2001 Mitsubishi Montero: Pricey Air Compressors

Q--My 2001 Mitsubishi Montero LTD has not been producing cold air out of the A/C for a while. The two places I took it to add refrigerant told me the compressor is bad and a new one will cost about $950 plus labor.

Even though the SUV is five years old it has less than 40,000 miles on it. Mitsubishi never had a recall on the compressor and couldn’t tell me why it failed and why the part is so expensive. Would you know why a compressor for a car should cost more than seven complete window air conditioners for a house? Are other car compressors so expensive? Would you know of a place where to get a rebuilt compressor and if so, is too much of a risk?

A--Window air conditioners are simple, they run at a constant speed and they live in stable environments. If they had to run in the confines of a hot engine compartment, at various speeds, during the summer and winter (to help defrost the windshield), endure constant vibration and occasional jarring bumps, they might cost the same.

A rebuilt compressor not only saves you money, it conserves resources (energy and metals), and it may have some improvements on the original. They are available through most auto parts stores.