16th Sep 2007, 14:44

I own a 2002 CR-V, it has 91,000 miles. A/C quit blowing yesterday. I was praying it was the fuse, now reading all of this, I will pray there are no fragments ruining more.

So, should I call Honda or go to a local repair shop? We have a dealer in town, I'm pretty sure they will say the same things you all have experienced. I can't afford over $1000.00+ in repair costs. I agree that Honda should have had a recall. We need to get the word out. I am willing to join together to get Honda to step up.

This is my first Honda. I also found out that noise from the rear differential is common to CR-V's, and will need the fluid replaced.

16th Sep 2007, 21:41

I was thinking about a 2002 - 2004 CRV, well not anymore thanks to the comments.

And regarding the McDonalds comment, poster needs to learn some facts about the case. I would say receiving third degree burns and needing skin grafting from the coffee would be an issue...

17th Sep 2007, 23:08

My 2002 CRV compressor just blew up and had to have the whole A/C unit replaced at $3700!!! Honda covered most of the expense except for $500. They said the car was over 5 years old (with only 57,500 miles) and that it was up to me to take responsibility for full ownership. Why should I be responsible for a defect in manufacturing? They said that I had the opportunity to purchase an extended warranty, but did not. I told them the reason I bought a Honda is because it is known to be a vehicle of quality, and that is why I paid more for a Honda than an American car. I've owned Hondas for a long time and currently own a 2003 Acura MDX with no problems. I was shocked to learn about this known defect and Honda not making good for the whole fix. If I wanted to pay for an A/C in a car with only 57,500 miles, I should have bought a Ford!

19th Sep 2007, 18:22

Add me to the list of 2002 CR-V compressor issues... I have a trusted service man in my town who works only on Hondas. The first thing he said is that he's seen A LOT of this problem.

I'm hoping Honda makes an official recall because of this problem and reimburses all who have paid over $1000 to make the repair.

20th Sep 2007, 20:19

I will never buy a Honda ever again! My air conditioner went out... some how lasted until 120,000 miles.. I had an extended warranty, but only for 6 years, 100,00 miles! So, it did no good paying extra for it. My compressor went out, same thing... contaminated the entire system, the dealership said it would cost $2600! I don't have this kind of money to spend on a repair!

I went back and forth with American Honda and they only agreed to pay half the amount. I still couldn't afford it. I tried to go the cheaper route and went with a different repair... make sure you get it fixed, if you do, with Honda parts. I went through two compressors with this repair and the second caused my serpentine belt to break while driving and then my car was un-drivable! This car was a 2003, I had less than a year and a half to pay on it, and now it was going to cost me even more to fix! I would have had to fix the air conditioning to be able to fix the serpentine belt!

I would have been putting more money into the thing and only increasing the value of the car by $800! So, I traded the piece of crap. I only got the pay off from the dealership because of the condition it was in... but I was done with it!

I am VERY disappointed in Honda. I bought this car thinking I was buying a reliable, well made car. And Honda won't stand behind their mistakes or products. Therefore, I will never buy another Honda! I traded for a very nice 08 Nissan Versa, and my payments are $50 LESS and I get 41 MPG Highway miles! I would advise anyone who is having this problem to get out while you can, don't let more problems happen like me! TRADE IN and cut your losses!

25th Sep 2007, 15:48

Will you people please leave phone numbers of car weenies so they can also call?!?

26th Sep 2007, 17:36

My A/C blew, too. A national chain estimated repair at $1200, but did not mention the widespread problem I am finding. For grins, I stopped by my local dealership to see if it was still under warranty (at 49,100, it isn't), but the service rep told me of the problem and that my entire system would have to be replaced at the nice round figure of $2800. She recommended that I call corporate, which I am about to do. The number is 1-800-999-1009. I also recommend that you check the Honda website to make sure all the recalls that actually have been issued by Honda for this vehicle have been repaired on your vehicle. Especially those of us who bought them used.

KKA, Chula Vista, CA.

29th Sep 2007, 08:41

I own a 2003 CR-V and my air conditioner compressor blew up at 55,000 miles. HONDA IS PAYING FOR 100% OF THE REPAIR!

Here's what I did. The problem was diagnosed at a local shop not a dealership. I was given a cost of $2000 for the repair.

I came home and researched the problem on the Internet, and found out how common this problem is. I called the dealership where I bought my car, and asked to talk to the service manager. I told him I was the latest victim of the CR-V air conditioner compressor problem, and asked him how they are handling it. He said they'd have to look the car over before they could decide how to proceed. I let him know I was aware this was a common problem (which he denied), and I knew about this website and Edmunds.com thread at http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0d3fb5 where there are over 65 pages of comments about the problem. I told him I expected the repair to be done at no cost to me. He said that would depend on mileage, and if I've kept to the maintenance schedule. My mileage is low for the age of the car, and I have the regular maintenance done according to the owner's manual.

I think your leverage in getting Honda to pay is making them aware that you know your problem isn't unique, and that there are many other CR-V owners who have had this problem. It's cheaper to pay off a few who make a big fuss, than to have to do a recall or be hit with a class action lawsuit.

13th Oct 2007, 12:53

I have a Honda CR-V, purchased new in February of 2003. My wife and I just took it on a vacation trip to Pennsylvania. On the way to our destination, the air conditioner started blowing warm air. Once we arrived at our hotel, I called the nearest Honda dealer and made an appointment to have it checked. They looked at it and determined that something inside the compressor had failed and sent metal fragments through the system. He gave me an estimate of $2200 and wanted to start the replacement of the system right away. Being on vacation and having been told by him that it was still safe to drive, I declined and now I'm glad that I did decline.

After reading so many complaints about the same issue, I'd say that there is a flaw in the design and perhaps Honda simply doesn't want to own up to it. My AC failed at approximately 46,390 miles and this is the first vehicle I've owned that ever had a problem with the AC. I'll call the dealer where I purchased my CR-V (and they have performed the maintenance as well) on Monday. I do feel better in knowing that this is a common problem and that Honda may be willing to fix this in order to keep the issue quiet, but I'm disappointed in the quality of their CR-V.

Michael S. from Virginia