AC problem not under extended warranty

[Mr. E Pilot]

Hello, Everyone.
I’m new to the forum and am sorry this is so long.

In December 2018, I bought a new Honda Civic Touring as a surprise Christmas gift for my wife in Las Vegas. Little did I know it would be the start of a frustrating journey. The car has been to six Honda dealerships over the last five years, all because of persistent AC Problems. I’m a car guy; however, I hate going to dealerships, and I have never found an honest, truthful dealership due to the lies and games they play.

BLUF: We have gone through three compressors and three condensers. And now need another Compressor? And it is not under warranty! The one that is installed only has 24,500 miles on it.

This Honda Dealer sent me two pictures of dirty Q-tips and said, “The AC compressor had failed (Black Death).” This repair is not under warranty and will cost $5,739.

I feel like Honda is to blame for putting out a crappy product. So, I have owned three different Honda vehicles and 3 Honda ATVs, and Honda told me I’m not a loyal customer because I change my oil instead of taking it to the dealer.

It all started in 2019; the left-side AC was not blowing cold, making our drives uncomfortable. We took it to a Honda dealer in California close to where I was stationed. They replaced the dual zone AC controller, but to our disappointment, this did not fix the problem. We had to return, and they finally replaced the AC Compressor, which resolved the issue.

In 2020, the same problem, the same Honda Dealer, and another AC compressor replacement.

We moved to Houston, Texas, in 2021, and the same problem was the AC not blowing on the left side; this is a different dealer. This Dealer informed me of the Warranty extension and replaced the Condenser. The car has 30,300 miles.

In 2022, the same Dealer and the same problem the Dealer replaced the AC Compressor. The problem was fixed under the warranty. The car is 42,740 miles old. (On another note, when we went to pick up the car, we were told that the lead mechanic was test-driving it and that it would take 15 to 20 minutes. It was a nice day, and I was waiting outside the dealer when my car pulled up with the radio blasting, every window was down, and the man driving was smoking a cigarette; he hopped out with a What-a-Burger bag and ran inside. Shortly after, they paged me over the intercom to say that my car was ready.) (I went in and asked for the manager, and the female general manager said, “ he had all the windows down, and it was ok.” My reply was to let him smoke in your car, not mine. I have never gone back to this dealer.)

In 2023, a hard object fell off a Uhaul truck and went through the grill. Geico gave me the number to the nearest Honda-authorized repair facility, and insurance paid for all the repairs, including another condenser replacement.

Now, in 2024, at a different Honda dealer in Houston, the car had the same problem: the left-side AC was not blowing cold. The Dealer replaced the condenser under the extended warranty. The car had 66,200 miles. The AC problem is fixed.

3 weeks later, back at the same dealer, with the problem of the AC blowing cold for 15 to 20 minutes, then blowing humid ambient air. And if I turn the AC off and back on, it blows cold again.

This Honda Dealer sent me two pictures of dirty Q-tips and said, “The AC compressor had failed (Black Death).” This repair is not under warranty and will cost $5,739.

I filed a complaint with Honda, and they told me, “Do not accept or deny any repairs.” I contacted a Lemon lawyer, and they said the same thing. I am still waiting for a more in-depth reply from both.

The AC is blowing Cold.
1st Is there any way the dealer is wrong?
2nd Where did the Q-tips get swabbed?
3rd How can I get the dealer or Honda to pay for these repairs?

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

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[sihaya_bg]

Hi, there!

I am in the exact same boat in Houston for my 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport. I took my car in earlier this month for an AC diagnostic since it wasn't blowing cold air. I had received the extended warranty letter for the AC compressor shaft seal leak so assumed it was related to this. Condenser and compressor shaft seal were replaced under this warranty, but a couple days later, I noticed the exact same behavior as yours, after about 15-20 minutes of AC being on it would start blowing warm air. Same thing, turning it off and turning it back on would make it blow cold air again. I made another service appointment to get this looked at, and they told me my AC system was contaminated and I would need to get the entire AC system replaced. My car also has 66k miles on it. They quoted me $7k to fix it. I am curious what the outcome was for yours. I opened a case with corporate Honda a few days ago and I am waiting to hear back.

