Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda CR-V AC Compressor Problems

1282931333444

Comments

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Recalls are for safety related items.

    I just checked with the Parts Giru at the store that I just retired from.

    Yes, the compressors that fit the 2007-2009 CRV's are on nationwide backorder at this time.

    I asked abouit how many of these we had sold or replaced under warranty and the answer was ZERO.

    This doesn't help the person with a bad one but this problem certainly isn't widespread it wouldn't seem.
  • wzly99wzly99 Member Posts: 6
    Hi Jeff-- I just had to get the whole A/C system replaced on my 2004 (60K miles) at Immke Northwest Honda in Dublin, OH last week. My service rep there said that it won't do any good for them to do the "goodwill warranty" request with Honda, and that I needed to contact American Honda directly. After my case was reviewed with American Honda, they have agreed to reimburse me $1315 of the $3069 system replacement.

    On one hand, I think it's pretty dodgy for Honda to recognize that this system is prone to such an extraordinarily expensive malfunction and not warn customers and/or offer some solution across the board. Then again, I don't have any idea what the rate or frequency of this failure is on the whole, only that there are many, many instances of it documented online. But there are many, many CR-Vs out there, too. I'm very grateful to Honda for the substantial reduction in the net cost of this overwhelming repair bill, but I'm still undecided on how long it makes sense to keep the car, given this significant unknown.

    Good luck to you!
  • wzly99wzly99 Member Posts: 6
    For my case resolution, see my reply to ohiojeff in post #1553. Sorry, I got lost in the multiple branching of threads! Good luck, cricket29!!
  • jtiinspectjtiinspect Member Posts: 1
    Hey there jeff,

    I have an 06' cr-v with 119,000 miles. yesterday all is well, I take the wife to the grocery store. shop, climb in and start the motor, WHAM, a loud grinding noise is heard under the vehicle. when I push the A/C button, the noise disappears. It's in the dealer as I blog, getting a prognosis. :/
  • okiezmomokiezmom Member Posts: 2
    Last Friday at 5:15 p.m. my CR-V made a funny noise and the a/c started blowing hot air. Great timing! The local shop I always use couldn't look at it will Tuesday and then I got the bad news.....the whole a/c system has to be replaced at a cost of $1,600.00. The car has 132,000 miles. I've been researching this issue and found this site. It looks like there are lots of people with this exact problem. I also found out that there is a class action law suit and I've sent an e-mail to the attorney's office. Has anyone received anything from Honda about this? :mad:
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Maybe you can help me.

    Your CRV has 132,000 miles and it needs to have the air conditioning fixed?

    Seriously, do you expect it to last forever?

    "class action lawsuit" I don't think so!
  • okiezmomokiezmom Member Posts: 2
    No, I don't expect it to last forever. I have read posts on this forum and realize that most of the people with problems with the compressors have lower mileage cars than mine. I thought I had a legitimate question. Sorry if I bothered you!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    You didn't "bother" me. I was just wondering if you expected every cmponent on your car to last forever!

    Our 2003 CRV has 51,000 trouble free miles. If the A/C compressor failed tomorrow I wouldn't be happy and I would probably seek out some "goodwill" compensation.

    After 132,000 miles I'm just surprised you are that upset.
  • belacquabelacqua Member Posts: 15
    My local dealership--with the presidential service award--offered no $$ or goodwill to help defray the cost of A/C replacement. It was expected.

    I'm not sure what my next step is besides filing a claim with American Honda. I am either going to sell the CR-V or trade it in. I have been looking at Elements. I won't buy it from my local Honda dealer, however. I have also been looking at BMW X3s. I have another BMW and have been quite happy with the car and the service.

    Some days I just feel deflated.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    It's not the dealership that makes the determination if they are going to "goodwill" something. It's Honda themselves.

    A lot of it has to do with the kind of customer you have been. If the Service Manager can pull up extensive service records and show the Factory Rep that you have been a very loyal customer and have had all of your services done at the dealer instead of going to the Quickie Lube, you stand a better chance and rightfully so. I know that if I were the person making the call, those things could sway me.

