Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $33–$83 · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $36–$89 (the headline above) · Dealership (~$175/hr) $46–$107. Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
Check a quote against these ranges
This sets your number beside published ranges and owner-written bills. It is not a verdict: ask the shop what the quote includes (parts grade, labor hours, fees, tax). It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How serious did it get for owners?
2% of the 425 complaints report injury, the most common serious outcome; the other outcomes counted below are rarer, and an owner can file without mentioning one.
What it shows: Injury reported is the largest at 9, followed by Towed at 4; the smallest shown is Crash reported at 2.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 50,000-100,000 (51%), against 29% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 3-5 years (52%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 22% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
425 owner complaints name this part.
What it shows: Coolant or fluid leak is the largest at 73%, followed by Recall mentioned at 29%; the smallest shown is Overheating at 3%.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 425 owner complaints naming this part, car AC condenser is named in 39% of them, more than any other part.
Other parts named in the same complaints. Car AC condenser: 39%; Car AC compressor: 27%.
Owners name the car ac condenser most often in the same complaint, which is not proof that one caused the other. Ask the shop whether it checked the car ac condenser too, so you are not quoted twice for one visit.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster is the largest group at 43%, out of 62 complaints.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
2017 is the most common model year in 425 complaints naming this part (19%); 3 model years account for 52%.
What it shows: 2017 is the largest at 82 (19%), followed by 2015 at 60 (14%); the smallest shown is 2023 at 7 (2%).
When in the year do owners report it?
NHTSA owner complaints about this part run furthest above the usual seasonal share in June: about 106% more of them name an incident that month than complaints about any part would predict. A complaint is a report, not a measured failure.
What it shows: June is the largest at 19% (all: 9%), followed by January at 4% (all: 9%); the smallest shown is November at 2% (all: 7%).
What rules must a shop follow to open and refill my car's A/C?
EPA section 609 requires anyone who services a car air conditioner for payment to hold EPA certification and use approved recovery equipment, bans venting every refrigerant except carbon dioxide, and requires refrigerant to be recycled or reclaimed before reuse, whichever refrigerant the car uses.
| Topic | Federal requirement |
|---|---|
| Reusing refrigerant | Refrigerant removed from a car must be recycled or reclaimed before reuse, even when it goes back into the same car. |
| Shop filing | A shop servicing car air conditioners for the first time must certify to its EPA Regional Office that it has approved refrigerant handling equipment (a one-time filing). |
| Venting | Only carbon dioxide (R-744) may be released to the air; every other refrigerant venting is prohibited. |
| Which refrigerants | Section 609 certification is required whatever refrigerant the car uses, including R-1234yf. |
| Who may do the work | Anyone who works on a car air conditioner for payment of any kind must hold EPA section 609 certification and use approved refrigerant handling equipment. |
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 3 foreign recall campaigns that name air conditioning with NHTSA since 2015; the latest, from Mercedes-Benz USA in 2020-07. These are recalls abroad, and they apply to U.S. cars only if the same model is sold here.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07 | Mercedes-Benz | 140 | MBAG has determined that certain A-Class (177 platform) and CLA-Class (platform118) vehicles might erroneously be filled with the R-134a refrigerant instead of R-1234yf. |
| 2018-11 | Mercedes-Benz | 214 | On certain A- and B-Class, CLA and SL-Class vehicles (176, 246, 117, 231 platforms) the refrigerant used in the air conditioning system does not meet European legal requirements. |
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for parts matched to a air conditioning refrigerant recover since model year 2015, covering about 26,690 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a air conditioning refrigerant recover since model year 2015 | 2 recall campaigns covering about 26,690 vehicles |
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22V-050 | Tesla Model S 2021–2022; Tesla Model Y 2020–2022; Tesla Model 3 2021–2022 and 1 more | 26,681 | Decreased defrosting performance may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 24V-170 | Mercedes-Benz G 550 2023; Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 2022–2023 | 9 | In the event of a crash, the incorrect refrigerant may leak and increase the risk of a fire. |
