I'm original owner on a 2017 Civic Hatch with 29,100 miles at this point.

I recently received a letter for a "warranty extension" (because no one recalls non-safety items) on an AC condenser that forms perforations and leaks, causing the AC to fail. Shortly after that, I noticed my own car's AC was blowing nothing but hot air.

I brought my car to the dealership, who charged me "only" $150 to claim that the issue was NOT the condenser, but the COMPRESSOR that went bad - and rather than a warranty issue, it would come out of my pocket - either $2300 to fix with Honda parts, or $1800 with aftermarket parts.

I still haven't decided what to do - get a second opinion? I would like to think the "warranty" option is easy for the dealer to get paid, that they aren't lying to me to get a more profitable option. I asked them for a tire quote also when I brought it in, so I informed them I wouldn't be making both purchases. I'm thinking their preferred route would have been a warranty fix plus tire purchase - so I don't think they are lying to me.

Do I find another mechanic who might do it a little cheaper - but then risk the dealer claiming the private mechanic's work voided my condenser warranty? I have to anticipate an issue with the condenser in the future, and that's making me feel pretty exposed and not in control.

In general - air conditioning components that require replacing every 3 years and/or 29,000 miles at a $2000 charge? That's clearly not acceptable, no matter who is repairing them.

I have a 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback EX-L 1.5 engine. It uses the new 1234yf. The AC stopped working and I received a diagnostic that stated: compressor casing leaking, front seal leaking, visible refrigerant oil near backside of clutch. Recommend replacing compressor assembly evac and recharge.

I was quoted $3000 for the repair. I noticed the dealership has a ridiculous +100% markup on all the parts. My car is 4 years old with under 34,000 miles. It's not covered under warranty.

Doing research online indicates that this is a common issue with this year, model, and even at this mileage. I was disappointed to find out that Honda has not responded to the issue yet.

I opted not to do the repair since this seems excessive.

Honda has some major A/C issues on their hands and this is how I got it solved for as little money out of pocket as possible.

I purchased my 2017 Civic Hatchback in February 2017.

January 2020: I tried using the A/C and could tell something wasn’t right, but it was winter time and I didn’t have much need for it at the time so I didn’t worry about it. At the time my car had 39,000 miles so I was just outside the 3-year 36,000 mile warranty for the car.

May 2020: Spring was unusually cool and so I didn’t use my A/C until the middle of May and it was blowing hot air only. At the time I was 3 months outside my 3 year warranty and my car had 43K miles. I took it to my mechanic and he ran an electronic test and told me the condenser was leaking and needed to be replaced. He informed me of the TSB 19-091 for Honda Civics and recommended I take it to a dealership to be repaired because it was such a new car. When I took it to the dealership where I purchased the car I was informed that the VIN of my car isn’t covered for a defective condenser - my model is the hatchback (1.5T) and the non-hatchback trims are covered (1.5L). I still don't understand how the stylistic changes in the back of a car change the parts in the front of the car...

The dealership wanted to charge me $600 to verify where the leak is coming from (refilling refrigerant which was all but gone and add a dye). I wasn’t anxious to drop $600 to learn something that another mechanic had already confirmed, especially when I was also aware that many Honda Civics are having this same issue. When I called American Honda, they confirmed that they needed a verified test from a dealer in order for them to get involved. I had a choice to make:

1. Fork out just shy of $1,000 for my mechanic (who I trust) to replace the condenser OR 2. Pay $600 to see if Honda would stand behind it's product

Having been a faithful Honda owner for years, I opted for option 2 hoping they'd take good care of me.

The dealer ended up charging me a little less than $600 for the A/C test ($526) and when they filled it back up they could identify no leaks - letting it run for hours. They told me to come back in a few weeks so they could check the refrigerant level. I probably should have, but I didn't...

September 2020 On a hot day all of a sudden my A/C (which had worked all summer long) was not working. I immediately called the dealer and set up an appointment for the following day. They confirmed that the leak was coming from the compressor (not the condenser as my mechanic told me previously) and wanted to charge me $2252 to replace the compressor. When I balked at the price and how the issue began just as I got outside the warranty window, they wouldn't budge. So I called American Honda and complained telling them my whole story. Through the whole process (with the dealer and American Honda) I kept my cool (even though I was frustrated) and tried to be as respectful as possible. I believe the way I went about it went a long way to helping me get this resolved. They didn't want to lose my business and I made it clear (respectfully) that the way they handled the situation would affect where I would take my future business. I eventually got a call from a case worker at American Honda saying that after review they had agreed to cover the condenser repair and that I was responsible for a $250 deductible. I could have asked if the $526 dollars I was charged to refill the refrigerant could be applied, but I didn't.

October 2020 The part finally arrived and I had the repair done and everything is working fine (for now). In all, I spent less than what I would've spent had my mechanic done the repair - and the part that was replaced was totally different (compressor instead of condenser). Time will tell how long this holds, but my advice is to press American Honda respectfully to stand behind its products - the dealers will only do the repairs if someone is paying for it (you or American Honda).