    I hope you didn't tell them that you planned to sell it and never buy another Honda. If you did that they would know they were only throwing those goodwill dollars away.

    As a BMW owner I'm surprised you wojuldn't worry about frequency and cost of repairs which are MUCH higher than a Honda. Great cars but as they years and miles pile on they can be real money pits.

    You may want to contact American Honda yourself. It couldn't hurt especially if you have been a loyal service customer.
  • dianawdianaw Member Posts: 7
    Been there done that, American Honda cant make the part appear OR cut the cost, the part needs to be recalled and unless the people with the problems call the NHTSA and file a complaint, there will be no recall. Honda does not set the recalls. This is an ongoing issue w/the compressors.

    I own a 2001 Accord with well over 200,000 on it and the AC works like a charm, In fact the car runs real well. So Not all Hondas have issues BUT the CR-V has had compressor issues for many years, I followed this thread back and there were complaints about 2001 CR-V's. CALL the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. and file a complaint let the engineers check into it and see if it needs to be recalled.
  • mocharmochar Member Posts: 1
    I also just had to replace the AC on my 02 CR-V at a cost of $1,800. My mileage is only 86,000. I called Honda and they are not offering anything to help defray costs of fixing AC on 02 models. I didn't know there's already a class action lawsuit. Can you please provide name of law firm so I can also email them?

    Thanks!
    :mad:
  • punkindollpunkindoll Member Posts: 1
    On Wed.afternoon while driving home from the beach, we heard a weird sound --sort of like running over rough rocks...Anyway, the A/C stopped blowing out cold air and started with the hot air....Promptly took it to my Honda dealership. Today, I was given a complete A/C compressor/clutch, etc...Honda dealeship said that the compressor broke in half..Don't know how much it would have cost me because I had the extended warranty......However, my husband's '03 Element has had nothing but problems with the A/C....After about 4 attempts to have it fixed, he just gave up....Not me, if I have anymore problems with this A/C, it's back in the shop for my CRV.....
  • belacquabelacqua Member Posts: 15
    My 'O2 mileage is about the same as yours--maybe a little less. My quote to get the A/C fixed was $2989, so you must have gotten a deal at $1800! Did you have to get the whole thing replaced (they call that kit C)?

    About Honda and BMW service--I did not get the CR-V serviced at the dealership; I got it serviced at an independent Honda Service place. As for the BMW, it's also an '02, a Z3 with 40,000 miles. I have an independent master BMW/Mercedes mechanic who takes care of it for me.

    I really like that little Element, though. I will NOT purchase it from the local dealer, and I will let them know about it. These guys miss business logic: invest a few goodwill bucks in me without stipulation, and I will spend big bucks at your place for a new car. Work it forwards.
  • belacquabelacqua Member Posts: 15
    Actually, I told them that I was seriously thinking about the Element with the dog package. Guess they either didn't hear me or believe me.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >A lot of it has to do with the kind of customer you have been. If the Service Manager can pull up extensive service records and show the Factory Rep that you have been a very loyal customer and have had all of your services done at the dealer instead of going to the Quickie Lube, you stand a better chance and rightfully so. I know that if I were the person making the call, those things could sway me.


    In the _old_ days lots of buyers were told they had to bring their car back to the dealer for service and only use their brands of filters and other products OR ELSE the company wouldn't stand behind their product.

