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What does car air conditioning repair cost?

Air conditioning quotes range from a modest recharge to a major job, and the difference is almost entirely about whether anyone looked for the leak.

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  1. 1Describe the repair
  2. 2We look for garages
  3. 3Compare the offers

What changes the price

We do not publish an average price: we do not yet have enough real data to give an honest one. Here is what makes up the bill instead.

Diagnosis before recharge
A sealed system does not consume refrigerant. If it is low, it leaked, and recharging without finding where means paying again next summer.
Which refrigerant
Vehicles from roughly 2015 onward often use R-1234yf, which costs substantially more than the older R-134a and needs different equipment. This is decided by your car.
The failed component
A seal or an O-ring is minor. A condenser is moderate. A compressor, or an evaporator behind the dashboard, is the expensive end.
System flush after a failure
When a compressor fails internally it contaminates the circuit. Doing the job properly then costs more than the compressor alone.

When an inspection is needed

Ask for a leak test rather than a straight recharge. A recharge with no leak search treats the symptom and hides the cause.

How it works

  1. 1

    Tell us what your vehicle needs

    One request, a few minutes.

  2. 2

    We look for garages able to perform the work

    We contact garages in your area.

  3. 3

    Compare the offers you receive

    Price and availability, side by side.

  4. 4

    Choose the option you prefer

    You are free to walk away.

Common questions

Why do you not publish an average price?

Because it would be made up. We have no marketplace data yet, and a national average would be wrong for your vehicle in your city anyway. A number we cannot stand behind is worse than none: you would negotiate against it and we would have to defend it. What we can give you is real quotes for your actual car.

Is a diagnosis charged for?

Usually yes — it is technician time. Some garages deduct it from the repair if they go on to do the work. It is worth asking, and it is one of the things to compare between offers.

Is a recharge on its own ever the right answer?

Occasionally — a system can lose a little refrigerant slowly over many years through normal permeation. But if it stopped cooling within a season or two of the last recharge, there is a leak, and topping it up again is money spent twice.

Describe when it stopped cooling and what you notice, and compare what garages quote.

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What we don't promise

We don't guarantee a number of offers, a response time, or a saving. We pass your request to garages and show you what they say. If nothing comes back, we'll tell you.

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