 

[ricemeup]

Hi Guys,

Came in here to chime in with my experience too. I picked up my 20' Si back In January 28, 2024.

A month or two ago, my AC started blowing warm and had a hissing noise. Great right? Not! Luckily over here in SoCal its been gloomy and somewhat cool weather. I finally had time to bring in my car since I received the Warranty extension notice for the A/C Compressor Shaft Seal Leak. I thought to myself, great it must surely be covered since Honda issued out this notice.

I brought it in on May 18, 2024 (two days ago from time of writing this) and left it with the dealer as they stated they'd take a look at it for no charge. Upon checking in, my service advisor stated "I've seen a lot of these issues has been coming in for these cars. So hopefully its just that seal." I expressed that I've heard of these issues being due to either the condenser or the evaporator and that they were covered from what I've read on the forums. However, my advisor said "since you have a 2020 MY (Model Year) it looks like the only part covered is the Shaft seals". So, I left the car with them and two hours later, I get a call saying its the Condenser leaking. They are looking to charge me $915 + Tax. I said no thank you to the repairs.

What should I do? Should i fix it with an independent repair shop? If the AC does go out again if i get it fixed through an independent shop, will Honda still honor the Shaft Seal Leak if that does happen in the future?

TLR: A/C was blowing warm. I was under the impression that the condenser and the shaft seal would be covered under warranty. Advisor says that the 2020 model SI Years only cover the Shaft Seals. Condenser was found to be leaking. They want $915 + Tax to fix the issue.

 

[bluzfanmr1]

Hi Guys,

Came in here to chime in with my experience too. I picked up my 20' Si back In January 28, 2024.

A month or two ago, my AC started blowing warm and had a hissing noise. Great right? Not! Luckily over here in SoCal its been gloomy and somewhat cool weather. I finally had time to bring in my car since I received the Warranty extension notice for the A/C Compressor Shaft Seal Leak. I thought to myself, great it must surely be covered since Honda issued out this notice.

I brought it in on May 18, 2024 (two days ago from time of writing this) and left it with the dealer as they stated they'd take a look at it for no charge. Upon checking in, my service advisor stated "I've seen a lot of these issues has been coming in for these cars. So hopefully its just that seal." I expressed that I've heard of these issues being due to either the condenser or the evaporator and that they were covered from what I've read on the forums. However, my advisor said "since you have a 2020 MY (Model Year) it looks like the only part covered is the Shaft seals". So, I left the car with them and two hours later, I get a call saying its the Condenser leaking. They are looking to charge me $915 + Tax. I said no thank you to the repairs.

What should I do? Should i fix it with an independent repair shop? If the AC does go out again if i get it fixed through an independent shop, will Honda still honor the Shaft Seal Leak if that does happen in the future?

TLR: A/C was blowing warm. I was under the impression that the condenser and the shaft seal would be covered under warranty. Advisor says that the 2020 model SI Years only cover the Shaft Seals. Condenser was found to be leaking. They want $915 + Tax to fix the issue.

Warranty Extension: 2016–21 Civic A/C Condenser
Show them this link above.

 

[Mr. E Pilot]

Hi, there!

I am in the exact same boat in Houston for my 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport. I took my car in earlier this month for an AC diagnostic since it wasn't blowing cold air. I had received the extended warranty letter for the AC compressor shaft seal leak so assumed it was related to this. Condenser and compressor shaft seal were replaced under this warranty, but a couple days later, I noticed the exact same behavior as yours, after about 15-20 minutes of AC being on it would start blowing warm air. Same thing, turning it off and turning it back on would make it blow cold air again. I made another service appointment to get this looked at, and they told me my AC system was contaminated and I would need to get the entire AC system replaced. My car also has 66k miles on it. They quoted me $7k to fix it. I am curious what the outcome was for yours. I opened a case with corporate Honda a few days ago and I am waiting to hear back.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. My AC is still blowing cold right now. However, it may be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I just want to know where these 2 Q-tips were swabbed. I refuse to believe they took my system all the way apart, swabbed the Q-tip, put it back together, and recharged it with freon. To start with, there is a fine from the EPA of $35000 for knowingly releasing freon into the atmosphere, and the dealership could lose its AC service license. If they did all the maintenance and left all the bad parts installed.