    I thought that was found illegal under a federal law. Not taking a car to the dealer could not be held against the customer for discriminatory treatment.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • psb71psb71 Member Posts: 1
    My 03 CRV with 86K miles on it has just had the A/C seize. I had called Honda prior to bringing it to the dealer. I was told they will help with my problem, we will see after they contact the dealer, who quoted me $1400 to replace everything. All these $3000 repairs sounds fishy especially after Honda is willing to get it down to about $1500. I never, ever had to replace an a/c unit. I only had to recharge them (normal thing to do). Living in New England makes the problem worse. We hardly use the a/c. Not a good impression on our first Honda. We traded in a 13 year old Nissan w/286,000 miles on it. The a/c worked just fine. Honda will not admit there is a problem. Go to other websites and you will read the samething as here. The Honda rep told me they are looking into 03-04 Crv a/c problems. Keep on Honda to do the right thing!!! Call corporate Honda, be kind about it, people equals power. One other thing, there is a pending class action lawsuit. The heat is on...
  • zgreat1zgreat1 Member Posts: 11
    edited July 2010
    Here's the scope. Whether it's 1 mile or 200,000 miles, if the manufacturer is aware that the entire a/c system is a design flaw, then the manufacturer should have the corporate responsibility to do the right thing. ... HAVE THE "BALLS" (sorry ladies, not being politically incorrect here...just can't find a shorter and stronger word to get the message across) to admit. BTW, I consulted a friend of mine who used to own an auto repair shop, he said that the CR-Vs have an "integrated" a/c system in that if the compressor failed (or "locked" up as frequently referred to by shop mechanics), then the entire system has to be replaced, PERIOD, nothing if about it (as some dealership would have you run a complete diagnosis to isolate the problem)!

    I would accept the fact that a compressor could fail ONLY as a component by ITSELF based upon a "meantime between failure" principle. But for a compressor to fail and "destroy" the entire a/c system by contaminating the condenser/coil (integrated) and the rest of the a/c components, it is a DESIGN ISSUE (read DEFECT!). American Honda knows this and should replace all failed a/c system FREE OF CHARGE, recall or no recall!!

    If I start by building a website to bring TOGETHER every Honda CR-V owner who has an a/c problem, whether he/she has received "goodwill" from American Honda to help defray the cost of replacement, will you join me by contacting your local media (newspaper, radio/tv stations, community outreach, etc.) to bring their attention to the website so THIS ISSUE will go national and pressure American Honda to do the right thing.

    I have emailed NHTSA to let them know that driving without a/c in 100+F heat is a SAFETY issue especially if one has to transport young children (who are highly susceptible to heat) and elderly in areas where public transportation is non-existent. BTW, if the a/c is not working, very likely the "defrosting" system would not either. As such, it would make driving in rainy and cold weather EQUALLY DANGEROUS!

    If you support my idea, let me know. I will foot the bill to get the website up and running and make American Honda pay its dues!!

    THANKS!!!
  • meliharpermeliharper Member Posts: 3
    I am new to this site, new to posting anything online. But I am MAD. I have a 2002 Honda CRV and at the moment I will have to replace the compressor for the 2ND time. The first time it went out was while we were on vacation in 2005, and I had 3,900 miles on it, the thing literally fell apart at the dealership. I forgot I had purchase the extended warranty (this is the first vehicle I have done that for) so we paid the $2,200.00. Come to find out I bought the extended warranty for the 7 year or 100,000 miles. I did get reimbursed by that company but here we are 5 years later and it went out again. I have 94,000 miles on it. I have contacted Honda and they say there's nothing they can do, and yes I was cordial. This is just a piece of crap part that should be recalled. Not for safety reasons, but for being a piece of crap. If I could even remotely afford a car payment I would be done with it, but for now I cannot. I don't know how to get the word out so other consumers don't buy this vehicle. I've had an Accord previously and it never had issues, but I guess with all the corners that car manufacturers are taking, it's a risk with whatever purchase you make. I just hope buyers will do research and realize that the CRV has this great risk, and more likely than not the A/C compressor will go out.
  • meliharpermeliharper Member Posts: 3
    I forgot to add that I agree with you, that even though Honda is ignorant enough to say it isn't a safety issue, it is. Right now I can't even drive unless it's early in the morning or late at night, it's 107 degrees on average. So I'm risking my health and my children's when I do have to make a trip somewhere...
  • cricket29cricket29 Member Posts: 3
    @zgreat: I agree with all you've said, and in fact was going to address the safety issue with Honda. I do live in 100plus in Arizona and have young children, plus have suffered from heat exhaustion in the past, making me more susceptible. I have printed many, many posts on the web to show Honda the vast number of CRV customers with this problem. I fully agree with you. We should NOT have to pay for ANY of this. This argument about "Well, you got xxx years out of this, so for that you should be grateful" is so out of line. The quoted repair costs are 1/4 the price of the CRV! On top of that, I have to buy and have installed new engine mounts; now I find that that is a common problem. Believe me, you will have more than enough who would sign a petition or whatever it takes to make them do something. However, I am not able to spend the money to fix this, if it does cost me the outrageous amount, nor can I drive my children in this heat. I've tried - we suffered badly on the 20 mile drive home after the grim reaper hit our A/C.

