A/C compressor and air conditioning failure: which cars have them

Short answer: among vehicles with US sales figures, the Ford Mustang has the most complaints about A/C failures per 10,000 sold, followed by the Chevrolet Suburban and the Honda Civic. Across all 4,063 federal complaints about it, owners reported a median of about 53,500 miles.

Federal complaints

4,063

Typical mileage

53,500 mi

Typical repair

$720–$1,420

What it is

The A/C compressor pumps refrigerant through the system. Compressor failures, condenser leaks and clutch problems all end the same way: warm air from the vents.

What owners notice

Warm air from the vents
A/C that works only some of the time
Grinding or squealing when the A/C is on
Refrigerant leak found on inspection

Vehicles with the most A/C failures

Complaints about this problem per 10,000 sold, for each vehicle’s model years old enough to judge. Each vehicle’s years start at the first model year with a cluster of these complaints, so a vehicle that got the part later isn’t diluted by years without it. Only vehicles with at least 25 such complaints are ranked (19 vehicles).

1. Ford Mustang 1.0 per 10k sold

63 complaints, 2015–2022 models · typically around 35,600 mi · most in 2015–2017 · estimate costs
2. Chevrolet Suburban 0.98 per 10k sold

44 complaints, 2015–2022 models · typically around 57,500 mi · most in 2015–2017 · estimate costs
3. Honda Civic 0.97 per 10k sold

497 complaints, 2006–2022 models · typically around 40,000 mi · most in 2016–2018 · estimate costs
4. GMC Yukon 0.95 per 10k sold

50 complaints, 2015–2022 models · typically around 61,000 mi · most in 2015–2017 · estimate costs
5. Chevrolet Tahoe 0.87 per 10k sold

69 complaints, 2015–2022 models · typically around 57,106 mi · most in 2015–2017 · estimate costs
6. GMC Acadia 0.37 per 10k sold

40 complaints, 2010–2022 models · typically around 51,500 mi · most in 2010–2011 and 2014 · estimate costs
7. Honda CR-V 0.35 per 10k sold

177 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 82,692 mi · most in 2005 and 2007–2008 · estimate costs
8. Subaru Forester 0.26 per 10k sold

38 complaints, 2014–2022 models · typically around 35,500 mi · most in 2015 and 2017–2018 · estimate costs
9. Chevrolet Traverse 0.24 per 10k sold

36 complaints, 2010–2022 models · typically around 69,624 mi · most in 2010–2012 · estimate costs
10. Honda Odyssey 0.24 per 10k sold

50 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 53,500 mi · most in 2005–2007 · estimate costs
11. Honda Accord 0.2 per 10k sold

103 complaints, 2006–2022 models · typically around 31,326 mi · most in 2006–2007 and 2018 · estimate costs
12. Ford Explorer 0.18 per 10k sold

47 complaints, 2011–2022 models · typically around 36,000 mi · most in 2011, 2013 and 2017 · estimate costs
13. Ford Escape 0.13 per 10k sold

46 complaints, 2008–2022 models · typically around 41,400 mi · most in 2008 and 2010–2011 · estimate costs
14. Jeep Grand Cherokee 0.11 per 10k sold

35 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 46,000 mi · most in 2014–2015 · estimate costs
15. Nissan Rogue 0.11 per 10k sold

33 complaints, 2012–2022 models · typically around 54,000 mi · most in 2015–2017 · estimate costs
16. Chevrolet Equinox 0.09 per 10k sold

32 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 39,000 mi · most in 2010–2011 · estimate costs
17. Ford Fusion 0.09 per 10k sold

28 complaints, 2006–2021 models · typically around 71,000 mi · most in 2006 and 2014 · estimate costs
18. Toyota Camry 0.07 per 10k sold

41 complaints, 2007–2022 models · typically around 24,000 mi · most in 2012–2014 · estimate costs
19. Toyota Corolla 0.07 per 10k sold

41 complaints, 2005–2022 models · typically around 60,000 mi · most in 2005–2006 and 2013 · estimate costs

Common questions

Which cars have the most A/C failures?

Among vehicles with US sales figures, the most complaints about A/C failures per 10,000 sold come from the Ford Mustang (1.0), the Chevrolet Suburban (0.98) and the Honda Civic (0.97). Rates cover model years old enough to judge.

At what mileage do A/C failures usually show up?

Across 4,063 federal complaints, the median mileage owners reported was about 53,500 miles. It varies a lot by vehicle; see the table.

How much does it cost to fix A/C failures?

Typically $720–$1,420 at a national-average independent shop, from book labor hours and parts pricing. Your state's labor rate changes this; the cost estimator on each vehicle page uses it.