Have you heard back from Honda corporate at all? I called and submitted my complaint about one month ago, but I have heard nothing from them.

I wish you luck. Let me know how it turns out. Right now, my wife and I are pondering calling Carvana while the AC is still blowing cold and getting rid of this problem.

 

[Mr. E Pilot]

Hi Guys,

Came in here to chime in with my experience too. I picked up my 20' Si back In January 28, 2024.

A month or two ago, my AC started blowing warm and had a hissing noise. Great right? Not! Luckily over here in SoCal its been gloomy and somewhat cool weather. I finally had time to bring in my car since I received the Warranty extension notice for the A/C Compressor Shaft Seal Leak. I thought to myself, great it must surely be covered since Honda issued out this notice.

I brought it in on May 18, 2024 (two days ago from time of writing this) and left it with the dealer as they stated they'd take a look at it for no charge. Upon checking in, my service advisor stated "I've seen a lot of these issues has been coming in for these cars. So hopefully its just that seal." I expressed that I've heard of these issues being due to either the condenser or the evaporator and that they were covered from what I've read on the forums. However, my advisor said "since you have a 2020 MY (Model Year) it looks like the only part covered is the Shaft seals". So, I left the car with them and two hours later, I get a call saying its the Condenser leaking. They are looking to charge me $915 + Tax. I said no thank you to the repairs.

What should I do? Should i fix it with an independent repair shop? If the AC does go out again if i get it fixed through an independent shop, will Honda still honor the Shaft Seal Leak if that does happen in the future?

TLR: A/C was blowing warm. I was under the impression that the condenser and the shaft seal would be covered under warranty. Advisor says that the 2020 model SI Years only cover the Shaft Seals. Condenser was found to be leaking. They want $915 + Tax to fix the issue.

How many miles does your car have, and what is the factory warranty?
Call Honda corporate at (888)234-2138 and file a complaint about the service department and Honda's warranty for not covering their own defects.

 

[NixChixFix]

Hi Guys,

Came in here to chime in with my experience too. I picked up my 20' Si back In January 28, 2024.

A month or two ago, my AC started blowing warm and had a hissing noise. Great right? Not! Luckily over here in SoCal its been gloomy and somewhat cool weather. I finally had time to bring in my car since I received the Warranty extension notice for the A/C Compressor Shaft Seal Leak. I thought to myself, great it must surely be covered since Honda issued out this notice.

I brought it in on May 18, 2024 (two days ago from time of writing this) and left it with the dealer as they stated they'd take a look at it for no charge. Upon checking in, my service advisor stated "I've seen a lot of these issues has been coming in for these cars. So hopefully its just that seal." I expressed that I've heard of these issues being due to either the condenser or the evaporator and that they were covered from what I've read on the forums. However, my advisor said "since you have a 2020 MY (Model Year) it looks like the only part covered is the Shaft seals". So, I left the car with them and two hours later, I get a call saying its the Condenser leaking. They are looking to charge me $915 + Tax. I said no thank you to the repairs.

What should I do? Should i fix it with an independent repair shop? If the AC does go out again if i get it fixed through an independent shop, will Honda still honor the Shaft Seal Leak if that does happen in the future?

TLR: A/C was blowing warm. I was under the impression that the condenser and the shaft seal would be covered under warranty. Advisor says that the 2020 model SI Years only cover the Shaft Seals. Condenser was found to be leaking. They want $915 + Tax to fix the issue.