    By the way, "Balls" can be pushed aside for "intestinal fortitude" or just plain "guts". :-)
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    edited July 2010
    I would support you on this. Please have it include Canadian customers as the affected cars know no border boundaries.
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    edited July 2010
    You know what? I certainly 'get' why that poster might still have concerns over a component that in a different car could easily last more than 132k mi and eve nin that other vehicle, when a component fails, shouldn't automatically take out the entire A/C system. That is not unlike if you had an engine failure and when the engine blew it took out the exhaust system, tranny, front motor mount area, suspension attachment areas etc etc.

    It is a KNOWN issue with faulty part/design and has failed as early as 15k mi and everywhere in between these higher mileage owners. I have read numerous posts when it failed conveniently just outside of wty. It is a design flaw and your post was sort of like putting salt in a wound in that it had a sympathy factor of zero.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Didn't mean it that way.

    Whan ANY A/C compressor fails it can contaminate ANY system with metal particles.

    It sounds like some shops want to replace everything while other places take a chance that the metal particles didn't go all over.

    Cars don't last forever. If a A/C compressor fails at 100,000 plus miles, it's to be expected.
  • jim442jim442 Member Posts: 6
    BTW ( isellhondas) thanks for verifying that the compressors are back-ordered at Honda, not sure why something that isn't "failing" would be so hard to acquire.We even checked the nationwide salvage network and found none available.

    Anyway it is what it is. We finally found a compressor at discountacparts.com and had it installed. I hope it goes more than 48 K. I have no association with the supplier, but I will say they were excellent to work with and the total cost for a compressor and dryer was 435.00 shipped.

    Living in AZ, the AC is on a lot. We were returning from Bullhead City when the AC crapped out, very unpleasant 5 hour drive thru the 115 degree desert. I would not be surprised to find out that my premature AC failure is followed by many more failures. Hopefully Honda will start stocking compressors and taking care of the customers.

    I will be looking at vehicles with 100K warranties(either included or sold optionally) after reading a lot of these posts.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Most 100,000 warranties only cover the powertrain.

    A lot of the "experts" reccommend against buying extended warranties that cover everything and I can certainly argue both sides.

    Still, one big event and it can more than pay for itself. Besides, the peace of mind is worth a lot too.

    Again, I asked our head parts guy who looked up the history in the computer and to date, they had sold ZERO compressors for 2007 CRV's and none under warranty. The parts guys stock what sells and AC compressors just don't fail that often. They certainly can as people here will attest.

    I was wondering the other day, how did people in hot climates ever survive in the days before car (and house) A/C was available?

    I know I couldn't live in Arizona with or without A/C!
  • jim442jim442 Member Posts: 6
    ( isellhondas)
    Those people were tougher than us. A lot of military bases around here that train our warriors for middle east conditions.
    I worked at a private electric utility company that would buy work trucks without AC ( or remove the belt on AC vehicles) to discourage workers from hanging out in their vehicles. Glad that policy was changed in the mid 90's.
    I can understand the dealership not stocking a part, it is surprising that the part is not stocked anywhere by Honda. This model is going into it's fourth year, parts should be readily available A six week delay means either there has been a run on them or someone in the corporate inventory area isn't doing their job.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I agree. Normally when we don't have a part it's available in a day or two from the HUGE warehouse in Portland OR.

