How Much Does a Car AC Compressor Cost? Real Part Prices (2026)

Listed AC compressor prices read on October 25, 2026 ran from $300.89 for a new Four Seasons compressor with clutch to $1,036.24 for a 2018 Toyota Camry compressor assembly with motor, and the part is only one line on the bill. This guide shows the listed prices for a 2018 Honda Accord and a 2018 Camry, what a clutch costs on its own, which extra parts the compressor maker says belong in the job, and why labor and refrigerant are not priced here.

Factors Affecting Cost

The parts pages read for this guide point to a short list of price drivers.

• Vehicle, trim and part number. HondaPartsNow lists two compressor part numbers for the 2018 Accord, split by trim and transmission code. ToyotaPartsDeal lists six compressors for the 2018 Camry, keyed to engine and build codes, and two of them carry a “Mexico spec” manufacturer note.
• Compressor style. Four Seasons says some vehicles came with more than one compressor style and that you can only replace your current compressor with the same style. It says to find the tag on the back or side of the old compressor for the manufacturer name, type and model number.
• Clutch included or separate. The Four Seasons listing read says “Clutch Included: Yes.” Honda lists a clutch set under its own part number at its own price.
• Parts that go in with it. Four Seasons says to flush the system and replace the expansion valve or orifice tube and the receiver drier or accumulator, and that these are often required for a warranty claim.
• Compressor type. The Camry listings include assemblies named “with Pulley,” “with Motor” and plain “Compressor Assembly,” and the one with a motor is the highest price in the table below.

Average Price Range: Listed Compressor Prices by Vehicle

The table shows what the pages below listed on October 25, 2026 for a new compressor. These are parts-only listing prices from three sellers, not shop quotes, and they vary by seller, part number and date. Sources: the HondaPartsNow 2018 Accord A/C compressor page, the ToyotaPartsDeal 2018 Camry A/C compressor page and the RockAuto “More Information” page for Four Seasons 98448.

Seller and vehicle	Part number and description	Listed price (Oct 25, 2026)
HondaPartsNow, 2018 Accord (2.0 Sport, 2.0 Touring, EX-L 2.0; KA 6MT, KA XAT)	38810-6B2-A01 compressor	$731.83 (page shows MSRP $1,069.93)
HondaPartsNow, 2018 Accord (EX, EX-L, LX, Sport, Touring; KA 6MT, KA CVT)	38810-6A0-A01 compressor	$731.83 (page shows MSRP $1,069.93)
ToyotaPartsDeal, 2018 Camry	88320-48330 compressor assembly	$341.29
ToyotaPartsDeal, 2018 Camry	88320-48320 compressor assembly (Mexico spec)	$449.00
ToyotaPartsDeal, 2018 Camry	88310-06650 compressor assembly with pulley (Mexico spec)	$449.99
ToyotaPartsDeal, 2018 Camry (LE, SE 2.5L)	88310-33330 compressor assembly with pulley	$513.00
ToyotaPartsDeal, 2018 Camry	88310-06570 compressor assembly with pulley	$594.09
ToyotaPartsDeal, 2018 Camry	88370-33040 compressor assembly with motor	$1,036.24
RockAuto, Four Seasons 98448 (vehicle not named on the page)	New, clutch included, R134a, 3 oz PAG oil, $0.00 core	$300.89

Two things stand out. First, the same car can carry very different compressor prices: by arithmetic on the table, the 2018 Camry listings span $694.95 between the lowest and highest part number ($1,036.24 minus $341.29). Which number applies depends on the engine and build codes, so pricing the wrong one tells you nothing about your car. Second, the Accord’s two compressor numbers are listed at the same $731.83, so for that car the trim code decides fitment rather than price.

HondaPartsNow says that for the most accurate results you should select the vehicle by VIN. The Four Seasons RockAuto listing does not name a vehicle in the text read, so treat its $300.89 as a sample of an aftermarket new-compressor price, not a quote for any particular car.

Clutch Replacement vs. Full Compressor: Which Do You Need?

Honda lists the clutch as its own part. For the 2018 Accord, HondaPartsNow showed these pairs on October 25, 2026:

• 2.0 Sport, 2.0 Touring and EX-L 2.0 group: compressor 38810-6B2-A01 at $731.83 and clutch set 38900-6B2-A01 at $149.39.
• The second Accord group: compressor 38810-6A0-A01 at $731.83 and clutch set 38900-6A0-A01 at $144.79.

By arithmetic, the clutch set is about 20 percent of the compressor price in both cases ($149.39 is 20.4 percent of $731.83, and $144.79 is 19.8 percent). That is a parts-only gap. The pages say nothing about how much work each repair takes, and they do not say when a clutch can be replaced alone, so ask a shop which part actually failed before choosing. See how to check an AC compressor and whether a compressor can be repaired.

The Four Seasons listing shows the other way to buy: a new compressor with the clutch included, filled with 3 ounces of PAG oil that the listing calls suitable for R134a or R1234yf, with O-rings and sealing washers for installation.

Parts That Come With the Job: Flush, Valve and Drier

The compressor listing from Four Seasons says a successful repair needs more than the compressor. It says to always flush the system and replace the parts that cannot be flushed, the expansion valve or orifice tube and the receiver drier or accumulator (or its desiccant element), to keep old contaminants from damaging the new compressor. It adds that replacing them is often required to satisfy a manufacturer warranty claim.

For the 2018 Accord, the same HondaPartsNow site lists an expansion valve assembly, 80220-TVA-A01, at $33.98, and a desiccant bag, 80101-T4P-J01, at $17.76 on its accumulator page. If a shop installed the 6B2 compressor with both, the parts would add up to $783.57 by arithmetic ($731.83 + $33.98 + $17.76), before labor, oil, flush, refrigerant, tax or any shop markup. Whether Honda calls for those parts on that car is a question for the repair manual or the shop.