When I took my car in a month ago for an axle issue, I told them about my AC issue and the service advisor said that my VIN didn't show up under any recall, so I would need to cover the cost. But he then called back and said that they ran my VIN against another older system, and it showed up so they were able to replace it for free. Maybe you can call them back with the service bulletin and let them know.

 

[sihaya_bg]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. My AC is still blowing cold right now. However, it may be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I just want to know where these 2 Q-tips were swabbed. I refuse to believe they took my system all the way apart, swabbed the Q-tip, put it back together, and recharged it with freon. To start with, there is a fine from the EPA of $35000 for knowingly releasing freon into the atmosphere, and the dealership could lose its AC service license. If they did all the maintenance and left all the bad parts installed.

Have you heard back from Honda corporate at all? I called and submitted my complaint about one month ago, but I have heard nothing from them.

I wish you luck. Let me know how it turns out. Right now, my wife and I are pondering calling Carvana while the AC is still blowing cold and getting rid of this problem.

Hi,

I got a call from my Honda case worker last Thursday and she let me know they were going to contact the dealership, Big Star Honda, to determine what caused the contamination. She let me know it would probably be two weeks before I get an update. I am waiting to see how this plays out before I decide what to do with my car. But honestly, I am considering getting rid of it sooner than later. I also do not understand where the q tips were swabbed, and in my case, why the entire AC system is now contaminated if this dealership has been the only one to work on the AC. When the warranty work was initially done there was no mention of contamination. And to add insult to injury, the dealership returned my car without recharging the refrigerant at the same time they quoted me $7k for the contamination repair. I had to return to them a third time for them to recharge what was taken out. And I don't understand how contamination would cause the AC to stop blowing cold air after 15-20 minutes. Best of luck to you, too! Will keep you posted.

 

[bluzfanmr1]

Note that it's an extended warranty on the A/C, NOT a recall.

 

[Mr. E Pilot]

Hello, Everyone.
I’m new to the forum and am sorry this is so long.

In December 2018, I bought a new Honda Civic Touring as a surprise Christmas gift for my wife in Las Vegas. Little did I know it would be the start of a frustrating journey. The car has been to six Honda dealerships over the last five years, all because of persistent AC Problems. I’m a car guy; however, I hate going to dealerships, and I have never found an honest, truthful dealership due to the lies and games they play.

BLUF: We have gone through three compressors and three condensers. And now need another Compressor? And it is not under warranty! The one that is installed only has 24,500 miles on it.

This Honda Dealer sent me two pictures of dirty Q-tips and said, “The AC compressor had failed (Black Death).” This repair is not under warranty and will cost $5,739.

I feel like Honda is to blame for putting out a crappy product. So, I have owned three different Honda vehicles and 3 Honda ATVs, and Honda told me I’m not a loyal customer because I change my oil instead of taking it to the dealer.

It all started in 2019; the left-side AC was not blowing cold, making our drives uncomfortable. We took it to a Honda dealer in California close to where I was stationed. They replaced the dual zone AC controller, but to our disappointment, this did not fix the problem. We had to return, and they finally replaced the AC Compressor, which resolved the issue.

In 2020, the same problem, the same Honda Dealer, and another AC compressor replacement.

We moved to Houston, Texas, in 2021, and the same problem was the AC not blowing on the left side; this is a different dealer. This Dealer informed me of the Warranty extension and replaced the Condenser. The car has 30,300 miles.

In 2022, the same Dealer and the same problem the Dealer replaced the AC Compressor. The problem was fixed under the warranty. The car is 42,740 miles old. (On another note, when we went to pick up the car, we were told that the lead mechanic was test-driving it and that it would take 15 to 20 minutes. It was a nice day, and I was waiting outside the dealer when my car pulled up with the radio blasting, every window was down, and the man driving was smoking a cigarette; he hopped out with a What-a-Burger bag and ran inside. Shortly after, they paged me over the intercom to say that my car was ready.) (I went in and asked for the manager, and the female general manager said, “ he had all the windows down, and it was ok.” My reply was to let him smoke in your car, not mine. I have never gone back to this dealer.)