    Honda is usually good about this so it could be a supplier problem.

    Nope, I'm not that tough. I can't stand the heat and I love it when people say...

    " It's only three or four months out of the year" - BULL ! Or...

    " It's a dry heat so it's different" - Nope, so is our microwave!
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    I have emailed NHTSA to let them know that driving without a/c in 100+F heat is a SAFETY issue especially if one has to transport young children (who are highly susceptible to heat) and elderly in areas where public transportation is non-existent.

    Oh My God! We are confusing COMFORT with SAFETY.

    Having AC is not a necessity, it is a luxury. Regardless where you live. How did people live just 10-20 years ago when A/C's were not standard on cars?

    Yes, it is uncomfortable driving without A/C, but I guess, to someone who grew up pampered, and never had the pleasure of owning a beater when they were 16, they have no memories with driving with windows down and drinking gatorade.....
  • dianawdianaw Member Posts: 7
    OMG! comfort and safety have nothing to do with it...........Point is Honda has a known issue with the AC's and the ONLY way to get them recalled is to CALL the NHTSA (they are the ONLY ones who can force Honda to recall) and file a complaint. The compressors are an issue and have been for roughly 10 yeasr now.
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    edited July 2010
    Seems a bit harsh.

    I fall into the pre A/C car ownership class quite handily thank you. But today we have more cars on the road, and cars themselves create extra heat in our vicinity. Furthermore we have more pavement lanes and that also creates more heat. And also, years ago we simply didn't commute as far as we do today. Many larger cities have more than quadrupled in distance from one outskirt line to the next! And because of that increase in size, we have more congestion which means more stopping and starting with no air flow through your 'open windows'.

    And there have been numerous studies that have proven beyond any doubt that drivers are more alert and less prone to road rage and just simply have more patience and better judgement behind the wheel when vehicles are equipped with a working A/C. That is why most transport company trucks all have A/C now compared to even 20 years ago.

    There have also been many tests involving aerodynamic wind drag with windows open vs closed once up to highway speed. In most tests, the car gets better economy with the windows up.

    And as for the specific issue of CRV compressors and entire A/C systems, I think that in some cases (this one especially) an acknowledged nationwide recall is in order. This would help address the mass unfairness in pricing for one thing. Some customers (the ones who negotiate better than certain others) pay 1500 bucks while others end up paying 3000! Like, come on..

    I do NOT agree that a good-will gesture of a dealership should hinge on how many bucks they have extracted from me in the past for 70 and 90 and even 110 ! dollar oil changes, when I can do my own quite handily for 20 doallrs AND not be in as big a rush to insert the drain plug so quickly, which by basic default, lets the vast majority of worse contaminates and microscopic metal shavings flow out of the engine for a more thorough re and re result. And with notably longer engine longevity for my troubles. That entire scenario notwithstanding, the A/C system they put in these CRV's are so painfully obviously faulty. And it does not take a rocket scientist degree to come to that conclusion.

    And finally, just because we managed to keep our meats and dairy on ice underneath sawdust many years ago, does not mean we should blindly resist using a 120 volt refrigerator/freezer today.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "And as for the specific issue of CRV compressors and entire A/C systems, I think that in some cases (this one especially) an acknowledged nationwide recall is in order. This would help address the mass unfairness in pricing for one thing. Some customers (the ones who negotiate better than certain others) pay 1500 bucks while others end up paying 3000! Like, come on.. "

    The NTSB issues safety related recalls. I don't think they have any authority to issue a recall simply because a part fails, regardless of the cause, unless it directly relates to a safety issue.
  • zgreat1zgreat1 Member Posts: 11
    Oh My God! We are confusing COMFORT with SAFETY.

