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Comments
Has anyone else tried to use the legal system for their AC compressor repairs?
Also, has anyone heard of any initiative to start a class action lawsuit against honda for the defective AC compressor? I know they settled another class action lawsuit over faulty transmissions, I think in Acuras.
Just wanted to see what else people are doing out there about this. It is insane that Honda isn't paying for all of their defective parts!
Just my $0.02...
A 6 year old vehicle with 139,000 miles has a part go bad. Alert the media.
I can't afford it. But I live is horribly hot Miami, FL. So I have no choice.
Can I get some tips to make the most of my call to Honda?
First question I have is what if I purchased this car used? I just bought it a month ago. Does it matter? Will Honda ask me?
When I call who do I ask for and what should I say?
Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!!!
As it ended up Honda refunded me the money I paid for parts and I ate the labor. Total cost for the replacement, parts and labor was a little over $1,600.
Do your homework, have the dealer diagnose but let the national folks tell you what they will do for you prior to having your Honda dealer make the repair.
Jack
1) The problem is mainly with the 2nd generation CRV's particularly years 02-04 and involves both of the major vin numbers for this vehicle.
2) Honda helps or not on a case by case basis and considers mileage, loyalty, etc.
3) Normally the compressor blows up contaminating the entire system.
4) The cost to fix the entire system varies from about 1,200.00 to 4,500.00.
What I do not understand is what makes the compressor explode and why does it happen again to the same folks with a new compressor?
If this happens, will Honda America open a case prior to taking to the dealer? Some say that they get a case number before diagnosis, but I would think you would have to get a diagnosis before hand.
Will the dealer contact Honda America on your behalf or do you have to take care of it on your own?
Finally, I can accept paying for a bad compressor, but not one that explodes and contaminates other parts of the AC system.
Sounds like they are handling on a case by case basis. It would be interesting if they have narrowed down a certain set of VIN numbers that this will likely affect and are just waiting to see if folks pursue reimbursement.
Last week, after bringing my car in, the Honda dealership told me that Honda would agree to split the charges 50/50 with me, meaning I'd still have to pay $1400. Getting the 50/50 offer was without me doing any negotiating with Honda, the dealership brought me that offer. I figure if they're willing to give up a 50/50 offer without me even raising a stink, they know they have an issue and are trying to make it go away. I told the dealership rep that I'll be following up with other resources to get the issue resolved and to have Honda pay 100% of the costs.
I called Honda America on Friday and logged a complaint in order to get it in their system. I feel the customer service rep did a fine job and provided me with a case # with no issue. I told the customer service rep that I expect Honda to pay for the costs of the repairs. The customer service rep did remind me that my Honda was past its service warranty, but I told her I didn't think it should matter in this case. So, our conversation ended with her telling me that she would forward my case to an account manager who I should expect to hear from in 2 business days. Hopefully I hear from he/she by Tuesday.
I did talk with a lawyer this past Friday regarding the AC compressor failing in my 2002 Honda CRV (60,000 miles).
The lawyer said that he'd be fine writing a letter to the Honda Corp. (and copy the dealership I've been dealing with) threatening litigation if they did not pay for the repairs.
The lawyer also told me that I should make Honda aware that if they didn't pay for the repairs that I would 1) file a complaint with the state's Attorney General's office and 2) contact a law firm to discuss class action litigation.
The lawyer I talked to on Friday said that while he doesn't deal with class action lawsuits, it did sound like there is something there to investigate and he gave me the names of a couple of firms in Minneapolis who I could contact if I wanted to go down that path.
I'd much rather not have to get involved in a legal dispute and spend countless hours working on that, but I have a hard time paying any money to Honda for an issue that it seems is widespread, is known about, and is a manufacturing defect.
I'll keep you posted.
2003 Honda CRV EX
My question is - did anyone notice a sporadic whining sound before the compressor blew? I thought recently due to the whine that maybe a belt was loose in the engine, and over the weekend I then experienced the same pop & rattle... I'm wondering if the whining was a warning sign? A friend of mine also has a CRV & it made a similar sound recently...
