While driving from southern California to northern California, the ac was working just fine when a high pitched squeal started coming from the engine. Lifting my foot off the gas seemed to help and the noise went away, but the noise came back, and a thumping sound started to come through and a small pop happened, sending some sort of black canister shooting out from under my car and onto the freeway. I pulled over and checked the car for damage, not seeing any major marks on the engine and no liquids leaking from the car. Only when I reached my destination and the car would blow boiling hot air out of the vents did I notice and issue. The dealer did an inspection of the car, and told me the ac had literally fallen out of the engine block. I don't understand how a major piece of a vehicle can fall out, and not be able to be replaced without paying $2,000.

- Pleasanton, CA, USA

I have a 2004 Honda CR-V. I had my ac on and it began to grind. At first I thought it was my motor, but soon realized it was my air conditioner unit. I took it to the Honda dealership, and they checked it out. Cost for the diagnostic - $106 cost to fix it: $4000 diagnosis:A/C compressor failed. All the A/C parts are internally contaminated with metal from the compressor. Needs A/C kit (C) and clutch and coil. I have been checking online and many 2003 and 2004 Honda CRV's have had this problem, but no recall. I don't have that money to spend, yet need air conditioning. Is this fair for Honda to ignore this issue and cost their faithful customers so much money when this problem did exist in those year models" can you help"

- Lancaster, PA, USA

The vehicle was on the road going 60 mph when all of a sudden heard like a explosion sound and it made us scared and made us nervous to drive it we have put 3 compressors total. 2 compressor alone and another compressor with the whole things like fans, radiator, for air conditioner hose, etc, everything. Very costly and regardless it has the same problem not working. I don't know if its a safety issue but it should be because I think if it makes that explosion sound that stuff comes out to the air. Honda errors are costing the consumers a lot of money it should be a recall and fix and refunded if possible. I brought this car in 2006 and will not purchase another one. Please if anything can be done so that Honda find a solution to this black death issue that's what the complainers and mechanics are calling it. I would be so grateful with this economy its such a hardship. And living in Florida the heat is unbearable. Thank you for your time and effort.

- Deltona, FL, USA

The air conditioner dash board of my 2004 Honda CRV stopped working one day, with no signs of problems before, the air was on and tried to turn it off and controls didn't work couldn't lower the level of air either, tried to moved the switch back and forward until finally stopped, but the problem continue for months until the point of not been able to turn it off; I have to turn off the engine so my A/C will turn off. Engine light turned on one day and went off in a day or two then happened again like a month later turned on and then off in a couple of days, the problem continued for about 6 months was hard to get diagnose since by the time I was able to take it to check light got off, it got to a point when engine light permanantly stayed on- I took my car to get that checked and gave a very generic code that not specifying the problem.

- Alpharetta, GA, USA

Air conditioning quit in high temperature 100 degree..$1200 dollars to fix somewhat..shop aid shards of metal sent into system...had to continue trip without air conditioning with an elderly person because seattle Honda unable to fix. Parts had to come from portland... if whole system replaced over $2300..

- Tigard, OR, USA

This is not so much a safety issue as a financial one. It seems that bits or metal go through the compressor. Ac was repaired by (bailey) dealership under/at 24,000 mil. Now at 76 K, ac went out again. Dealer (momentum) wanted $4,010. To repair but Honda offered to pay 1/2 leaving my share to be $2,005. Too much. I had compressor, etc replaced elsewhere for much less and was told there was no oil in the compressor. I would like this info. Sent to the Honda manufacture. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

My air conditioner condenser exploded. I turned on the air conditioner and at first hot air was coming through..then nothing. Took it to the Honda dealer in manassas and they informed me that the air conditioner condenser exploded and there were small metal pieces throughout the line. They wanted over $4000 to repair it. They later counter offered to fix it for $2600. After I did research I found that this was a common problem for CRV's 2002-2004. I was told not to drive the car because the condenser could lock up and cause other problems. I don't understand why I have to pay for something that is clearing a damage and defective piece of machinery that was installed by Honda. This is my car that I need so that I can continue to serve my community as a volunteer and as a substitute teacher.

- Gainesville, VA, USA

As I was driving, without warning I heard a loud "metalic" noise that sounded as though I had run over something. As I was seeking a place to turn off of the road, the sound stopped for a few seconds then returned. At that time, I lost my power steering and had difficulty pulling off to a side road that I found several hundred feet from where the incident occurred. When I got out of the car, I noted that there was a chunk of metal protruding from the bottom of the car near the passenger side front tire. When the car was finally towed to a Honda dealer, I was told that the air conditioner compressor had exploded! I understand wearable parts breaking but exploding! I was within a mile of approaching an on-ramp to a 3-lane highway and shudder to think of what would have happened had the explosion occurred on the interstate! beyond the inconvenience and cost (approaching $2,000), this type of catasrophic incident is extremely dangerous. The explosion caused me to lose full control of my vehicle and most definitely could have caused a very serious accident.

- Bethel Park, PA, USA

I have a 2004 Honda CR-V ex with almost 69K miles. I have always maintained my car to the gills and just yesterday my A/C compressor blew up, leaving metal shards all through my ac lines. The pulley and clutch (ac clutch) were also destroyed, leaving me with a 2100 dollar estimate. I have done a lot of research online about this issue and it seems that it is happening a lot in the 2002-2004 models. I have also read that they knew the part was faulty and still continued to install it. This is not normal wear and tear and the part has since been redesigned. I have only gotten an estimate, I refuse to pay for this damage when it is clearly Honda's fault. There has been a class action lawsuit filed against this problem and if I can find a way to add my name, I will do it. Lack of ac can lead to heatstroke and other health problems. Also, the ac is needed in the winter for the defroster, and I can clearly see a foggy windshield leading to accidents. Honda needs to address this issue as soon as possible and own up to the fact that this part/problem needs to be recalled.