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz | AMG GLE63 S 2021–2022; GLE 350 2020–2024 and 24 more | LI83.30-P-077763 | Apr 26, 2024 | Customer concern of Air Conditioning not cooling. |
| Audi | RS 5 2018–2024; A8 2018–2024 and 37 more | A8724702064077_4 | Mar 29, 2024 | This TSB describes a method for leak detection for R134A and R1234yf refrigerant platforms only. |
| Volkswagen | Atlas Cross Sport 2020–2024; GTI 2018–2024 and 14 more | V871808204903921 | Mar 11, 2024 | Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the R1234yf Refrigerant Circuit (U.S. |
| GMC | Terrain 2018–2024; Terrain NA 2022 | 18-NA-162 | Jan 17, 2024 | This technical bulletin provides a procedure for air conditioning refrigerant desiccant replacement due to A/C Not Cooling or refrigerant loss. |
| KIA | Niro Phev 2023; Niro EV 2023 and 1 more | TSB_CLI054 | Sep 5, 2023 | Technical service bulletin: Air conditioning refrigerant collection and recharge (SA538) - This bulletin provides information to evacuate, vacuum, and recharge the air conditioning system on certain 2023MY EV6 (CV) vehicles produced from January 31, 2023. |
| Toyota | Tundra 2015–2023; Sequoia 2015–2022 and 35 more | TSB005823 | Aug 21, 2023 | TSB: The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. |
54 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (2)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda | Accord 2018–2020 | Jul 21, 2021 | ONLJ9T07062021 | A/C condenser refrigerant. |
| Honda | Accord Hybrid 2018–2020; Civic 2016–2021; Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid 2018–2021 and 1 more | Jul 21, 2021 | ONLQ9U07062021 | A/C condenser corrosion causing refrigerant. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
It was taken into the local dealer for evaluation at a cost of $811.33 and UV dye was added with refrigerant, which escaped over a 2 week period.
Shift to park and warming beep saying vehicle not in park also a bad smell coming from vents when start the engine makes me dizzy and also paid over $600 for repairs to AC still not fix Freon leaks .
Over near the base an Autozone employee told me I needed AC refrigerant, so I got the $155 since the CRV is 2018.
FYI, the GM dealer quoted more than $600 for the freon.
Check your car
Air conditioning refrigerant recovery costs $36–$89 by default, priced for R-134a at a shop charging $120 an hour. The refrigerant type and the shop's hourly rate move that figure more than anything else.
What the price covers
Recovery means a machine pulls the old refrigerant out of the A/C system, cleans it and stores it, so it is not vented into the air. The estimate treats it as parts plus labor at the shop's hourly rate: the technician's time on the machine and the handling of the recovered refrigerant.
Recovery is usually a step inside a bigger job. If the compressor, condenser or a hose is being replaced, the system must be emptied first, and the shop may fold recovery into that invoice or list it as its own line. Ask which way your quote does it so you do not pay twice.
What moves the price
Two inputs change the estimate: the refrigerant in your car and the kind of shop. The table shows the calculator's ranges.
| Scenario | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Default: R-134a, shop at $120/hr | $36–$89 |
| Independent shop, R-134a, $100/hr | $33–$83 |
| R-1234yf (2015+ most vehicles), $120/hr | $53–$122 |
R-1234yf is the newer refrigerant in most vehicles from 2015 on, and it is handled with different equipment, which is why its range sits higher. An independent shop at $100 an hour comes in slightly under the default. Check the label under the hood or the owner's manual before you call, so every shop quotes the same refrigerant.
What the estimate leaves out
The ranges cover recovery and recycling only. They do not include a leak diagnosis, the repair of whatever is leaking, a new dryer or receiver, vacuum and recharge, or new refrigerant to refill the system. Each of those can be quoted separately, and a bill that lists only recovery may be only the first of several. Ask for the full job, not just this line, before you agree.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover refrigerant myself?
No. Venting refrigerant is illegal, and recovery needs certified equipment and a technician trained to use it. Leave it to a shop.
Should I pay for recovery if I only need a top-up?
A top-up does not need the system emptied. If a shop proposes full recovery for a small top-up, ask why, and whether they found a leak.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA recall file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- U.S. EPA: Regulatory Requirements for MVAC System Servicing (Clean Air Act section 609) data from 2025
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) downloaded 2026-10-05
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($50–$74) on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 1% above the middle of that range. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology