Cars Most Likely to Have Air Conditioning Problems
The cold hard truth about models with AC issues
Car air conditioning reduces humidity and keeps drivers cool while they drive, but wear and tear eventually catches up with these climate systems.
Problems such as a refrigerant leak, blower motor malfunction, and faulty condenser can all need repairs. Such problems creep up eventually as cars age, but a recent Consumer Reports analysis found that there are 10 models that have issues far too often, and too soon—some needed repair before 25,000 miles.
Most of the problematic cars in the list below had significant failure, and the likelihood of problems occurring ranged from 1 in 10 to 1 in 5. Those are terrible odds for a system that can be expensive to fix.
The good news at least is that these problems won’t leave you stranded like other issues we covered previously that require a new head gasket, transmission replacement, and even an engine rebuild.
“Air conditioning problems range from easy to repair to requiring significant trouble-shooting and skill to fix,” says John Ibbotson, Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic. “Drivers naturally dread AC problems because they invariably happen when you most want the cool air, and the costs to repair can easily top $1,000. But some problems, if caught early enough, don’t cost nearly that much.”
