Honda CR-V AC Compressor Problems

anndi

I was post 502, I only got a 50/50 split. Honda expects me to feel good because they were going to go only 25/75. I was nice and patient but it made no difference. This is the second replacement already. I'm not giving up. If anybody has any suggestions while I contemplate this, please let me know. I've now contacted the local news watchdog reporte. Superior Honda of Omaha is NOT where I will send my friends.

flhokie

From my experience, much of the decision is left up to the individual dealership. The dealer contacted me the day after I contacted Honda and my car was in being repaired (0 cost) when I finally heard from the regional person from Honda. He just asked if I heard from the dealership and if I was ok with the decision. When I took in my car for the repairs the service agent had my entire Honda History that Honda had provided the dealership and I was told that the Service Manager reviewed that and made a decision.

anndi

Exactly, but the dealer hides behind Honda America. No matter how you look at it, I bought a Honda with a defective part, I replaced it with another defective part and now I still had to pay 50% to replace that. To Honda's credit, they did offer me $500 off of the purchase of a new Honda since I have two new teenage drivers. They should realize that an unhappy customer tells a lot more people about the bad experience than it would cost them to just fix their mistakes. And we haven't even discussed the issue that I should not have had to pay for the first replacement in 2004. I'm ready to let my attorney handle this, anybody interested in class-action, I'm willing to lead the way.

copperheads

I can report that I did have my AC system replaced. Honda covered parts (about $3,000+) and I paid labor $700. What a relief!

tracyjirout

Our nightmare started today, ac compressor.
We are hoping that Honda will stand up and do the right thing.

We will see.

crvsauna

Add me to the list. The A/C on my 2004 CRV (74,xxx miles)went out just as we went into a week of 90-100 degree weather. My dealer informed me that the this has been a continuing problem and that Honda would "work with me". Turns out the repair is $3,800 but I would still be responsible for $975 labor bill. I found this forum and contacted Honda who assigned me a "case manager" who informed me that Honda will only pay for the cost of parts and not the labor. I have been somewhat frustrated by the attitude of the "case manager" who has taken a "take it or leave it" approach and seems put off when I ask her why some Honda owners are treated better than others. As a long time and multiple Honda purchaser I am not happy with the way that this has been handled by Honda. I'm still trying to work with my dealership to see if they can provide assistance but I would be interested in any suggestions from anyone else that has run into this situation.

chrismatta

Thank you for the post. I have a similar problem with my 2004 CRV's AC. My mileage is 47,000, which is above my warranty. You mentioned that your 2002 had low mileage. May I ask how low? And did you take it to a NJ dealership? I bought mine at Coast Honda in Wall Township, NJ. Thanks!

chrismatta

I experienced a very similar event with my CRV air conditioning yesterday, and I am obviously not happy. This is my wife's primary car, and she is 7 months pregnant in the summer. We are at 47,000 miles, above the 36k warranty. We bought the car at Coast Honda in Sea Girt, NJ. This is my third purchase from them. Any advice? I havent even brought the car in yet. I'm 100% sure the problem is with the compressor, and I like to research before I "go in".. Any help is appreciated.

rhector

My air went out Sunday. My warranty is out, only by 5 months, and I have 50,000 miles on it. I took it to my local mechanic today. He told me the compressor is frozen up, and not only that, but little pieces of metal from the inside of the compressor have gone through the hoses, wiring, etc...basically I need a whole new air conditioning unit. I thought he was jerking me around until I called my mechanic brother in law, and he said the same thing. The cost to repair the whole thing is about $3000. I am taking it to the Honda dealership where I bought it on Friday and see what they say. I have a feeling they aren't going to do anything about it. I bought it brand new in 2004. It is about 115 degrees here. This is our primary family car, and I have a 4 year old and a little baby. I am not happy.

