inspection only, if it were the condener failed, it will be covered under the extended warranty but I highly doubt I could walk away without paying anything. I think Honda would pay all cost for fixing their defective parts
Had the same experience at
Had the same experience at the dealer I bought my 2017 civic from. (All the service for the vehicle has been done by them). Honda needs to cut the check for the inspections, it’s a huge intentional block to the extended warranty in my opinion.
My 2019 honda accord ac
My 2019 honda accord ac started to blow hot air. Took it in to a honda dealer because it was still under full warranty and I was aware of the extended warranty because of defective in the 2018-2020 accord models. I had to pay $350 for them to diagnose something they knew was defective. I got in touch with corporate, opened a case against the dealer and to get my $350 back. Long story short, my condenser was defective and it was replaced under the extended warranty. Now I have to fight with corporate to get diagnose fee back. But don't settle this is a defective and they know but will do anything to not fix it.
I have a 2018 Honda civic.
I have a 2018 Honda civic. The driver's side was blowing warm air. After diagnosis I was told that the compressor and ac clutch isnt working properly. Cost of replacement $1840. I mentioned about the ongoing lawsuits on AC issues with 2016+ civics. The dealer got it covered but I had to pay $350 out of pocket. Still there is no recall on the AC. My car has not run even 30k miles and is a little above 3 years old. This issue is never from the owner’s side. Still we are paying!! These faulty AC systems should be recalled ASAP.
Please add my name to the
Please add my name to the list of owners of a 2018 Honda Civic with a faulty air compressor. I bought my Civic used last year , 2021, from a dealership at around 5000 miles. It now has about 27, 000 miles . Does anyone know if any warranty still exists for me at this point? Thanks.
I have a 2018 civic that
I have a 2018 civic that stopped blowing cold last month. Honda told me it’s the compressor and it’s leaking all over the subframe but they won’t tell me where the leaking is coming from. They initially wanted to charge me 2000+ dollars because I’m out of warranty they went down when I threatened to get legal assistance but the compressor is defective and they refuse to replace it for free when I’m still paying for the car that I leased in 2018 and started buying in 2021. They refused to give me a detailed list of what’s wrong with the AC system and tell me when they replace it I’m only going to get a year warranty on it when at 34,600 miles it shouldnt be broken already. I shouldn’t have to replace it for the life of the vehicle. And they’re only giving me 30 days from February 28 to take their offer.
I’m not happy and I will never buy another Honda
I have a 2018 Honda civic.
I have a 2018 Honda civic. The driver's side was blowing warm air. After diagnosis I was told that the compressor and ac clutch isnt working properly. Cost of replacement $1840. I mentioned about the ongoing lawsuits on AC issues with 2016+ civics. The dealer got it covered but I had to pay $350 out of pocket. Still there is no recall on the AC. My car has not run even 30k miles and is a little above 3 years old. This issue is never from the owner’s side. Still we are paying!! These faulty AC systems should be recalled ASAP.
Make sure you submit all your
Make sure you submit all your paperwork and receipts to corporate. I just got an email yesterday saying my reimbursement had been approved and I should get my check in 2-3 weeks. Good luck.
Hello, may I please have the
Hello, may I please have the corporate contact information that you contacted to get your refund from. I have a 2019 civic with the ac condenser out as well
I'm literally sitting in the
I'm literally sitting in the dealership right now for this exact issue on my 2016 civic. Had the condenser replaced this time in 2020 bc it went out.. Started blowing hot air out of the driver side and now theyre saying its the compressor.. Which isnt covered under waranty, but had it been the condenser, it would have been.
How do i go about getting these expenses back?! How did you go about it?!
Wow, after 3 days of getting
Wow, after 3 days of getting tensed of seeing a 2500+ bill from honda dealership for replacing the leaking compressor it seems it wasnt me.
I have a 2018 honda civic, for past 3 hears the ac has had its problems. Changed condenser twice and now its the compressor. Can someone help with the corporate email where this can be escalated?
I have 2017 Honda civic ,
I have 2017 Honda civic , today I sat on Honda deal shop and was told I need to replace condenser ( under warranty , it was replace 2 years ago) and compressor which I need to pay 2600 + tax. Anyone knows how to do with the huge bill?
Call Honda. They’ve
Call Honda. They’ve identified problems— and you’ll need a case or file # to start.
It’s not just Civic models.
It’s not just Civic models. Accords, Civics, and CRV’s are impacted. I called Honda. They are aware “of a problem” as of last week. IF the problem falls within the specifics identified by Honda- they noted they will replace noted defective parts as well as the diagnosis fee. Get a claim #. If it’s something else?—. They won’t pay for the diagnosis fee. I’m taking my 2018 CRV in later this week.
Where did you call to ask? I
Where did you call to ask? I called a dealer and they acted like they knew nothing and were still going to have to charge for a diagnostic fee. Took it somewhere else and they ordered a condenser hose to fix my issue but it’s expensive. If I go back to a Honda dealership to get it fixed they still want to charge me a diagnostic fee because they won’t accept diagnostics from anywhere else.
