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 ($626)MiddleHigher-cost states ($797)
What it shows: CA is the highest at $797 and AR the lowest at $626, 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 3-5 years (50%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 23% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
703 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.
What do owners say it led to?
Among the 703 owner complaints naming this part, owners most often say loss of power followed.
What owners say happened after the problem. Loss of power: 6 complaints (1%); Engine damage: 5 complaints (1%).
What did owners say they paid?
Half of the 29 owners who wrote a dollar amount gave $1,600 or less; one in ten wrote more than $2,200.
These are bills owners wrote down, often covering more than this one repair. They show how far a job can run; get written quotes for your own car.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster leads at 37%.
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 703 owner complaints naming this part, being towed is the outcome owners report most often.
What it shows: Towed is the largest at 14, followed by Fire reported at 10; the smallest shown is Crash reported at 3.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
Among the 703 owner complaints naming this part that state a model year, complaints cluster in a few model years instead of spreading evenly.
What it shows: 2016 is the largest at 157 (22%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 13 (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 94% 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 17% (all: 9%), followed by January at 3% (all: 9%); the smallest shown is January at 3% (all: 9%).
Do car ac compressor replacement problems track days at 90°F or more across states?
Across U.S. states, NHTSA owner complaints about car ac compressor replacement run higher where very hot days are higher, after adjusting for the makes sold in each state. This is an association across states, not proof that very hot days causes this repair.
How to read it: Each dot is a state. Further right means more days at 90°f or more; higher up means more complaints for this repair than expected (1.0 is average). If the dots climb to the right, reports of this repair rise with days at 90°f or more.
What it shows: States with more days at 90°f or more tend to sit higher on the chart across 20 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
- The 6 states with the most very hot days (Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, California): reports of this repair run 35% above what the makes sold there would predict, and 5 of 6 are above expected. The 6 with the least (New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington, Ohio): 20% below, and 1 of 6 are above expected.
- Exceptions: South Carolina is among the highest in very hot days but reports below expected.
- Split the states into thirds: the third with the least very hot days runs 20% below what the makes sold there would predict, the middle third 1% below, and the third with the most 35% above. It steps up steadily.
- For very hot days, after allowing for the 1562 comparisons we ran, luck alone would produce a pattern this strong about 1 time in 38. Take out any single state and the very hot days pattern still holds.
- Weak spot: compare only states with similar all-sky sunshine at the surface, kWh per square meter per day and the pattern keeps about 0% of its strength, so part of it may come from all-sky sunshine at the surface, kWh per square meter per day instead of very hot days.
Heat shortens the life of batteries, coolant, hoses, belts and tires.
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 the replacement part I am buying been recalled?
NHTSA lists 1 equipment recalls that name ac compressor since 2015 (visibility and equipment), covering 530 items sold as parts rather than whole vehicles; the largest, by Cummins, Inc. in 2022, covered 530.
| Year | Maker and product | NHTSA component | Defect | Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cummins, Inc.: Pd7000 | propulsion system | certain PD7000 Electric Drivetrains containing an electric air compressor. | 530 |
Which counties get the weather that wears this part?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Tulsa County, OK, Okmulgee County, OK and Muskogee County, OK highest for heat waves, about 26.26 events a year, against 4.53 in the median county. Heat-wave days are when an air conditioner works hardest.
| County | Heat wave events per year | Residents (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsa County, OK | 26.26 | 669,277 |
| Okmulgee County, OK | 26.16 | 36,710 |
| Muskogee County, OK | 25.89 | 66,348 |
| Wagoner County, OK | 25.74 | 80,983 |
| Creek County, OK | 25.16 | 71,752 |
| Pittsburg County, OK | 24.84 | 43,773 |
| Le Flore County, OK | 24.63 | 48,130 |
| Rogers County, OK | 24.63 | 95,236 |
| Sebastian County, AR | 24.53 | 127,797 |
| Sequoyah County, OK | 24.21 | 39,289 |
| Median county (1,803 counties) | 4.53 |
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 3 recall campaigns for parts matched to a car ac compressor replacement since model year 2015, covering about 150,392 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 car ac compressor replacement since model year 2015 | 3 recall campaigns covering about 150,392 vehicles |
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15V-417 | Acura MDX 2015 | 106,439 | If a bolt was not coated, it may corrode and break as a result. |
| 21V-534 | Lincoln Aviator 2020–2021 | 33,298 | Damaged electrical wires may short-circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. |
| 19V-687 | Ford Explorer 2020 | 10,655 | The A/C pulley may rub through the wiring harness insulation and contact the unfused battery positive wire, resulting in a short circuit, increasing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda | Passport 2019–2021; Pilot 2019–2021 and 1 more | A23-050 | Jan 24, 2024 | Service Bulletin - Customers have complained that the air conditioning system is not blowing cold air due to Oil/Refrigerant leaking from the A/C compressor shaft seal. |
| GMC | Acadia 2023 | N232413380 | Jan 17, 2024 | Customer Satisfaction Program. |
| Cadillac | Lyriq 2023 | PIC6537A | Jan 17, 2024 | This Preliminary information communicates that a noise or vibration maybe heard from the A/C compressor and that Engineering is working on a resolution. |
| Audi | A7 E 2021–2022; A6 Allroad 2020–2024 and 5 more | A8723642061277_3 | Dec 13, 2023 | This bulletin provides information when the air conditioning cooling is diminished, and/or the compressor is noisy. |
| Volkswagen | Passat 2015–2024; Beetle Convertible 2015–2019 and 19 more | V871810204370421 | Nov 13, 2023 | Reporting procedure for A/C compressor replacement regardless of the reason for failure. |
| Mitsubishi | Outlander Phev 2018–2020 | TSB-23-55-006 | Oct 24, 2023 | Service Manual Revision - This Technical Service Bulletin provides revisions to the procedure for the oil refill amount of the A/C compressor section in the applicable Service Manual. |
52 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
So upon diagnosing the vehicle was told that the ac compressor has went out and it will be $1800.