2003crv1

I am glad to read this forum and learn that my predicament is not an isolated case but is a continuing problem. Like everyone in this forum, my compressor exploded and sent shrapnels to the entire AC system. When I brought it to the nearest dealer for diagnostic, I was nearly floored to hear the $2600 cost to replace the entire AC system. From what I have been reading, I should call American Honda immediately and get a case number. Should I also contact the dealer who sold me the vehicle?

esjones

In resolving my a/c problem, I worked with a much better dealership than many of you. Performance Honda in Fairfield, OH. My a/c went out in July. I brought it in to have them take a look at it...I assumed it was dead and was going to cost me. It was clearly "broken" as it made those horrible blender noises someone else referred to and then a clunk and stopped working.

They called me to tell me they had found the problem and said Honda knows they have a problem with this compressor - it corrupts everything when it breaks apart - The repair was totally free. They ordered the parts and I took it back the next day and it has been running great since. I have 89,000 on my CRV.

There was no negotiating, just Honda knows there is a problem, it will be fixed no charge for the customer.

This is the 2nd car I have purchased from them in 20 years...they do a great job. They handle all my service work because they do it right the first time. I'm very lucky to have a good dealership.

My niece has the same car and her dealership in Smyrna wants her to pay $1400 for repair. We will see. Thanks.

stever

Don't forget to rate your service department and dealer at Edmunds:

Dealer Ratings and Reviews

becca1652

Well, I guess this makes me the latest victim. My air quit today, here in lovely Phoenix Arizona- It's only a honkin' 109 degrees here today. My dealership is a good 40minutes away. So, I pulled into a Sears. They looked at it, told me it was my compresser. The repair man informed me, that Honda does indeed have a major problem with their compressors on their 2002 -2004 CRV's. He told me to contact Honda America even before going to my dealer. (which I can't do till Tuesday, due to the Holiday). After getting on the web tonight, I guess I need to brace myself for a possible fight. I am going to demand to know why Honda has not done a recall or put out a standing order to fix at no charge. This is rediculous. They obviously know they have a major problem here. - I will post my outcome later this week. I WILL go to the news stations and a lawyer if they give me grief-a-ronies on this. A class action suite is just what needs to be done in my book. Weenies. -

becca1652

I'm number 531. (I think). I will DEFINETELY join you in a class action suite, if I have to pay even one dime! - Honda should have recalled, or have a standing order to fix at no cost to the consumer. I will call every one of the news stations in Phoenix as well.

Will keep you posted.

sky23213

First recalls, now class action suits.
As mentioned earlier, recalls I believe are only issued for safety related items. Although there are some that might make a case that driving without an A/C in 100F+ weather is unsafe, it still isn't a ground for a recall. TSB - sure, but a recall?
Class action suit? C'mon, be real.
For Honda covering repairs well out of warranty (we read about vehicles with close to 90K), may be?
Sure, it's not nice to have a major component fail at 50 or 60k on a vehicle that is perceived to be the most reliable, but I guess that's why Honda is covering many of those - to try and keep it that way.

chrismatta

What is a PSB?

stever

Check out You, Your Vehicle and the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB).

jprimrose

Add me to the growing list. My wife's 2004 CRV just blew its compressor, too, yesterday (Sunday, Sept 2nd). The same classic symptoms as most everyone else has recorded: rocks-in-a-blender sound, then "bang." The only difference was my face being about 8 inches above it when it went. I had the hood up, trying to locate the noise just above the serpintine belt when the grinding reached a quick zenith and the seals exploded. I had a nice coating of warm, blue, thick liquid on my face and glasses. This CRV has 49,000 miles on it and just had its scheduled servicing the week before... and it's going to the dealer tomorrow morning at 7:00 sharp. I feel myself preparing to do battle, but I'm hoping Honda will be good enough to give a good-will warranty on this. This should not happen and it is wrong. Obviously, this is getting to the point where a class-action suit should force a recall -- by evidence of all the notices I'm seeing on the web. I have always been impressed by the quality of Honda, but this is unacceptable, a possible safety hazard. I will followup with what happens at the dealer.

anndi

I don't think that considering a class action is getting carried away. The point is that in many cases (not ALL) if the consumer is not aware of the problem the dealer will charge them full price for the repair, in my case, even a second time. Since Honda does not repair the damage created by the defective parts voluntarily in all cases, maybe they should be required to do so, hence, class action. Those of us that have incurred needless expense do not have to individually try to right the wrong, we can work together so that all CR-V owners do not have to go through what we did, even you sky23213.

stevedebi

"I don't think that considering a class action is getting carried away."