In 2023, a hard object fell off a Uhaul truck and went through the grill. Geico gave me the number to the nearest Honda-authorized repair facility, and insurance paid for all the repairs, including another condenser replacement.

Now, in 2024, at a different Honda dealer in Houston, the car had the same problem: the left-side AC was not blowing cold. The Dealer replaced the condenser under the extended warranty. The car had 66,200 miles. The AC problem is fixed.

3 weeks later, back at the same dealer, with the problem of the AC blowing cold for 15 to 20 minutes, then blowing humid ambient air. And if I turn the AC off and back on, it blows cold again.

This Honda Dealer sent me two pictures of dirty Q-tips and said, “The AC compressor had failed (Black Death).” This repair is not under warranty and will cost $5,739.

I filed a complaint with Honda, and they told me, “Do not accept or deny any repairs.” I contacted a Lemon lawyer, and they said the same thing. I am still waiting for a more in-depth reply from both.

The AC is blowing Cold.
1st, is there any way the dealer is wrong?
2nd, where did the Q-tips get swabbed?
3rd, how can the dealer or Honda pay for these repairs?

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

Update 24 MAY 2024 @ 4:30 pm:

I just received a call from the Honda Corporate office. Under their assistance program, they have agreed to pay $2789 of the total bill of $5789 to have my AC replaced. However, they cannot email me this so I can look it over, and I only have 30 days to agree to this condition. Only over-the-phone agreement.

Why do I feel like I'm about to be stabbed in the back? I know I have trust issues!

I told them I needed to think about it.

 

[9000RPM]

I didn't see it in your posts but when you say the entire system, does that mean the evaporator as well?

Honestly, you're getting stabbed, kicked, and laughed at. Honda Corporate says they will cover "half" but realistically, they are paying their rate, which is a lot lower than what you and I pay.

 

[Mr. E Pilot]

I didn't see it in your posts but when you say the entire system, does that mean the evaporator as well?

Honestly, you're getting stabbed, kicked, and laughed at. Honda Corporate says they will cover "half" but realistically, they are paying their rate, which is a lot lower than what you and I pay.

Yes, everything in the system needs to be replaced. Supposably, the compressor "Black Death" three weeks after the condenser was replaced.

I believe the dealership sabotaged my AC.

 

[pwnd]

I've been alright ignoring this, as I work outside anyways, and any breeze is a relief lol

 

[sihaya_bg]

Update 24 MAY 2024 @ 4:30 pm:

I just received a call from the Honda Corporate office. Under their assistance program, they have agreed to pay $2789 of the total bill of $5789 to have my AC replaced. However, they cannot email me this so I can look it over, and I only have 30 days to agree to this condition. Only over-the-phone agreement.

Why do I feel like I'm about to be stabbed in the back? I know I have trust issues!

I told them I needed to think about it.

I wouldn’t want to take that deal either, especially if they are not willing to put it in writing. Seems suspicious. I still haven’t heard back on my case. What dealership did you go to for the warranty work if you don’t mind me asking? I was quoted $2k more than you and I can’t help but think it’s because I am a woman. I can’t imagine the parts and labor would be so significantly different if I’m also being told I need the entire AC system replaced. Also, did they mention anything about the cause of the contamination? I looked over my notes and did see at my second service visit they swabbed the high and low lines, and that’s where they noticed the contamination.

 

[Mr. E Pilot]

I wouldn’t want to take that deal either, especially if they are not willing to put it in writing. Seems suspicious. I still haven’t heard back on my case. What dealership did you go to for the warranty work if you don’t mind me asking? I was quoted $2k more than you and I can’t help but think it’s because I am a woman. I can’t imagine the parts and labor would be so significantly different if I’m also being told I need the entire AC system replaced. Also, did they mention anything about the cause of the contamination? I looked over my notes and did see at my second service visit they swabbed the high and low lines, and that’s where they noticed the contamination.

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