What does this cost in your state?
California is the costliest state and Arkansas the cheapest; each square shows that state's midpoint of the estimate.
Lower-cost states ($165)MiddleHigher-cost states ($210)
What it shows: CA is the highest at $210 and AR the lowest at $165, across 51 states.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 50,000-100,000 (51%), against 29% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 3-5 years (52%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 22% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
425 owner complaints name this part.
Owners say the dealer could not fix or repeat the problem. If it comes back after a repair, ask what was tested before you pay again.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 425 owner complaints naming this part, car AC condenser is named in 39% of them, more than any other part.
Other parts named in the same complaints. Car AC condenser: 39%; Car AC compressor: 27%.
Owners name the car ac condenser most often in the same complaint, which is not proof that one caused the other. Ask the shop whether it checked the car ac condenser too, so you are not quoted twice for one visit.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster leads at 43%.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
How serious did it get for owners?
Among the 425 owner complaints naming this part, injury is the outcome owners report most often.
What it shows: Injury reported is the largest at 9, followed by Towed at 4; the smallest shown is Crash reported at 2.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
Among the 425 owner complaints naming this part that state a model year, complaints cluster in a few model years instead of spreading evenly.
What it shows: 2017 is the largest at 82 (19%), followed by 2015 at 60 (14%); the smallest shown is 2023 at 7 (2%).
When in the year do owners report it?
NHTSA owner complaints about this part run furthest above the usual seasonal share in June: about 106% more of them name an incident that month than complaints about any part would predict. A complaint is a report, not a measured failure.
What it shows: June is the largest at 19% (all: 9%), followed by January at 4% (all: 9%); the smallest shown is November at 2% (all: 7%).
What rules must a shop follow to open and refill my car's A/C?
EPA section 609 requires anyone who services a car air conditioner for payment to hold EPA certification and use approved recovery equipment, bans venting every refrigerant except carbon dioxide, and requires refrigerant to be recycled or reclaimed before reuse, whichever refrigerant the car uses.
| Topic | Federal requirement |
|---|---|
| Reusing refrigerant | Refrigerant removed from a car must be recycled or reclaimed before reuse, even when it goes back into the same car. |
| Shop filing | A shop servicing car air conditioners for the first time must certify to its EPA Regional Office that it has approved refrigerant handling equipment (a one-time filing). |
| Venting | Only carbon dioxide (R-744) may be released to the air; every other refrigerant venting is prohibited. |
| Which refrigerants | Section 609 certification is required whatever refrigerant the car uses, including R-1234yf. |
| Who may do the work | Anyone who works on a car air conditioner for payment of any kind must hold EPA section 609 certification and use approved refrigerant handling equipment. |
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 3 foreign recall campaigns that name air conditioning with NHTSA since 2015 (matched by the filing text); the latest, from Tesla in 2023-06.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06 | Tesla. | 105 | 20590 Re: Foreign Recall Campaign Report; Vehicle Manufactured with Air Conditioning Refrigerant Not Allowed Under 2006/40/EC Dear Mr. |
| 2020-07 | Mercedes-Benz | 140 | Giuseppe, Page 2 Description of Issue MBAG has determined that certain A-Class (177 platform) and CLA-Class (platform118) vehicles might erroneously be filled with the R-134a refrigerant instead of R-1234yf. |
| 2018-11 | Mercedes-Benz | 214 | Description of Issue On certain A- and B-Class, CLA and SL-Class vehicles (176, 246, 117, 231 platforms) the refrigerant used in the air conditioning system does not meet European legal requirements. |
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for parts matched to a air conditioning refrigerant recover since model year 2015, covering about 26,690 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a air conditioning refrigerant recover since model year 2015 | 2 recall campaigns covering about 26,690 vehicles |
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22V-050 | Tesla Model S 2021–2022; Tesla Model Y 2020–2022; Tesla Model 3 2021–2022 and 1 more | 26,681 | Decreased defrosting performance may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 24V-170 | Mercedes-Benz G 550 2023; Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 2022–2023 | 9 | In the event of a crash, the incorrect refrigerant may leak and increase the risk of a fire. |
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz | AMG GLE63 S 2021–2022; GLE 350 2020–2024 and 24 more | LI83.30-P-077763 | Apr 26, 2024 | Customer concern of Air Conditioning not cooling. |
| Audi | RS 5 2018–2024; A8 2018–2024 and 37 more | A8724702064077_4 | Mar 29, 2024 | This TSB describes a method for leak detection for R134A and R1234yf refrigerant platforms only. |
| Volkswagen | Atlas Cross Sport 2020–2024; GTI 2018–2024 and 14 more | V871808204903921 | Mar 11, 2024 | Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the R1234yf Refrigerant Circuit (U.S. |
| GMC | Terrain 2018–2024; Terrain NA 2022 | 18-NA-162 | Jan 17, 2024 | This technical bulletin provides a procedure for air conditioning refrigerant desiccant replacement due to A/C Not Cooling or refrigerant loss. |
| KIA | Niro Phev 2023; Niro EV 2023 and 1 more | TSB_CLI054 | Sep 5, 2023 | Technical service bulletin: Air conditioning refrigerant collection and recharge (SA538) - This bulletin provides information to evacuate, vacuum, and recharge the air conditioning system on certain 2023MY EV6 (CV) vehicles produced from January 31, 2023. |
| Toyota | Tundra 2015–2023; Sequoia 2015–2022 and 35 more | TSB005823 | Aug 21, 2023 | TSB: The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. |
54 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (2)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda | Accord 2018–2020 | Jul 21, 2021 | ONLJ9T07062021 | A/C condenser refrigerant. |
| Honda | Accord Hybrid 2018–2020; Civic 2016–2021; Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid 2018–2021 and 1 more | Jul 21, 2021 | ONLQ9U07062021 | A/C condenser corrosion causing refrigerant. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
Shift to park and warming beep saying vehicle not in park also a bad smell coming from vents when start the engine makes me dizzy and also paid over $600 for repairs to AC still not fix Freon leaks .