- Santa Maria, CA, USA

I own a 2004 Honda CR-V. while driving approximately 70 mph, the air conditioner compressor exploded. The vehicle was taken to Honda service center and I was informed about the compressor failure. The vehicle was repaired the failure mileage was approximately 65,000. The repair coasted about $ 1800.

- Hosuton, TX, USA

On February 20, while driving on the New York state thruway our car shimmied and then the engine light came on. Simultaneously, my wife heard a sound coming from the engine. We quickly pulled onto the exit (just South of buffalo) into an automobile repair shop that was right off the exit ramp. When we pulled into the repair shop, the car stalled. A quick diagnosis by the repair shop concluded that the issue was not repairable that day as the shop was closing in 15 minutes. On Monday, the repair shop reported that the spark plug in cylinder 2 had blown out. To attempt a fix, they inserted a heli-coil and plug but were still unable to get the pressure above 40 P.S.I on the cylinder. A deeper diagnosis indicated scouring/scarring on the cylinder 2 bore as well as the cylinder head caused by the spark plug debris. I was told the only cost effective fix for this was to get a replacement engine. To get another opinion, I contacted a local Honda dealer in the buffalo area (ray laks) and they confirmed over the phone that scarring on the cylinder sleeve would require a replacement engine. The plugs that were on the car were the oem factory installed. I had planned on replacing these at 110,000 miles per the Honda maintenance schedule. My car had 105,713 miles when the failure occurred. I am the original and only owner of this automobile. The fix was to replace the entire engine. The failure of this oem component at highway speeds could have resulted in serious injury or death.

- Liverpool, NY, USA

Air conditioner blowing hot air. Took it to pep boys and said that the compressor died and needed to be replaced. I have a 2004 Honda and only 38K miles. Read on blogs that the ac is a major problem.

- Holliswood, NY, USA

Honda CR-V(2004) A/C compressor: I was driving down the hwy and it sounded as if I had a flat tire, at that point my A/C stopped blowing cold air. I continued driving, thinking that I had to get my A/C recharged. Then I heard a loud clunk, swerved off an exit (my steering wheel locked up) and my car began smoking. I pulled into the nearest parking lot, and discovered that the serpentine belt was broken. The belt broke B/C the compress had exploded, causing the clutch to lock up. The cost of the repair was $1400. The whole system had to be replaced: Condenser, compressor, expansion valve.

- Perry, GA, USA

2004 Honda CRV air conditioner - was driving down the interstate and heard whistle, followed immediately by what sounded like popcorn popping. I took the car into the dealership and said that my compressor had exploded and that I need to replace the compressor, condenser, clutch and coil (when the compressor explodes, it send metal shards through the system)T for a cost of $2100. I have looked into this issue on the internet and have found that this is very common for this vehicle to contact Honda usa customer service. When I called them, they said that it was unfortunate, but it is no longer under warranty as my mileage is approx 63K miles, and that I needed to speak to the dealership to see what they could do. Currently, there is one site collecting data to form a class action lawsuit and numerous sites with countless accounts of the exact same issue - the compressor exploding usually between 40K-70K miles on model years 2002-2005, with multiple individuals having to have their units multiple times.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

Clutch on air conditioner broke off resulting in contamination of other systems. This is a well known problem with this vehicle. I feel this should be a recall due to the numerous problems with this A/C.

- Ozark, AL, USA

The A/C compressor in my 2004 CR-V "blew up" and stopped working on May 2, 2009. A local Honda dealership replaced the part on May 5, 2009. The vehicle only had 62K miles on it. The dealership said there were issues with earlier models of the CR-V, but that Honda had changed the type of compressor in the 2004 models. However, there are a lot of blogs on the internet devoted to A/C compressor issues with the Cr-vs, including the 2004 models. Although the dealership wrote off part of the replacement cost as warranty coverage (only after I filed a complaint with Honda), I feel that there should be a recall of compressors in 2004 model Cr-vs and any repairs paid for by customers refunded.

- Birmingham, AL, USA

Air compressor in a 2004 Honda CR-V blew, shooting metal shards all over the place. This is a known problem, yet Honda has not issued a recall.

- Gainesville, FL, USA

On April 25th, 2009, the A/C compressor in my 2004 Honda CR-V ex imploded, sending metal shavings throughout the system and requiring a complete replacement of the system at a cost of $3500. There were no noticeable events prior to the seizing of the compressor. Other than this was the first warm day of the season (@85 degrees). The dealer is refusing to pay for the repair, despite the frequency of similar reports across the internet. We have done all factory scheduled at the dealer and have taken very good care of the car.

- Webster Groves, MO, USA

2004 Honda CRV. Air conditioner failed at < 72,000 miles. No other issues with the car. But no one can drive it. I have ms and we're on a fixed income, so I can't afford to get it fixed. Because of the ms, I can't take heat. I opened a case with Honda, but they want me to have the dealer look at it first. That would cost close to $80. Not possible right now.

- Bixby, OK, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Honda CR-V. while attempting to turn the vehicle into the driveway at approximately 5 mph, it shut off without warning. The failure previously occurred while driving 40 mph. The dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure and no parts were replaced. The failure mileage was 77,000 and current mileage was 78,894. Updated 3/16/09 updated 03/18/09.

- St Augustine , FL, USA