You are here: Forums Vans & Minivans Toyota Sienna AC Compressor blows up

AC Compressor blows up

8 messages,  Last post on Apr 10, 2009 at 10:27 AM

You are in the Toyota Sienna Forum. Your Host is Karens

What is this discussion about? Toyota Sienna, Van

Messages Page 2 of 2 1 2 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

#2 of 8 Re: AC Compressor blows up [pgregston] by stevew4 Mar 26, 2009 (6:13 am)
Replying to: pgregston (Feb 17, 2009 12:10 pm) If this is such a known problem, why hasn't Toyota owned up to it? (think I know the answer to that...) Has anyone received satisfaction in dealing with this problem? Just happened to me and I'm not ready to pay all ~$4000 to fix it on a car that's been loyally serviced at the Toyota dealer. Replies to this message: pgregston (Mar 26, 2009 8:12 am) ateixeira (Apr 03, 2009 10:22 am) wwest (Apr 04, 2009 7:08 am) ateixeira (Apr 10, 2009 7:56 am)
#3 of 8 Re: AC Compressor blows up [stevew4] by pgregston Mar 26, 2009 (8:12 am)
Replying to: stevew4 (Mar 26, 2009 6:13 am) Known in the sense that they have put together a repair kit. And the aftermarket parts kit (same parts!) sourced outside the dealer network will drop the repair to about $2500. Point that out to your dealer service department manager. In these times they need to get themselves aligned with the market. When I was told the compressor would be thousand bucks, fifteen minutes with Google found it at half the price. My shop thanked me for finding them new sources. My car was over five years of predictable (never thought about it) service, with nothing but follow the scheduled maintenance. Its a bitch putting a quarter of the KBB value into having the AC work, but then I could have sold it or kept driving without AC. And the problem isn't Toyota only. It's the Denso sourced AC system, which is in Honda's minivan now too. Replacing the exploding compressor before it goes would be cheaper. They could send out notices telling you the statistics on how many blow up at what age.....
#4 of 8 Re: AC Compressor blows up [stevew4] by ateixeira Apr 03, 2009 (10:22 am)
Replying to: stevew4 (Mar 26, 2009 6:13 am) Can we honestly expect any manufacturer to fix a part at 120,000 miles when the warranty was 36,000?   Are we expecting too much (waaaaaaay too much) from Toyota?   Let's be realistic, folks.   My '91 Ford Escort had its A/C system go out twice in the 107k miles that I owned it and Ford didn't cover either repair, nor did I expect them to given both occured well beyond the 36k mile warranty period.   If manufacturers keep fixing things forever for free you'd never buy a new car again. Replies to this message: wwest (Apr 04, 2009 7:08 am) ateixeira (Apr 10, 2009 7:56 am)
#5 of 8 Re: AC Compressor blows up [ateixeira] by wwest Apr 04, 2009 (7:08 am)
Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 03, 2009 10:22 am) "..Can we honestly expect..."   Yes, when it's clearly a manufacturing or design flaw the cost should be covered, at least on a pro-rated basis.   "...Ford didn't cover.."   Ford....no surprise there..... Replies to this message: ateixeira (Apr 10, 2009 7:56 am)
#6 of 8 Re: AC Compressor blows up [wwest] by ateixeira Apr 10, 2009 (7:56 am)
Replying to: wwest (Apr 04, 2009 7:08 am) A design flaw that worked perfectly well for 120,000 miles?   120k, it's not like it's 37 or 38k miles, very close to the warranty period. It's more than 3 times the warranty length.
#7 of 8 defining 'flaw' by pgregston Apr 10, 2009 (8:34 am)
My Seinna came with a seven year 70,000 mile warranty, which it was well beyond in miles when the compressor blew. I wouldn't say the flaw in this is in terms of the time or mileage served. Rather it is the fact that in the design of the minivan, it was almost like they had built the vehicle around the A/C system, since so much of the car had to come apart to replace every piece of the system. The nature of the failure - atomization of metal that is then circulated throughout the system- and the design of the car makes this repair a high proportion of the value of the vehicle. What we could ask of all manufacturers is to share data on failures. It would have been useful to know where on the bell curve this event sits. I could then have a realistic idea of whether or not it was within 'normal' or an outlier, whether I can expect another 100K out of the engine and trans or other major components etc. Replies to this message: ateixeira (Apr 10, 2009 10:27 am)
#8 of 8 Re: defining 'flaw' [pgregston] by ateixeira Apr 10, 2009 (10:27 am)
Replying to: pgregston (Apr 10, 2009 8:34 am) Now that I can agree with, though I'm sure automakers keep such info as confidential as they can, legally. Sometimes illegally.

Messages Page 2 of 2 1 2 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

You are here: Forums Vans & Minivans Toyota Sienna AC Compressor blows up