Over near the base an Autozone employee told me I needed AC refrigerant, so I got the $155 since the CRV is 2018.
FYI, the GM dealer quoted more than $600 for the freon.
My 2018 suburban required over $400 worth of expenses to replace a valve and recharge the freon in the ac.
Check your car
Refrigerant recovery costs $110 to $270 for an R-134a system at a shop billing $120/hr. The refrigerant type moves the bill most: an R-1234yf system runs $160 to $370 at the same rate.
Of the complaints owners filed, 64.8% (294 of the 454 complaints that named a model and year) came from a model year with a manufacturer service bulletin for this work, so ask the shop for that bulletin before you pay. The Honda Civic (108 complaints) leads, mostly 2016, 2017 and 2018 models.
Condenser failures show up in 38% of refrigerant complaints and turn a recovery job into a parts job
The condenser was the part owners named most often alongside refrigerant loss, and the compressor was second.
If the leak turns out to be the condenser, named in 38% (173) of the 460 refrigerant complaints, price the condenser replacement before you approve a recharge.
The compressor shows up in 27% (122) of the same 460 complaints, so a quote that lists it is worth checking against the AC compressor replacement estimate.
Dealers appear in 201 refrigerant complaints and independent shops in 22
Most owners who described where they had the work done went to a dealer, which fits with many of these cars still being under warranty at the mileage when their AC failed. In the calculator, a dealer rate of $175/hr raises the R-134a recovery estimate to $138–$325.
A BMW X5 owner described paying $811 for a dealer evaluation in which UV dye was added with the refrigerant, and the refrigerant "escaped over a 2 week period." (NHTSA complaint #11758762) Paying for a recharge before the leak is found can mean paying for the refrigerant twice.
Refrigerant complaints by failure year keep rising through 2026
When complaints are sorted by the year the AC actually failed rather than the model year, the count climbs steadily and peaks in 2020 and 2026. The Tesla recall in 2022 and the Mercedes recall in 2024 fall inside this rise, but nothing in the data shows either recall changed the overall trend.
Newer cars use R-1234yf refrigerant, and the calculator prices recovery for it at $160–$370 at a $120/hr shop. As more failures involve newer cars, expect quotes closer to that range than to the R-134a figure.
Refrigerant leaks show up at 55 mph or faster in 44% of complaints that give a speed
Owners most often noticed warm air while driving at highway speed, and few needed a tow. In those reports, losing refrigerant usually meant losing cooling, not losing the car.
The safety reports matter more on vehicles where the AC also defrosts the windshield. The Tesla recall names poor defrosting as the crash risk, and owners filed 3 fire reports and 9 injury reports in these complaints. A report does not prove the refrigerant caused the event.
Frequently asked questions
Why do air conditioners lose refrigerant?
In owner complaints, the condenser was the part named most often alongside refrigerant loss, showing up in 38% of refrigerant complaints, and the compressor was second. On certain Tesla models, recall 22V050000 says a software error can open a heat pump valve and trap refrigerant inside the system.
Is air conditioner refrigerant dangerous?
Recall 24V170000 covers Mercedes-Benz AMG G 63 and G 550 vehicles that may have been filled with the wrong refrigerant, which could leak in a crash and raise the risk of fire. Owners filed 3 fire reports and 9 injury reports in these complaints.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA recall file file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- CalcScrape calculator model scaled by BEA Regional Price Parities data from 2024
- U.S. EPA: Regulatory Requirements for MVAC System Servicing (Clean Air Act section 609) data from 2025
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Modeled: our estimate, not a quote. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
Owner complaints quoted
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($50–$74) on 2026-10-06: our default's midpoint is 1% above the middle of that range. Methodology