NHTSA Complaint #10359300 — 2004 HONDA CR-V

MY 2004 HONDA CR-V'S AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING ON THE AFTERNOON OF 9/24/10. THE AIR BLOWING OUT SEEMED TO BE WARM. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT A LOCAL SERVICE STATION TO INSPECT THE A/C FOR THE FOLLOWING MORNING, 9/25/10. THE MECHANIC REMOVED THE LOWER PANEL A/C COMPRESSOR AND SHOWED ME A HOLE THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE A/C COMPRESSOR "EXPLODING" OUTWARD. THERE WERE A FEW METAL SHARD PIECES LEFT IN THE PLASTIC PANEL THAT COVERS THAT AREA OF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BUT HAD NEVER SEEN IT. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, HIS PARTS SUPPLIER SAID THAT THEY HEAR OF THIS OFTEN. BOTH BELIEVE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE WITH THE COMPRESSORS. DUE TO THE WAY THAT THE A/C SYSTEM IN THE HONDA IS SET UP, THE ENTIRE THING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY MY MECHANIC WAS GENEROUS WITH HIS COSTS AND LABOR CHARGES. IT COST $1313.52 TO FIX. I CHECKED ONLINE FOR A RECALL AND CALLED HONDA AMERICA. THERE IS NO CURRENT RECALL BUT I FOUND AN ONLINE DISCUSSION THREAD WITH BETTER THAN 900 COMMENTS OF FOLKS WHO ALL HAD SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THEIR HONDA CR-V A/C COMPRESSORS. IHTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/HONDA-CR-V/TU0OKFJGV9V3F3FGL/P49 IT APPEARS THAT THE DEALERSHIPS ARE CHARGING AROUND $3000 TO FIX THIS ISSUE. I SHOULD MENTION THAT I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT MY CAR HAS 160,000 MILES ON IT. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO OCCUR AT VARIOUS MILEAGES. IN SOME CASES, THE METAL SHARDS THAT BLOW OFF OF THE COMPRESSOR CAN EITHER SLICE INTO THE TIRES OR MAKE A HOLE IN THE OIL PAN. I GUESS I WAS "LUCKY" IT DIDN'T DO MORE DAMAGE. *TR