Hey gang,

I have a 2008 400h and the AC stopped working. Took it to lexus and they said the evaporator core was leaking and $2k to replace. How common is this issue? Is there any other alternative?

 

That's a hell of a repair bill for a $200 part. I would check around with an independent shop that specializes in a/c work. I personally would replace myself but you're going to need to evacuate the system to recharge the freon.

And pretty rare but a/c systems do sometimes develop leaks.

 

thanks - just my luck when i was on the fence of selling the car.

I've talked to one independent mechanic and they're saying around $1-1.2k right now. It seems to be up to 8-9 hours of work to remove the dash and do the replacement so I don't think its unreasonable.

 

Did they tell you how big the leak was? Most of the refrigerant refill cans can fix minor leaks....

I would give it a try before replacing the core...

 

no, they just told me it was leaking and it'd be $2k to fix - i guess i can get a second opinion from another mechanic if the leak can be visually inspected??

 

IMHO: try to put a can of refrigerant (of your choice) and see how it goes...

I just did that to my DD and it works like a charm... $30 fixed the problem