We brought it to the dealer today. $3500 parts and labor. They are eating the parts, but we have to pay the labor ($1200 with tax). Better than any other estimate we got, but still too much for what seems to be a chronic problem. We have a friend of a friend in another area of the state who is a honda mechanic. He said that was pretty much the standard deal they are making now. Hold out for at least that much.
Our thanks to those of you who wrote in about this problem. Without this forum (and the other pages and pages of people complaining about this problem...), we would probably be paying the whole thing...
As I mentioned before, my 2001 CR-V's compressor literally exploded, scaterring metal pieces all around, and they ask for 1631 dollars to fix it.
Honda America told me to take the car to a Honda dealership, and they told me they are going to contact me. I have talked to 3 people so far. The first two were nicer, they promised to call, and were optimistic that they will be able to help me with the majority of the expenses. It has been 10 days that my car is sitting at Honda mechanic, and nobody called me so far!!
I called them today, and now they assigned me to a "bad cop". He started to talk about how old my car is, that I have not bought it from a Honda dealer, and that it will be difficult for them to help me. This was the rudest and least understanding person I have talked to in Honda America. Must be a new techique they are using.
So much for reliable and respected Honda. I am so angry. This is so unfair. If my car's AC just stopped working I would not even bother, and replecing a compressor would cost me $500. But here my compressor EXPLODED, and it damaged other parts, requiring $1631!!! This is clearly a production defect! This is clearly a SAFETY issue. I was taking a look at the engine just 5 minutes before it exploded. What if it blew up at that time?
Having so many complaints, we should do someting about class action suit. Complaining is not enough apparently. And we seem to have a really good case so far to be able to press charges. Any advises??
Both knew exactly what I was talking about when asked about it.
The LEAST they could do is issue car owners in that category with a warning about this very costly maintenance and potential safety hazard for the owner. There is no excuse for us having to deal with this major expense when it can be avoided with a little information (or at least reduced - by giving us the option to replace the part before it explodes). I really wouldn't be so upset if they had simply issued information about this problem and warned us.
I was told at the dealer that this is an issue of lubrication. Lack of lubrication causes the compressor to lock up which can then cause metal shards to shoot into the engine.
They know EXACTLY what the problem is, what is causing it AND how to fix it. However they have failed to include precautions for it in ANY regular maintenance checks. Safety RECALL???
I asked the Honda America Rep for statistic on this issue and was told that it was confidential information. Really? Why do you think that is?
I just called the dealer to confirm that the new compressor in my car has actually been upgraded (so how does one know if that is the case?) And he reports that he has not seen a repeat case with this new generation of compressors, so I guess there is a tiny bit of relief in that.
I planned on owning this car for the life of the vehicle, however I'm thinking seriously about changing that plan.
If you hear a whining-like noise, which would make sense if it were a lubrication problem, you may want to have your compressor checked IMMEDIATELY. Of course how would you know to look on this website if that were the case?
This is so frustrating and so completely unneccessary!
Please call and make a report! ESPECIALLY if your car stopped in the middle of the road as a result of the compressor failure.
Vehicle Safety Hotline: 888-327-4236
I have started an investigation, so the more people who file complaints, the more weight it will add, and if there is an official recall as a result, we may be able to be reimbursed.
You can also file online...
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
I have just called the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. My car did not stop in the middle of the road, yet it EXPLODED there, and it scattered large pieces of metal (the cover of the compressor) all over. We found some of them under the hood, and the remaining ones were lying on the middle of the road.
I have started another investigation myself. Thank you for repeating that information "carrieklewin". It helps.
Every legitimately disappointed and angry one, please join us. We can do this. Thanks!
I came across this site only after the repairs and shocked to find that it has been a problem with 2004 CRVs. Any suggestions on how to approach HONDA for possible cost recovery will be very helpful.
You can try calling Honda America, but I think you are out of luck - they are not going to pay for non "honda authorized" repairs after the fact.
