Clarity A/C problem (and warranty extension on pg 10)

Looks like I'm now joining the failed A/C club, 1 month past the 3 year warranty (but still under 60k km), I have an app't next week. I already had to have all my brake discs and pads replaced a couple of months ago because they were so badly rusted (Ottawa puts a LOT of salt on the roads). I have to say, I'm underwhelmed with the reliability of this car. I had a 99 Odyssey that I drove for 14 years, only a couple of very minor warranty issues at the beginning, then it just ran.

I will be pushing Honda Canada very hard to cover this, since it is a known issue.
 
I can gladly report our AC is blowing cold, but am absolutely convinced based on the posts here it will only be a matter of time.

That we live on the Canadian border helps, but I need to keep testing it hoping it fails before those three years are out.
 
leehoewonek said:
I already had to have all my brake discs and pads replaced a couple of months ago because they were so badly rusted
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Michigan uses plenty of salt, too, but I've never had a car with such rust-prone discs. I've had mine turned once and now make a point of using the brakes more than I used to when I was able to enjoy regen-braking without worrying about hurting the brakes.
 
Good news! The A/C condenser warranty on the 2018-2021 Clarity models has been extended to a full 10 years. I expect all of us owners will get a notification in the near future. Now all I have to do is go back to American Honda and get them to cover the dealer repair bill that I already paid...but they are definitely doing the right thing here.

Honda Service Bulletin 21-017.webp
 
I'd like to assume that will extend to Canada. I'll find out if that's the issue with mine next week. This will give me ammunition to have Honda Canada cover the repair if it is. Thanks for posting this!
 
Dofzin said:
I expect all of us owners will get a notification in the near future
Click to expand...

@Dofzin.
Thanks for posting this !!!
It comes as great news to many who have had trouble with this.

Note - It is unlikely that Honda will be notifying owners...
This is not a recall, and therefore only the dealers will receive this notice. That's why it is especially important to spread the word here.

An owner (especially one who already paid for this repair) will probably have to inform their dealer in order to seek reimbursement.

I am curious... How did you get this notice? Did you happen to have this failure, and your dealer just got it and provided it to you?
 
Dofzin said:
Good news! The A/C condenser warranty on the 2018-2021 Clarity models has been extended to a full 10 years. I expect all of us owners will get a notification in the near future. Now all I have to do is go back to American Honda and get them to cover the dealer repair bill that I already paid...but they are definitely doing the right thing here.

View attachment 12140
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Very surprising to me they would extend the warranty to 10 years, that's a long time for a car warranty. But very nice of them.
 
MrFixit said:
@Dofzin.
Note - It is unlikely that Honda will be notifying owners...
This is not a recall, and therefore only the dealers will receive this notice. That's why it is especially important to spread the word here.
Click to expand...

The letter itself specifically states:
“Owners of affected vehicles will be sent a notice of this campaign”

I once owned an Acura TL that got an extended warranty to 10 years/150k miles on a transmission that was failure prone. I had bought the car used. Honda found me, mailed the notice to me, and I stored it in glove box as reminder and never had to make a claim.

So I bet we all get letters. And 10 years is pretty much what Honda does when they actually acknowledge a mfg problem at the corporate level.

I’m glad to hear it here first. Good news.
 
craze1cars said:
So I bet we all get letters
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You have more faith in Honda than I do !
I interpreted 'affected vehicles' in a more negative way to mean vehicles that have already demonstrated this problem.

BTW - The notice also states that foreign object damage is not covered (understandably). We have learned that the Clarity is particularly vulnerable to condenser damage from stones, etc, because of the large opening that is close to the road surface. I chose to install the ClarityScreen quite some time ago. It is a very well done product to help protect this area.
 
I got the dealer to do at 35K miles (over the original 30K warranty) but he made me pay $350 for the freon replacement. It seems if they admit the condenser is faulty they should cover the freon as well. Did anyone else have to deal with this?
 
Dofzin said:
Good news! The A/C condenser warranty on the 2018-2021 Clarity models has been extended to a full 10 years. I expect all of us owners will get a notification in the near future. Now all I have to do is go back to American Honda and get them to cover the dealer repair bill that I already paid...but they are definitely doing the right thing here.

View attachment 12140
Click to expand...

This is great news, thanks for sharing this. I will still go ahead sometime this weened and order the Clarity screen that MrFixit suggested a couple of posts back to protect the condenser.
 
LAF said:
I got the dealer to do at 35K miles (over the original 30K warranty) but he made me pay $350 for the freon replacement. It seems if they admit the condenser is faulty they should cover the freon as well. Did anyone else have to deal with this?
Click to expand...

Isn’t the original warranty 36K miles?

That is something to discuss with the dealer. However, the Corrective Action in the Warranty Extension calls for the replacement of a condenser that has failed due to a specific manufacturing defect. Nothing more.
 
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Landshark said:
Corrective Action in the Warranty Extension calls for the replacement of a condenser that has failed due to a specific manufacturing defect. Nothing more
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Look at the Honda procedure for replacing a condenser. You will see something like this:
  • recover any refrigerant that may be remaining
  • remove the condenser
  • add some oil if necessary
  • install the new condenser
  • evacuate the system
  • charge with refrigerant.
If a defective condenser needs to be replaced and is covered under warranty, I'm not sure what planet you would live on if the refrigerant is somehow billed separately to the customer when the defective condenser was the cause of the refrigerant loss in the first place. It is impossible to replace the condenser (and have a working A/C system) without also adding refrigerant.
 
MrFixit said:
If a defective condenser needs to be replaced and is covered under warranty, I'm not sure what planet you would live on if the refrigerant is somehow billed separately to the customer when the defective condenser was the cause of the refrigerant loss in the first place. It is impossible to replace the condenser (and have a working A/C system) without also adding refrigerant.
Click to expand...

Did you read post #191? That’s the planet on which I live. It is also a planet where I can choose to ignore your arrogance.

I grant you full permission to read and respond to any of my past or future posts. Do not expect any further responses.
 
Great news! I bought the aftermarket screen with smaller holes but hadn't gone thru the pain of getting condenser replaced. The dealer claimed rock damage but not sure based on what exactly... perhaps I'll try the dealer where I bought the car...
 
Generally, a rock hit will show a physical dent / ding. If it is the manufacturer defect, there may be an oily stain around the area of the leak, but no definitive ding mark. Of course, you would be hard-pressed to assess this either way without opening the area for better access. Also, you can have a rock hit without actually penetrating the condenser. There is certainly an element of judgement sometimes, but with a known defect, you should be given the benefit of the doubt if there is any question.
 
Agree on the benefit of the doubt there... think it's worth the gamble to try another dealer that may be more amenable especially with the warranty. Thx
 
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