To me this is not the point. The point is that the 2002-2004 Honda CR-V was sold with a 3 year, 36K warranty, with a 50K warranty on the drivetrain. The A/C compressor lasted for the guaranteed period and mileage. The warranty language is quite clear - after this time / mileage there is no requirement by Honda to fix anything. Honda is stepping up to the plate to help the owners; there is absolutely no legal requirement for them to do what they are doing. A class action suit would require a legal basis in order to succeed. The fact that Honda chooses to give out their money to whomever they pick is not important in a court of law. I suspect that the suit would be thrown out as soon as a judge saw it.

If anything, a class action lawsuit threat might actually cause the legal beagles in Honda America to recommend that Honda not compensate anyone for repairs that are not required by warranty, so as to avoid any perceptions of bias. I suspect that Honda is basing compensation on certain lots of A/C compressors (they can determine which VIN used certain compressors), perhaps combined with maintenance records (if a CR-V is dealer maintained they know it was done correctly), or other factors. But I doubt they will reveal their criteria willingly, and may very well prefer to stop compensation rather than open a can of legal worms.

It this were a recall Honda would have to fix the problem for everyone, but recalls are only issued for safety problems (so far as I know), and I haven't heard of anyone losing engine power or being stranded when the A/C compressor goes.

As it happens, I no longer own my 2003 CR-V (which I bought with a 7 year, 100K HondaCare warranty), however I emphathize with the owners out there with this problem. But working with Honda America instead of lawyers will yield better results, in my opinion. YMMV...

anndi

I would not consider Honda to be "stepping up to the plate" since in most cases I read here the dealer first gives an estimate for the full price. Some dealers suggest the consumer call Honda America. Some consumers don't find out about contacting Honda America until after they pay. And, some never find out that Honda sold defective parts. Which, brings you to a legal basis. According to the Honda America rep, and service rep at my Honda dealer, "no, it is not normal for a compressor to disinigrate from the inside". If you read the experiencs on this site, Honda has acknowledged that the compressors are defective, spewing metal bits through the system and damaging it. Using defective products that also cause further damage is not something to be considered "normal" and even though Honda is not required to fix it under the 36,000 mile warranty is not the same as 'should' Honda be required to fix the problem because it used defective parts. That would be legal question.

sgp

Class action suits are not always for safety reasons. What about the Honda odometer class action lawsuit that forced Honda to extend the warranties on 2002-2006 models because the odometers were off 2-4%?

Honda is obviously aware that they have a bad part that fails and then damages the entire air conditioning system. To me this isn't acceptable and I think they should publicly acknowledge the problem and fix it. You shouldn't have to prove your loyalty to them to get them to cover the entire repair.

My 2002 CR-V was my third Honda and they covered parts and I paid for labor. I traded it in right after I got it out of the shop and bought a 2006 CR-V with the 8 year 120,000 mile warranty (now 126,000 miles because of the class action suit). I like the CR-V, but I don't have faith in Honda quality anymore.

jprimrose

There was no need to "get carried away." I posted message 536 yesterday. I took the 2004 CR-V to my local Honda dealer this morning and explained the problem. He was concerned and listened to me. By 10:00 a.m. I received a call from that dealer informing me the car was already being worked-on and would be ready either tomorrow or the next day. The charge: zero, nada, not one thin dime.

I was ready to go to war. They stood behind their product 100% with a complete courtesy warranty. This is excellent customer service.

stevedebi

"And, some never find out that Honda sold defective parts. Which, brings you to a legal basis. According to the Honda America rep, and service rep at my Honda dealer, "no, it is not normal for a compressor to disinigrate from the inside"."

I'm not a lawyer, but I stand by my original post; Honda (the same as most manufacturers) provides a written warranty, and that is the limit of their liability. They are voluntarily paying some replacement costs because they believe in backing their product.

Also, we should keep in mind that there have been perhaps 50-75 incidences of compressor failure (reported on this forum), out of hundreds of thousands of CR-Vs sold. It may well have a limited scope. These forums tend to congregate those with problems.

This is very different from the Odometer issue, because an auto manufacturer is required by federal law to have accurate odometers (so that the warranty period is correctly calculated, among other reasons).

stevedebi

Glad to hear that your situation got resolved.

Here is a question for those who received full replacement costs:

Please post the following:
Did you have all scheduled maintenance done by Honda?
How many Honda's have you owned before the CR-V?

cruiser007

The AC compessor on my 2003 CRV also blewout. The dealer told me that I hit something and is trying to charge me $2700 dollars. What??? I had a independent mechanic look at it and told me the AC compressor just blew out. I'm going down to another dealer with the knowledge I've gained and will see what happens.

bhbob

Jprimrose,

I live in the Phoenix area too and am wondering which dealer you went to?

(just in case!)

sgp

Honda didn't pay for all of my repair and the only service I had performed at the dealership was the 30K and 60K service. I would gladly take it to the dealer for all scheduled maintenance but it is not convenient. I need to either take time off work for even oil change or rent a car and leave my car at the dealership.

If Honda wants everyone to take their car in for every oil change or whatever they should operate like Jiffy Lube and be open evenings and on Saturday and Sunday. Honda should build loyalty with their customers not the other way around. As long as the maintenance is performed it shouldn't matter where it is done.

Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the fact the Honda paid for the parts on my repair and I think this issue goes beyond just the manufacturers warranty. There is also the applied warranty of merchantability which means that that merchant is guaranteeing that the goods are reasonably fit for the general purpose for which they are sold. I don't think the air compressor in the 2002-2004 CR-V's meets this standard.

I'm sure Honda thought it did when they manufactured the cars, but that is obviously not the case. I would bet that Honda has recovered quite a bit of money from the manufacturer of the faulty air compressor due to the issues they have had.

I also think that a small percentage of the people that have their air compressor destroy their air conditioning system research the issue on the Internet and find out that it is a common problem.

stevedebi

"If Honda wants everyone to take their car in for every oil change or whatever they should operate like Jiffy Lube and be open evenings and on Saturday and Sunday. Honda should build loyalty with their customers not the other way around. As long as the maintenance is performed it shouldn't matter where it is done."

It sounds like your dealer is far away. Mine is fairly close, and they are open on Saturday, plus have a 30 minute service on weekdays - I generally wait while my Honda is being serviced (my wife has a 2002 Civic).

As I said earlier, if a Honda dealer does the service, then Honda America knows a couple of important facts.

For one thing, I suspect that the service records are available from the dealer, so that the history of the vehicle is clearly documented. You sound like a reliable and conscientious owner, who had all maintenance done on schedule as as listed in the manual, but some people are lax in their habits.

Secondly, they know that the service was done correctly.

*************

So far we have one response; a person had maintenance done away from the dealer, and they only covered the parts costs.

Any others care to chip in?

sgp

I don't think there is any maintenance that could have been done to prevent the air compressor failure. I had the 60,000 mile service done on my 2002 CR-V and the air compressor failed at 62,000 miles. The dealer I take my car to didn't recommend any maintenance for the air conditioning system.

mulky

I bought my Honda Used, From a Lot, Never took it to the Dealer for Maint (Granted I only had it for 11k Miles before its AC Compressor Died) and they covered the whole thing Parts/Labor. If I were to make a Guess I'd say it was up to the Dealer How much/If they cover anything and Honda America adds their 2 Cents as appropriate. I'd also say the 2002's and 2003's seem more likely to get Covered.

Both Honda America and the dealership were very concerend about satisfaction, (I was satisfied).

fussycrvowner

I have an "02 and the compressor failed in the summer of "06 at 39K miles. I do all of my own maintenance. Dealer offered to pay for the parts but not the labor. $300 out of my pocket was better than the $900 repair estimate. AHC did not give any further assistance and advised that the dealer's offer stands. Fortunately, the compressor failed without contaminating the entire system. They also picked up the cost of the rental car since it took longer to get the thing back together than originally planned. I guess they had to remove the subframe to get to the innards.

stevedebi

"Fortunately, the compressor failed without contaminating the entire system."

I wonder if this was some other kind of failure, yours is the first I've seen where the compressors didn't scatter metal all over the system.

Sorry for your difficulties... :sick:

stevedebi

"The dealer I take my car to didn't recommend any maintenance for the air conditioning system."

I never said it made sense ... just that it might be a factor, which is why I asked the question.

jk5

I own a 2004 CRV with 50K miles. The exact same thing happened yesterday. There was a loud noise. The compressor no longer works.

I took it to my local mechanic who confirmed the problem, he is looking for a used air conditioner.

I called the dealership where I bought it and they are playing hardball. They said I must bring it to them. I asked them if they would help cover the costs and they said probably not. They deny that there is any problems with CRVs. I will never buy a Honda again.

Please let me know how it turns out for you.

fussycrvowner

I'm OK with the end result. At least Honda helped out on the repairs. What happened was that the compressor started cycling more rapidly than it should and then vented out the pressure relief valve. The tip-off was that it felt as if it wasn't cooling sufficiently. May have been a pressure surge of some sort. I tried a synthetic R-134a which may not have helped matters.

ironmill

Norman Oklahoma...I bought it new from Fowler Honda-2002-61000 miles-A/C blew and burnt corrupting whole system. I took to my mechanic stated it would be $1400 at his shop ...no compressor-dryer-etc.. available on after market-so would have to buy from Honda. He stated that it was known that 2002-2004 compressors were not very reliable and to call Honda. I have purchased several new Hondas most from this dealer. Called corporate Honda and dealer--now I have to get a diagnostic price to repair from Fowler Honda then call back to get a assigned person from Honda corporate to look into the problem-then within 2 days Honda will tell me if I get any help from corporate office. I will post when I get more info...my vin starts with a J...

blueiedgod

I don't think there is any maintenance that could have been done to prevent the air compressor failure.

The OWNER's MANUAL lists A/C maintenance as:

"Run the air conditioner at least once a week for 10-15 minutes to lubricate air conditioner components, even in the winter months"

Sounds like maintenance to me.

anndi

"Run the air conditioner at least once a week for 10-15 minutes to lubricate air conditioner components, even in the winter months"

Sounds like maintenance to me.

I live in the midwest, use my a/c in the summer/fall and often defrost (which triggers a/c) in the winter/spring which covers every week of the year and my compressor was replaced twice already. I don't think lack of maintenance is causing the compressors to disintigrate from the inside and contaminate the system, if so, that is extremely poor product design.

sgp

I live in the pacific nw and the a/c is needed for cooling spring, winter, and fall and for defrosting in the rain so I also use it year round.

ironmill

Honda rep that dealer talked to would agree to a 60/40 payment so Honda is paying $900 and me $500. When rep calls me from corporate office I am going to ask for more $ as this seems to be a larger problem from these original relays/ compressors.
This is my wifes car and is kept immaculate I am not to happy with this problem.....haha who would be right.haha
I am told its the relay switches that start the problem-more info as I get it.

stevedebi

""Run the air conditioner at least once a week for 10-15 minutes to lubricate air conditioner components, even in the winter months"

Sounds like maintenance to me."