Otherwise, this has been a good vehicle, and we hope to keep it for a long time.
I have a 2003 with 78,000 miles that my wife drives and I am about to inherit since she is getting a brand new fit this weekend. With all of these problems, it makes me want to possibly sell it now and get something else.
I'm in the Tampa, FL area.
trying to determine best situation for negotiation since "goodwill" varies tremendously
thanx
However with so many complaints I think a class action law suit is most appropriate.
I started doing research online and found this website.
Thanks to this website I knew what to do. I got all my paperwork from the car and called American Honda. I pled my case and true to the postings on this site, they gave me a case number but said it would be deleted until I went to the Honda dealer and had my car diagnosed by them. I immediately hung up and called, Jim the service director and told him what my mechanic said. He made me an appointment for Thursday morning, he said he would talk to his district service manager about what kind of help Honda could give me with this repair if indeed it was the compressor. It cost $96.38 to have it diagnosed.
It was the compressor. I left with an estimate of $2500.00! I wasn't too worried because I had faith that Honda would see me through, but I didn't know to what degree yet. Julie, one of the service writers said she would talk to Jim and I would probably hear from them the next day. Not even two hours later, Julie called and said that Honda would pay 90% of the cost leaving us with only $250.00 to pay! Needless to say, my husband and I were very happy.
Even though I don't use Heritage Honda for service since my car is well out of warranty at 60,362 miles, I couldn't be happier with their treatment to us. I told Honda we had family who had Hondas and that this was our first new Honda and that I had never had any trouble with our CR-V and that it had had impeccable maintenance service. My husband wanted to know if I had thrown a hissy fit with them I told him no, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. It's called a goodwill warranty!
Next week Honda will repair my CR-V. They had to order one part that they didn't have in stock. I will post again after that happens and tell more of my experience.
Thank you Edmonds and Carspace.com!
I have since bought 3 new 2008 Fit Sports (one is my commuter) and am not driving the 03 CR-V very often, and will probably sell the vehicle in the next year or two, especially since we've had multiple severe weather/storms in the last 3 months and the car also got minor hail damage (no comprehensive insurance coverage, so repair cost, if done, is out-of-pocket). I am hoping the rebuilt compressor lasts that longer (and hopefully longer, for the sake of the next owner)
From reading the many postings here on this problem, my understanding is that there has been a high % of AC compressor failures in 02/03/04 CR-Vs, likely caused by inferior quality Chinese parts at time of build, and the failures have occurred at greatly differing mileages (have seen reports of as little as 20K miles, and some lasting well over 100K miles before failure).
If you are an affected CR-V owner, the key thing to recognize is that Honda shows no sign of issuing a recall (probably because having your AC fail is, in most parts of the country, not a life-threatening or safety issue). You have a very good chance of getting partial or perhaps even full reimbursement for the cost of repairs - IF YOU REPORT IT. So go ahead and document your problem and send the request to Honda Customer Service.
I currently own 3 new Fits, an 03 Civic, and the 03 CR-V and they have all been outstanding vehicles. The AC compressor failure on the CR-V was the first unpleasant experience of ownership, and Honda is, based on my experience, doing a reasonable job of working with the affected owners to resolve problems to the customers' satisfaction.
I too wondered about the case number - Some get it on the front end and some after they have gone for the diagnosis.
Auto manufacturers warranty their cars for 3 years or 36K miles (sometimes more, and often 50K for transmission and engine). Once they are past that, they have no legal obligation to fix anything, with the exception of safety related items. A/C is not a safety item.
There is a reason that warranties are limited!
Honda is bending over backwards to help people out. I don't think any other manufacturer would do as much.
I'm strengthening my case for demanding a full reimbursment and would appreciate your help.
Do you have the names of the dealer and Honda America reps that told you the failures were restricted to certain VIN numbers?
Do you have any info about "which" VIN's are affected.
Would you please post the part number of the "new generation/upgraded" compressor (assuming it's listed and legible from your repair invoice) ?