    Having AC is not a necessity, it is a luxury. Regardless where you live. How did people live just 10-20 years ago when A/C's were not standard on cars?

    Yes, it is uncomfortable driving without A/C, but I guess, to someone who grew up pampered, and never had the pleasure of owning a beater when they were 16, they have no memories with driving with windows down and drinking gatorade.....

    YES, IT DOES MATTER WHERE ONE LIVES!! I guess you must not have lived, worked or commuted on a daily basis in the south in 100+F temperatures (HEAT INDICES of 105+F or more). Or you have not realized that things have changed in the last 20 years. When you grew up, your mother probably tended and cared for you and your siblings in your home, most likely a/c-ed. Today, most families like ours have to earn 2 incomes to support our children.,,I have 2 toddlers in day care whom I would love to be able to suddenly turn 16 and drive themselves in cars without a/c in the blazing heat. ... and drink themselves silly with gatorade. WHEN IT COMES TO SMALL CHILDREN AND ELDERLY FOLKS, riding in a car without a/c in 100+F heat is NOT A LUXURY OR COMFORT, IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. Go check your facts with a medical professional before you put your 2 cents in this forum. THANK YOU!!!
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    If a person is transporting their elderly loved one across the desert a few hundred miles for a family reunion in 115 degree heat and the A/C goes out after the vehicle hasn't even reached halfway to wty end, that is most certainly a safety issue. If at first it seems too convoluted to see it that way, consider then that it 'becomes' a safety issue when it is a known weak part by design, and this is proven by the number of failures with not necessarily very many miles use.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    edited July 2010
    that is most certainly a safety issue

    That may be but I think that the NHTSA's definition of safety may not coincide with what the rest of us might regard it to be. They are concerned with safety related to the functioning of the vehicle and not the driver. For example, driving drunk is a safety issue but that is not in the purview of NHTSA while tires that may fall off at highway speeds is a safety matter independent of the driver and, therefore, a concern to NHTSA. IMHO, air conditioning falls into the former category.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    You can call the NHTSA all you want to and they won't care.

    Like someone else said, it has nothing to do with safety and THAT is what the NHTSA get's involved in!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Wow, after reading your post, I'm wondering how I ever survived my childhood growing up in Southern California in a non airconditioned house and non air conditioned cars?

    Guess I got lucky!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I don't want to be misunderstood.

    It's not a matter of a car company taking care of a loyal customer vs. a customer they have never seen before. when it comes to making a "goodwill" repair.

    But, if a store is pleading your case to have a long out of warranty component replaced for free or at a reduced cost, I'm sure it could very well sway a decision.

    We are seeing a dogpile effect as often happens in "problems" forums. They are NOT "painfully obviously faulty" as much as the people that have had troubles are claiming.

    I was in my old store today, having the oil changes in our 2003 CRV and once again, I asked several key peoplle about this and, once again, all I got were blank looks. Failures are rare and no more common than on any other Honda.

    Now...watch my CRV's compressor fail tomorrow! That would be my luck! :)
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    Well I hope it doesn't of course.

    But I have viewed other Honda model forums and the frequency of A/C woes is pretty noticeable here on this CRV forum.

    Just like the frequency of automatic tranny troubles seem to be greater in number on the Civic forum.

    Believe me, I so hope you are right, but what I find as pretty compelling stats, are the number of failures at mileage figures well under the wty period. And the issue I have with this is those of us who take longer to crank up the miles, all of sudden we (who have just as prone a compressor to failure as the next guy, only he/she drives more) would like some consideration at the same number of miles but has been out of date of wty for many years. Then you get the response..."You want us to wty your part 10 years later?!" Even though your odometer might still be sitting there at 42000 miles lets say. So the time period sounds bad and makes it look like your request is unreasonable, yet if you showed up with the same car, same 42k miles, same compressor issue, just 3 mo out of wty and your chances of goodwill are greater. But let's remember something crucial here in this example, ok? The faulty compressor design, combined with failures at far less than reasonable expected fair use, is still the same compressor! Still a faulty part. Still realize the odds or number of faulty units, being high in number. Sure, some people's units failed at 132000 miles, but others (many more) failed at 45 or 50k miles. This strongly suggests that if the part wasn't an inferior design, then the majority would be failing at 132k miles, not 50k miles. You see my/our point?
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I retired in May. I no longer sell Hondas and even when I did, I didn't blindly defend them. I have no dog in this fight. I am only trying to reduce some of the anxiety that springs form forums like this one.

