We bought our middle son a new Honda Civic back in 2017 based on our prior ownership of Honda vehicles along with the stellar reputation of the civic. He had to take it to the dealer today to have the AC checked and was told the condenser is shot and replacement cost will be ~$2700. Currently, it's at 50K miles with the warranty expiring at 36K miles. Has anyone had a similar experience with the Civic? After a quick online search, it appears to be a design defect as there are several class actions pending but so far, no ownership of the problem from Honda.

Thanks,

Michael

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mdblanton,

My daughter had the same issue last year, 2017 model as well
It was 2k out of warranty of course
Our local Honda dealer fixed it for free, leak stop and recharge i think, didn’t need any new parts
Cheap for them, and kicked the can down the road
It’s a known problem
I think there will be a recall at some point

Can you give us which model and engine is in it?

Are you sure it is the condenser and not the compressor? That price would indicate that they want to replace most of the HVAC system.

Just a quick look at Rock Auto, most of the condensers are around $60. If he has the regular 2.0L engine. According to Alldata, the OEM condenser is $133.33, and 2.1 hours to replace. This does not include recovery and charging.

Honda is extending the warranty of the condensers for 10 years from date of purchase on Civic’s that fall within a certain VIN range. See if you can determine what that range is. Don’t rely on your dealer, you may have to call corporate.

Look up Honda Service Bulletin 19-091

Thanks all. The engine is the L4 DOHC 16V TURBO. I’m trying to run down a cross-reference between TSB 19-091 and his VIN number now.

Michael

If it's a design flaw, Honda is usually pretty good about making it right.

My 2007 Civic got a cracked block at 135,000 and they admitted it was a design flaw (thin spot in casting) and I got a whole new block, timing chain and water pump out of the deal.

I misheard what my son said yesterday and it is the compressor, not condenser, that is leaking and in need of replacement. His specific VIN is covered by the 10-year warranty extension for the condenser. The dealer wasn't aware of any similar provisions for the compressor. I've contacted Honda corporate and am awaiting a response.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by mdblanton:
I misheard what my son said yesterday and it is the compressor, not condenser, that is leaking and in need of replacement. His specific VIN is covered by the 10-year warranty extension for the condenser. The dealer wasn't aware of any similar provisions for the compressor. I've contacted Honda corporate and am awaiting a response.

Michael

Get a second opinion on the real leak, or ask for concrete proof of a compressor leak.

Honda hasn't been without their A/C issues over the years, but I have a hard time believing the compressor leaks after so short a time. If it is, there should be dye either around the pulley (seal leak) or on the case (seal leak but in a different place). And $2700? This sounds like, besides the compressor, replacing the expansion valve and receiver-dryer, and because the dryer is on the condenser, the condenser as well. It is kind of standard practice in the business because the compressor manufacturer requires them for warranty, but I don't like to do all that just for leaking. If the compressor had "grenaded" and spread "black death" (look it up) through the system, then you have to do all that stuff.

I own a 2017 Honda Civic EX. I received a notice from Honda in November 2019 regarding AC condenser leaks. I have not experienced any of the issues but it’s probably a problem with that generation. Worth a shot reaching out to Honda because it will probably be covered. If you have any questions send me an email I have all the original information regarding the warranty extension paperwork. Kyledavidzim@yahoo.com

Cannot comment on your AC issue however I can tell you on when my 2010 Civic needed front pads very very early on I discovered there was a class action suit and when i brought it up to the dealer they admitted there was an issue and did complete front brakes for free

Just so you know, there are cheap Freon leak detectors you can buy that are pretty accurate that will pinpoint where the leak(s) is/are. I don’t trust car dealership service departments at all.

https://www.amazon.com/Elitech...TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

A three year Honda's compressor failing seems odd. I have an 02 Civic and 03 Odyssey, both with their original compressors.

A new compressor for that Civic list for $365 for the genuine Honda part on a number of websites. Assuming your dealer wants $500 for the compressor and another $500-700 for labor and refrigerant, where's the other $1500?

A critical component to such a large system shouldn't fail at 50K. Nor should a dealer charge full retail for a premature failure of such a system. This is where dealers lose customers because they won't negotiate or deal reasonably.

The quote ended up being ~$1800 parts and ~$200 for labor. The additional $700 in my original post was for other services they offered (brake fluid flush, tire rotation, etc.).

I agree that it shouldn’t fail at 50K miles which is why I bought a Honda in the first place and didn’t buy an extended warranty. My wife had an ‘07 Odyssey, ‘13 Pilot, and now has a ‘19 Pilot plus I’ve got a Honda Pioneer UTV, Honda generator, and Honda (engine) pressure washer. We’ll see if corporate comes through with any offsets.

Michael

I used to be a technician at Honda and ended up leaving because of Honda's unethical practices. I was tagging 5-6 ac compressors a day. Other techs caught on for the warranty work. After a couple of months honda said we were not allowed to flag ac warranty unless the customer complained of an issue. So I would always write it down and management told me to stop. I told them the customer deserves to know. This was not the only ethical problem with Honda so I left sorry you purchased a Honda. I have a 2017 crv and can't wait to get rid of it!

Your dealer is screwing you.

On August 9, 2019, Honda issued technical service bulletin (TSB) 19-091 concerning air conditioner condensers that came from the factory defective in 2016-2018 Civics. Due to the defective condensers, Honda extended the air conditioner condenser warranty to 10 years and unlimited miles.


Honda had a same recall on my 2009 CRV and fixed the AC free just short of 100K miles.

At least two law suites filed on the you may be able to get money from the lawsuits.

the lawyers will collect millions and you will get $20 bucks

https://www.carcomplaints.com/...suit-condenser.shtml

quote:

I misheard what my son said yesterday and it is the compressor, not condenser, that is leaking and in need of replacement.

Guys, RTFT
The man says it’s the compressor. Not the condenser as he originally stated in error.

I have a 2018 Civic I will have to check on. I’ve had the car for a month and still haven’t driven it yet.

Kudos to Honda Corporate. They contacted me last week to let me know they were getting additional details from the dealer. Heard from them today and the original ~$2000 estimate for replacement of the A/C compressor is being discounted to $250 plus warranty for the replacement. I am once again a happy Honda customer.

Michael

Awesome. Nice to see corporate step up.