Methodology
How the cost figures are built
Every per-vehicle page puts two figures side by side. One is RepairPal's published estimate, read from its site and dated. The other is our own estimate for the cheaper way most owners get the job done. This page explains both, and what neither one can tell you.
RepairPal column
What it is: RepairPal's published estimate for the named vehicle and model year, copied from its estimator page.
What it assumes: OE (dealer-brand) compressor price plus shop labor at RepairPal's rates. Excludes taxes, fees and your location.
How it is dated: Each figure shows the date we last read it. RepairPal's own pages state when the estimator was last updated.
Independent shop column
What it is: This site's estimate for the same job at an independent shop fitting a quality aftermarket compressor.
What it assumes: Compressor, receiver/drier or accumulator, expansion valve or orifice tube, refrigerant, oil, seals and labor. It is a model, not a survey of quotes.
How it is dated: Revised when the inputs move. The page's Updated date shows when it last changed.
| Column | What it is | What it assumes | How it is dated |
|---|---|---|---|
| RepairPal column | RepairPal's published estimate for the named vehicle and model year, copied from its estimator page. | OE (dealer-brand) compressor price plus shop labor at RepairPal's rates. Excludes taxes, fees and your location. | Each figure shows the date we last read it. RepairPal's own pages state when the estimator was last updated. |
| Independent shop column | This site's estimate for the same job at an independent shop fitting a quality aftermarket compressor. | Compressor, receiver/drier or accumulator, expansion valve or orifice tube, refrigerant, oil, seals and labor. It is a model, not a survey of quotes. | Revised when the inputs move. The page's Updated date shows when it last changed. |
Why RepairPal swings between model years
RepairPal prices the OE compressor it has on file for each model year, so two years of the same car with the same job can differ a lot. A 2022 or 2023 Ford F-150 comes out far above a 2013, even though the labor barely changes (see the F-150 page). Where RepairPal groups several years into one estimate, our tables say so. We quote the figure as published and do not average or adjust it.
What our own estimate is, and is not
The independent-shop column, the cost-by-vehicle table and the homepage ranges are this site's estimates. They are built from the parts a compressor job needs and a typical independent-shop labor time, priced with an aftermarket compressor rather than the dealer part. They are not a survey of real invoices, and we know of no public dataset of independent-shop AC compressor prices to check them against. Treat them as a planning range and get a written quote for your car.
Brands and parts
Compressor makers do not publish price lists, and a compressor's price is set by the part number for your car rather than by the brand, so the brand pages do not give a price per brand. Company facts (who owns Delphi, Sanden and Denso, which carmakers each supplies) come from the companies' own releases and filings. Technical facts, such as which refrigerant a model year uses or whether a hybrid uses an electric compressor, come from the carmaker, industry bodies or parts catalogs.
Who checks it
The site is published by Digital Signet Limited (see About). Figures are re-read against their source on a rolling schedule, and a page's RepairPal date moves only when every RepairPal figure on it has been re-read. Spotted something wrong? Use the questions address in the footer.