    Two things have an effect on how long a part lasts. Time and miles. No, I wouldn't expect ANY car company to replace a ten year old AC compressor even if the car had 42,000 miles.

    As I said before, sooner or later, every AC compressor will fail. Some may last 300,000 miles and some may last 50,000 miles.

    Our 2003 CRV is seven years old with only 51,000 miles. It has been flawless.

    If the AC compressor blew tomorrow, yes, I wouldn't be happy and I would call Honda to see if they would foot part of the bill. If the answer was no, I would lick my wounds and get it fixed.

    I would not get on a forum and complain about how I was wronged and about how I would never buy another Honda.

    But, this is what forums like this are for and sometimes it's a good thing to vent and ask others about their experiences.

    I'm just trying to calm people down that own CRV's that they will mre than likely not have a failed compressor. They just don't go bad all that often.
  • shima1shima1 Member Posts: 19
    By now we should all know it's a waste of energy to pay much attention to anything blueiedgod or isellhondas has to say.
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    edited July 2010
    Gosh ain't it the truth, talk about blatant blind denial. And how (the one anyway) doesn't see his defending Honda as being every bit as vocal as others complaining is beyond me.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    edited July 2010
    Sorry for trying to calm things down by telling it like it REALLY is.

    I know misery loves company.
  • tapone1tapone1 Member Posts: 8
    Not expecting much as I have 116K on my 2003 CR-V. Last week they advised me it would be $2900 for a new a/c system. Called American Honda, explained how they took care of us with our 2000 Odyssey (catalytic converter out at 82K when the warranty was 80K; doors kept sticking for almost the entire 8 years we owned it; tranny went at 80K - although Honda extended all Ody tranny warranties to 100K). Nor do I really expect Honda to do anything and should be happy that absent perhaps $300, I spent nothing on this car other than normal wear/tear items and oil changes. It just is disappointing to have to spend $ on this car that is about 50% or more of the value (in fact, the Subaru dealer was only willing to give me $3800 for a trade, so $3K for a repair is even more crazy). In any event, I will report back later. Has anyone had this issue fixed at a private repair shop for less than the dealer quote??
  • ellenclaraellenclara Member Posts: 5
    I have just spent approx $760 on parts alone for the third repair on my 02. Thankfully a very good friend did all the work but please do not tell me that this is normal for three compressors to fail in less than four years. I have under 165K on the car and this started long before i reached 100k. While others keep saying sell, i am not in any position to buy as i know what i have and will not go new --not in this economy.
    I really like this vehicle and only need it to live for another two years for treks to Vermont as my child is in college there but the AC impacts the defrost. I struggle with the concept of NORM as i have owned many cars -toyotas, hondas, VW and put high mileage on and no other vehicle ever had this issue.
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    There are lots of posts under different thread names and on other forums besides this one. And most people are paying around 1500. for the entire system to be replaced. (cuz the metal bits from the compressor self-destructing goes throughout the rest of the system. I have read that one guy had success flushing his original hoses, but even that repair was too new to know if has long lasting affects.

    Compressor and condenser I have seen at 435. and evaporator about 220. The labour is a big chunk too though, but many dealers are overcharging the labour rate by often twice the proper amount.