I'm still trying to decide when (not if) posting notice of the "Compressor Issue" from this forum (and others I've found as far away as Australia) at "The Consumerist - Shoppers bite back" ( http://consumerist.com/ ).
It's a consumers rights/reporting/solution blog thats gaining more press daily.
It's even posted as a "recommended site" at the NY Times "Freakonomics" blog.
My decision to report will depend upon the need for "more persuasive leverage" with Honda.
Honda should step up to avoid further tarnishing it's reportedly good reputation.
There is a reason that warranties are limited! "
Seems something askew to this reasoning. Reminds me so much of the "Rules are Rules" mentality of myopic inflexibility.
Honda presents itself as a corporation that pursues superior and evolving engineering.
They would not knowingly utilize components or manufacturing processes that would result in a "good enough for the length of the warranty", a mistake to which other manufacturers prescribed.
While failure to come forward with anything less than a notification of affected vehicles and/or 100% compensation may have to do with the politics of shareholders, the "goodwill" gained in monetary and character recognition would vastly outweigh the expenditure.
Have you [ poster/member stevedebi ] not recognized the multiple declarations of
long time purchasers who will not consider Honda for another purchase.
Do you not intuit the geometric progression of taint that's set forth in the "unspoken others"?
Stevedebi, the attitude and implicit message conveyed in your post is precisely what those of us facing this situation are currently having to oppose.
Same boat for me: compressor blew on our '03 CR-V at 66,000 miles. Took it to my buddy first who is an expert mechanic and he saw that the compressor was fried. He told me that with the cost of the part and the 3 1/2 to 4 hours labor, it would run about $1000 to fix. I then found all the complaints online related to the same part, so contacted Honda America, who told me I would have to take it to my local dealer (in Princeton, NJ) to have it diagnosed and then they'd see how they could help. Naturally, they found the same problem and said that metal pieces had gotten into the system so the whole AC unit would have to be replaced -- compressor, condenser, evaporator, lines, etc -- at a cost of... $3,800.
The repair manager I dealt with was helpful and using the case number I'd gotten from Honda America, said he'd contact my customer service manager handling the case. That rep got back to me, apologized for the problems and said that as a "good will" measure, Honda America would be willing to pay 75%. That's the same figure I've seen here a number of times on this thread.
Here's the rub: at the cost I paid for the diagnostic at my local dealer, there's no way that the service department at Honda went any further than my friend the mechanic went -- seeing that the compressor itself was fried, so naturally the AC wouldn't work. Let's face it, if they're not being paid to do the extra work, they're not doing the extra work.. There's no way to determine if metal shavings have actually gotten into the intake and exhaust ports unless they actually disassemble the compressor. So while I've been offered 75% off the $3,800 price to replace the entire AC system, there's a chance that all that needs to be replaced is the compressor.
The 25% price that I would have to eat after Honda America's "discount" would be, let's see.. about $950, plus tax, etc.. Or the cost of replacing a compressor.
I plan to ask if they can disassemble the compressor in front of me to see for sure if there's any sign of metal contaminating the rest of the AC system. No doubt they'll balk, but it's worth a shot I guess.
If not, I will certainly make sure that EVERY single part is written down on the repair order to make sure it's all charged out. And then I will take it to my friend to ensure that every single part in the AC system has indeed been replaced.
In my situation, it just struck me as strange that both the service manager and the customer service manager from Honda America seemed to be playing good cop. But the way my situation shakes out, they would both be benefiting. The service folks get paid for their work (who knows if it needs more than the compressor at this stage?) and Honda America comes out looking like a good guy because they've gone to lengths to "help out" a customer who's car is out of warranty by offering to pay a hefty percentage of the repairs. Even though they said themselves the compressor shouldn't be blowing at 66,000 miles...
There's definitely something wrong here and while it may seem that in some cases Honda America is "helping", I have to wonder if that's really been the case...
My case is still developing, so we'll see what happens.