Honda CRV 2018, A/C blowing
Honda CRV 2018, A/C blowing hot air during high temps outside..when lower temps 80-85 there is slight cool air. Honda dealer checked and stated valve is faulty and the compressor needs to be replaced $2200. What? its still a newer car..Honda is bad. 46K miles so just missed the warranty. They have contacted to Honda to see if they would cover this..I don't have any hope. Can we directly call Honda if they don't approve the dealers submission?
You should have received a
You should have received a letter from honda about a month ago about the extended warranty on the condenser. The dealer will charge about 350 service charge. They will reimburse you for that through corporate. Go to another dealer and get second opinion. 2018-2020 Hondas all makes have defects in the condenser, that's why honda extended the warranty on it an additional 10 years. Hope this helps you. Just went through same thing with my 2019 honda accord with 40000 miles. It's a defect fight the dealer you will win.
Call Honda, or go to a
Call Honda, or go to a independent mechanic ask first if they will cover the Compressor from another shop
Bought 2018 Honda CRV in
Bought 2018 Honda CRV in January 8, 2018. A/C stopped cooling last year in summer; faulty A/C metal line replaced under warranty. Now Aug. of 2022, Its has stopped cooling as designed again. No recall on 2018 CR-V . Got appointment with Honda dealer for service for this current problem.
Have 2016 Honda Civic with
Have 2016 Honda Civic with similar air condition issues as above. Honda said they would pay (according to the service manager) half of the compressor failure. Putting me out 800 bucks! I assume the dealer will replace (they said they would) the condenser at this time as well and getting paid back for this through Honda. What a rip off. Get real Honda.
In August 2019 my certified
In August 2019 my certified used 2015 Honda Civic’s AC wasn’t working. It had 17,000 miles on it when it was determined it had a faulty AC compressor clutch and coil. Honda dealer did a good will warranty so it cost me $400 instead of double that. This past June, with only 22,000 miles on the car, the whole AC compressor and hose had to be replaced. That cost me $1,425. I put in a claim to American Honda and am still waiting to settle my claim. There needs to be a class action lawsuit started.
I think Honda dealers are
I think Honda dealers are double dipping on this one. If they say the compressor is bad. It appears the dealer will charge you a fee for the diagnostics (ridiculous) and they when they repair the unit they get money back from Honda on the rest of the repair warranty that they extended. Like they say....You can only make money either from your customers or your employees. Good luck!
I have a 2016 Honda Civic. I
I have a 2016 Honda Civic. I haven't been driving much due to COVID, but my husband noticed the problem with the AC on a 105 day it was only blowing warm air. Took it to the local dealer, they just diagnosed two problems. The condenser (covered under warranty) and the evaporator ($2,418!!!!). Ridiculous! I said okay, please just fix the condenser for free. They said it was against the law to only fix one part and not the other (not sure if this is the case), so they are holding my car hostage. If I don't pay them to fix the evaporator, then they will do no work and charge me $320 for the diagnostic. I am furious!
I have same issue. I paid
I have same issue. I paid $380 at local Honda dealership to check what is wrong with the AC and they did come back and told me thaty evaporator is leaking it will cost around $2000 which crazy my Honda civic is 2017 and had only $29760 miles and this issue comes up which is crazy Honda should cover the entire AC parts and repairs. They are selling lemons. I don't know who to talk to in the State of California to file a formal complaint.
I have a civic 2019 had
I have a civic 2019 had condenser fix under the 10 years warranty, but they told me that the compressor was leaking at that time, that was like a year ago, now i need to fix the compressor and evaporator for 4500 at the dealer , i think that the condenser not working properly damaged the compressor and the evaporator
Same. I got the car back not
Same. I got the car back not fixed because I cannot afford the evaporator replacement cost. Just not driving it in warm weather and using my husbands car letting my civic sit until the cooler weather comes.
2018 Honda Clarity, 48,000
2018 Honda Clarity, 48,000 miles. AC condenser replaced under extended warranty about 3 months ago. Car had exact same symptoms again. I figured it was condenser again but they said it was evaporator coil and isn't covered by AC extended warranty. Cost almost 2700.00 for the repair. Opened a case with Honda a few days ago to request good will repair. They called me today to say they will knock the cost down to 1900, take it or leave it, one time offer, they never renegotiate and I need to accept in the next couple days or they cancel the offer.
I have a 2018 Honda Civic
I have a 2018 Honda Civic that I bought brand new. In 2019 the AC stopped working. Since then, I’ve only been once to my local Honda center for a repair that didn’t last. And have refused to return unless they can guarantee I won’t have to pay out-of-pocket again. I live in Los Angeles so as you can imagine, no AC, especially in the summer, isn’t very safe for me or my Husky.