Four Seasons also sets a paperwork condition. Its listing says compressors returned for a defect must show proof of purchase of an orifice tube or expansion valve, a receiver drier or accumulator, and a system flush, or a work order showing those items were bought and the system flushed. That makes the work order itself worth keeping.

What the Part Price Leaves Out: Labor and Refrigerant

None of the parts pages lists labor time, and no manufacturer labor-time statement was available for this guide, so it gives no labor-hour or labor-dollar figure. Ask the shop to show labor as its own line. For the refrigerant side, see what a recharge costs and what refrigerant costs, and for a comparison of the compressor price with the rest of a repair, how much it costs to replace an AC compressor in a car and how much an AC compressor is for a car.

Refrigerant handling is regulated, which is why a quote should say who does it and with what equipment. According to EPA’s motor vehicle air conditioner servicing page (page last updated September 9, 2026):

• Anyone working on a vehicle A/C system when payment of any kind is involved must be certified under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act and must use approved refrigerant handling equipment.
• Certified equipment must be used to remove refrigerant before servicing or repairing the system.
• Recovered refrigerant must be recycled or reclaimed before it is put back into a system, even the system it came from.
• Section 608 prohibits intentionally releasing (venting) any refrigerant when servicing, repairing or disposing of air conditioning equipment, including vehicle systems.

When you compare quotes, ask whether the price includes refrigerant recovery and recharge. Our car A/C system diagram guide shows where the compressor, drier and expansion device sit in the loop, and its section on EPA rules goes further into the refrigerant requirements.

DIY Replacement Vs. Professional Service

The Four Seasons listing names the tools it considers helpful for a compressor job: disposable gloves, safety glasses or a mask, an A/C system flush and flush gun, a leak detection kit, a clutch spanner wrench, an A/C vacuum pump, a manifold gauge set and a refrigerant can tap.

The EPA rules above are the limit that matters most. They say releasing refrigerant is prohibited and that paid servicing needs a Section 609 certification and approved equipment. Whether these rules apply to a particular owner-performed job is a question for the EPA page linked above, so read it before opening a system, and ask a certified shop if you are unsure. Flush solvents carry their own hazards: the can pictured in our product box warns that it is extremely flammable.

Getting an Accurate Quote and Avoiding Surprises

The sources read suggest a checklist you can use when comparing quotes:

• Match the part to the VIN. HondaPartsNow says selecting the vehicle by VIN gives the most accurate results, and the Camry list above shows how many part numbers one model year can have.
• Ask whether the quote is for a compressor, a compressor with clutch, or a clutch only, and what part number it names.
• Ask whether it includes the flush, expansion valve or orifice tube, receiver drier or accumulator, and compressor oil. Four Seasons ties its warranty to these items.
• Ask for refrigerant recovery and recharge as a separate line, and ask who is Section 609 certified.
• Ask for labor as its own line and for the warranty terms in writing. The Four Seasons listing says 2 years or 24,000 miles, and 12 months for commercial, heavy duty or fleet use. The Honda pages say the genuine part is guaranteed by Honda’s factory warranty but do not give terms.
• Keep the work order. Four Seasons accepts it as proof that the listed parts were bought and the system flushed.

If you have not confirmed that the compressor is the problem, see why the AC is not cooling. If the condenser is the part in question, see how to replace a car AC condenser. For another parts-versus-labor price guide on this site, see how much a car bumper costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a new AC compressor?

The listings read on October 25, 2026 ranged from $300.89 for a new Four Seasons compressor with clutch (RockAuto) to $1,036.24 for a 2018 Toyota Camry compressor assembly with motor (ToyotaPartsDeal). A 2018 Honda Accord compressor was listed at $731.83 at HondaPartsNow. Prices vary by seller, part number and date, so match the part to your VIN.

What affects car AC compressor cost?

The pages read point to the vehicle and part number, the compressor style, whether the clutch is included, and the extra parts the compressor maker says belong in the job: an expansion valve or orifice tube, a receiver drier or accumulator, and a system flush.

Is replacing only the clutch cheaper than replacing the compressor?

On the 2018 Accord pages read, a clutch set was listed at $149.39 against $731.83 for the compressor with the same trim fitment. By arithmetic that is about 20 percent of the compressor price. The pages do not say when a clutch-only repair is enough, so confirm with a shop or a VIN-based parts catalog.

Does the compressor price include refrigerant?

No listing read for this guide includes refrigerant. The Four Seasons compressor listing says the unit is pre-charged with 3 ounces of PAG oil and includes O-rings, and it lists a refrigerant can tap among the helpful tools. Refrigerant is bought and handled separately.

Can I replace an AC compressor myself?

The Four Seasons listing names tools for the job, including a vacuum pump, manifold gauge set and system flush. EPA states that intentionally releasing refrigerant when servicing a vehicle A/C system is prohibited, and that anyone servicing a vehicle A/C system for payment must be certified under Section 609. Read EPA’s servicing page before starting, and see how the system fits together in our A/C system diagram guide.

Related Guides and Scope

More on this topic: how long an AC compressor lasts, what makes a compressor fail, compressor short cycling, evaporator replacement cost, R-1234yf refrigerant. This guide does not cover shop labor rates or labor hours; ask a repair shop for an estimate for your vehicle.

Conclusion

A car AC compressor costs very different amounts depending on the part number: the listings read on October 25, 2026 ran from $300.89 to $1,036.24, with a 2018 Accord compressor at $731.83 and its clutch set at $149.39. Match the part to your VIN, ask what the quote includes beyond the compressor, and keep the work order. Prices change and vary by seller, so use the figures here as dated examples, not as a quote.