TLDR: they gave me a $1850 estimate for something I fixed myself for $25. My AC was only working intermittently. They told me the compressor was locked up, had littered the rest of the system with metal shavings, and I needed a full compressor kit replacement totaling $1850. I also paid $90 just to get that diagnosis. Luckily my friend's dad suggested just getting a can of AC fluid for $25 and trying that and it's been working great for almost a month now. It's possible there's still a problem with my AC system that will come out over time but my compressor certainly isn't locked up, they never mentioned AC fluid pressure, and I just felt like they jumped straight to the easiest-for-them and most-expensive-for-me option. Considering the age of my car, $1850 might not even be worth it. $25 to get even one more summer out of it would be better than finding a new car or suffering without AC.
I'm sorry to hear about your dissatisfied experience. We repair vehicles to fix concerns not to temporally or band aid repairs. Ac repairs for warranty purposes need to have other components replace for warranty to be valid. Sure we can replace just the fault component but when the compressor fails due to the contaminants in the system a warranty claim will not be valid due to the other components that need to be replace because the new compressor did not fail. The incorrect repair caused the new compressor to fail. I hope this gives you some clarification on why the correct repair for your vehicle was quoted.
- NOLA Automotive Repairs Inc