Ford dealer offers $9,152 for AC repair, more than car is worth

According to Kelley Blue Book, that bill is more than the car itself might be worth in trade-in.

When your car’s air conditioning stops working, it’s one of those times when you prepare yourself for the inevitable: the repair bill. But what happens when the bill is so high that it almost exceeds the value of the car itself? For one Ford Fusion owner, that’s exactly the situation he found himself in, after receiving an offer of over $9,000 for an air conditioning repair from his local dealership.

In this case, the best solution may not be a dealership at all, but an independent mechanic who can often offer more reasonable prices for the same work.

An incredibly high quote

It is unclear what ultimately led to the AC power outage in question. According to a Reddit After publication, the customer took his 2019 Fusion sedan to Coggin Ford in Jacksonville, Florida, where he received a tempting quote of $9,152.25 to repair the air conditioning system. This basically includes everything one would need for a brand new air conditioning system.

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The main components, the AC evaporator, compressor and condenser, are often expensive. On RockAuto.com right now, the supercharger and component kit on a turbocharged 2019 Fusion 2.0-liter will cost the buyer up to $1,419.75. This alone gives an idea of ​​the high cost of air conditioning repairs.

Additionally, the dealer will charge a significant amount for labor, especially if they have to remove the entire dashboard to access all the parts. Although the parts/labor breakdown is unclear, the situation remains unclear. In fact, in total, we’re talking about the same amount of money as the car is worth.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average resale value of a 2019 Ford Fusion is $11,286, while its trade-in value is $9,071. Since we don’t know anything about the condition, mileage, options or finish, we can’t be certain. Nonetheless, many commentators believe that what we are seeing here is the “We don’t want to do it” price.

In other words, some stores will quote so high because in reality, they don’t want to do the work unless they make a significant additional margin on the transaction. Is that what’s happening here? We can’t say for sure, but it’s likely that an independent mechanic would do the same job for less, with potentially as much expertise and quality.

For many owners, this is a classic example of why independent stores often make more sense: lower overhead costs and more competitive pricing. Doing a little research and shopping around could help the owner avoid a situation where the cost of the repair leaves him wondering if the car is worth saving.