    Subes have their own host of problems later on down the road, so there is no free ride I'm sorry to say. And Mazda can still be on another planet with their parts pricing. So that leaves Honda, Toyota and Nissan as the other big 3 Asian builds.
    GM is still a trainwreck at times, Chrysler is about done, and Ford has been caught in many less than stellar practices also...so what are ya gonna do.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    Sounds like I touched a nerve ending here. However, this is where majority of the problems with this country start. People have this skewed view of what is right and what is wrong.

    I never said that A/C did not fail, or that it was not a problem. I simply argued that comfort of an air conditioned vehicle is luxury, not safety. And what do I get in response? It is a waste of energy to respond? Good job!!! Maybe it is a waste of energy running ai conditioning and contributing to the global warming? Ever thought of that? That the added heat, as has been pointed out, is ruining the planet.

    No one ever forced anyone to live where they don't want to live. Yes, I hate heat, there is no way I would ever move south, WAAAAYYY too hot. But, yes, I have lived in a major metropolitan area, NYC for many many years. And guess what, drove stick and with out the air conditioner. If one is stuck in traffic, and there is no air flow, there is no reason to ride the bumper of the car infront. Simply leave enough buffer zone and you will be crusing at 5 mph through the thickest of the jams. And guess what, driving stick, you can do a 5 mph crawl without having to clutch, apply brakes, just by simply modulating the throttle.

    People are free to choose where they live and what they do. I did not like the weather in NYC. Even NYC is too hot for me, so I moved to where I am comfortable.

    As to not being able to drive safely without A/C, I say BUNK!!! I ride from April through October, there is no A/C on a bike!!!

    To whoever pointed out that my mother stayed at home, they were right. But, no one is forcing both parents to work these days, either. You just have to make sacrifices. My sister and I grew up in a small apartment, without air conditioning. We had one old black and white TV (in the 1980's and 90's!!!!) and went to public schools. Went to public universities, and paid for our own education with loans and grants.

    No one needs a 4,000 ft² house and a nanny to raise 2 children. Once again, not a
    neccesity.

    But this whole conversation has been off topic. The main point is that A/C is a luxury, not necessity. If it is a necessity, i.e. elderly, sick, weak... they are living in a climate they are not meant to live. Example, there areplenty of people south of the US, where it is even hotter than here, and they have no A/C's and, they do have major metropolitan areas (Mexico City is larger than NYC).

    This simple concept of living within your means has been lost on most people, and these are the people who can't differentiate between "needs" and "wants." Good luck going through life like that.
  • beyondoilbeyondoil Member Posts: 15
    I think you are on the edge of insanity and your opinions about your lifestyle and where you live have nothing to do with a technological problem that happens to exist in certain Honda AC units.

    These could be dangerous. Let's say you are using you defroster on a day when the road is really slippery. You AC could lock up and it could cause your CRV to go into a skid. This is a scenario that could really happen and in this case the AC would be a safety issue. It could happen to you living in your simple refrigerated climate. All you would have to do is turn on your defroster unless you don't use that either. :mad:
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    WHAT??

    Please explain to me how an AC unit could lock up and cause a car to go into a skid?

    I have been in the automotive industry all of my life and that just might be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!

    But, please explain. Maybe I'm missing something?
  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    edited July 2010
    I didn't make that claim, but I will still reply with my take on that scenario and it is far more of an issue than you would attempt to have us believe.
    If the compressor seizes, it will burn and fry the serpentine belt, which powers such incidental things as power steering pumps, water pumps, alternators and other such engine mounted accessories. Now maybe an alternator loss does not create an immediate 'situation', but the loss of power steering sure does. Vehicles with pwr steering, have ratios in the steering box that are geared for feel (when under power assist) not power, so they are extremely tall gearing...meaning that in event of immediate power assist loss, could feel to the unknowing driver, like it was frozen and would not move at all. Surely I don't have to elaborate further describing what could happen in heavy freeway traffic at 70 mph, or going down some mountain road with marginal guard rails if that is when A/C compressor seized?

    I could elaborate with the loss of a water pump also etc, but I think/hope? you will get my/our point this time?
Sign In or Register to comment.