Honda service says its an internal failure of the compressor and the entire system needs to be replaced at the cost of $5,500.
This follows the replacement of a faulty A/C compressor for $2200 a year ago when the car had around 45000 miles.
Replacing a Supermanifold ($450.37) & A/C compressor ($1273.53) +tax =$1792.
Check your car
Car AC compressor replacement costs $742–$1,802 for a standard belt-driven compressor, with parts and labor at $120 an hour. Shop type, vehicle class and whether your car uses an electric compressor move that range most.
What does a car AC compressor replacement cover?
The estimate is for a standard belt-driven compressor, installed at a shop charging $120 an hour. It includes the part and the labor to remove the old unit, fit the new one, and put the system back together.
The estimate leaves out anything the shop finds once the system is open. That usually means a new receiver drier or expansion valve, a condenser, a system flush and a fresh refrigerant charge. A shop that sees metal flakes in the oil will want to replace those parts too, because debris from the old compressor can kill the new one.
How much does car AC compressor replacement change by shop and vehicle?
Two choices move the number: who does the work and what you drive. Each row changes one setting from the default.
| Setting | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Default: standard compressor, $120/hr shop | $742–$1,802 |
| Independent shop (about $100/hr) | $671–$1,661 |
| Dealership (about $175/hr) | $937–$2,191 |
| Economy car (Civic, Corolla, Focus) | $689–$1,643 |
| SUV or truck (Tahoe, Ram 1500, 4Runner) | $809–$2,002 |
| Luxury or performance car | $809–$2,002 |
| Electric compressor (EV or hybrid) | $1,484–$3,817 |
Compressors differ in price by model, and some sit behind other parts, which adds labor hours.
Should you replace the compressor alone or the whole system?
Replace only the compressor when it has failed for an outside reason, such as a worn clutch or a leaking shaft seal, and the rest of the system is clean. That's the cheapest path and the one the estimate prices.
Replace the related parts when the compressor failed from the inside. An internal failure sends metal through the lines, so the drier, valve and often the condenser need replacing and the lines need a flush. One owner told NHTSA that Honda service called the failure internal and quoted $5,500 to replace the whole system. It's a high case, but it shows why the kind of failure matters.
Ask the shop to show you the old compressor and say what failed. If it won't say, get a second opinion before you pay for system parts.
How do you know it's the compressor, and how urgent is it?
Suspect the compressor when the air is warm even though the system holds refrigerant, the clutch doesn't engage or keeps cycling, or you hear grinding or squealing when the AC switches on. Oily residue around the compressor points to a leak.
A failing compressor won't strand you in most cars. A seized compressor is different. It can shred the serpentine belt, which also drives the alternator and often the water pump, and then the car stops. If you hear grinding, turn the AC off and have it checked soon.
How do you get a fair quote for car AC compressor replacement?
Ask the shop to name the compressor as new, remanufactured or OEM, and whether the quote includes the drier, the flush and the refrigerant. Those three lines explain most of the gap between two quotes for the same car.
Then run your car through the calculator with your shop type. A quote above the dealership figure for a standard compressor means the shop found something the estimate doesn't assume, so ask what. Skip DIY: venting refrigerant is illegal, and the system still needs evacuating and recharging.
What else do drivers ask about AC compressor replacement?
Can I replace just the clutch instead? Sometimes. If the compressor turns freely and holds pressure but the clutch won't engage, a clutch kit can cost less than a full unit. Ask whether the shop does it, because many replace the whole compressor to carry one warranty.
Does a new compressor include a refrigerant recharge? Not in the default estimate. The system has to be evacuated and refilled after the swap, so confirm the quote lists it.
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
- NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, joined to NHTSA owner complaints file downloaded 2026-10-06
- U.S. EPA: Regulatory Requirements for MVAC System Servicing (Clean Air Act section 609) data from 2025
- FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county table: annualized frequency per hazard file downloaded 2025-12
- 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. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
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 ($1,081–$1,463) on 2026-10-06: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of that range. Methodology