Let me see, it has been a while since I read the owner's manual of a 2003 CR-V, since I don't own one any more.

However, I don't recall any A/C in the maintenance section of the owner's manual.

I didn't worry about this note in the manual because I live in SoCal, and the A/C is used year 'round. Also, I left my A/C defroster on the default setting, so that the compressors was used.

anndi

Honda rep that dealer talked to would agree to a 60/40 payment so Honda is paying $900 and me $500

Are you sure they are replacing the contaminated system as well as replacing the compressor, or that they even checked for that? Since many of us are seeing prices exceeding $3000, you may want to be sure the problem is being solved. The first time I had mine replaced it was around $1400, that's before Honda knew that the entire system was being contaminated and all kinds of parts needed to be replaced. Of course they are blaming the lack of replacing all the parts on why there was a second failure. I guess they want me to believe that putting in another faulty compressor was not the problem.

ironmill

From dealership service mng.
I had a extended warranty that paid for parts but not labor. I did not even know I had paid for it!!!
I am now waiting to hear from American Honda to see about the labor bill.
Dealership stated warranty prices were different than retail prices....beats me...very confusing--stated that all parts were replaced BUT hoses were throughly flushed as to new Honda specs.

stevedebi

"I had a extended warranty that paid for parts but not labor. I did not even know I had paid for it!!! "

What kind of extended warranty? HondaCare should have paid for both labor and parts.

ironmill

I do not have the warranty info as car is at dealership-Car book/and any warranty are in glovebox, but on sales slip which I do have states I paid $1500 extra in March of 2002 for a extended warranty-the 2002 CRV has 60100 miles on it. I am still waiting for American Honda to call maybe they will take care of the labor too-we shall see. I will post when I find out more. Also there is some lawsuit on Honda odometers being wrong so warrantys would be affected by this as well.
http://www.hondaodometerclassaction.com/

anndi

Dealership stated warranty prices were different than retail prices....beats me...very confusing--stated that all parts were replaced BUT hoses were throughly flushed as to new Honda specs.

If I understand it correctly, the Dealer gets reimbursed a smaller amount for warranty work than if the customer comes in and is charged for it. HondaAmerica eventually gave me the 50/50 split of the warranty price which seemed to really annoy the dealer who didn't believe me and was trying to insist on charging me 50% of the retail price. It seems to me the difference was the dealer stated $3100 and the warranty price was $2550. I was also told last week that Honda has been trying to develop something to be able to flush the system but hasn't come up with anything yet.

But, last night I got a call to complete a survey on my experience at the Honda dealer. And, today I am supposed to receive a follow-up survey by email. So far I have this idea that at least somebody at Honda may hear what I have to say.

chrismatta

I have the same issue with my air, I believe. But my appointment at the dealership for 'official' diagnosis is tomorrow. I have already called Honda America and gotten a case number, but they said they cant do anything until they get a diagnosis from the dealership, which I do understand. I am admittedly anxious about what will happen, as I simply can not afford a costly repair. Will keep everyone posted, so that my experience may help the next person.
Anyone have sage advice for me at this point??

ironmill

Talk to Honda America before paying/authorizing repairing of vehicle- unless Dealership covers total cost then go for it. Honda Dealership/Honda America 2 different repair/cost ideas completely.

jk5

My Honda CRV airconditioner blew up and sent metal thru the whole air conditioning. My 2004 CRV only has 43K miles.

Called Honda America first and then took to dealer and told them that I had contacted American Honda.

Today, dealer called and confirmed that air conditioner was broken and that it would cost $3,000 to $4,000 to replace entire unit.

Dealer said that Honda would cover all parts and just charge me warranty labor costs of $902.

This seems much higher than other costs, I told dealer I am talking to Honda America again. Called Honda American they said my case is still under review and that they made no offer to Honda Dealership yet. I don't trust the dealership.

Will keep everyone posted. My wife is now calling and bugging them. I just want my car back in working order, it is what you expect from a Honda with only 43,000 miles.