How long until I should expect my AC to need a recharge or repair?
 

Sorry guys. I occasionally think of things like this, and want to learn what to expect as far ahead as possible so nothing can take me by surprise. It's been kinda hot out lately, and I was just wondering about when in the car's life I should expect the AC to get wonky. It's a 2006, but it only has 67,000 miles on it. I've had it since 2014 when it had 30k.

Note, nothing is wrong right now- just trying to look ahead. I tried google, but I could only find symptoms and solutions, not an approximate life span.

Not something to agonize about. Lots of cars go forever with a full charge, mine always have.

That's nice to know. I've never had a car need it before, but I'm really young and have never really had a car as long as I've had this one. Trying to learn ahead of time.

I have put seems like a million miles on cars and only one had refrigerant problems and that one deserved it.

I have owned many, many cars in my lifetime. Some did not even have air conditioning built into them. The first car I got that had it was a 74 Ford LTD It did have air built into it. It also had over 200,000 miles on it when I got it. It had a 429 cid V8 in it. The previous owner said he had never used it because it would take more fuel to drive around with if he did so he got a smaller V belt and simply did not have the compressor turn.

I put the right belt on and it worked fine. I got used to having air and came to the conclusion that I would not buy another vehicle that did not have air in it unless It was something very special to me {or a really good deal that I could sell and make lots of money with}

When I got my '90 Mazda Protégé the air did not work. It took me over a year to get it to work again. The compressor had died in it and while there were plenty of Mazdas around {on the road} I couldn't find a replacement pump in the junk yard for a long time. It took the R12 refrigerant and I could no longer get that, so I converted it to R134a refrigerant and it worked fine {about 4 years} right up until I junked the car. I scrapped it in about 2009. It was still running fine but when I rotated the tires one day the back bumper came off, it was that rusty and I no longer trusted it on the road.

The air in the '06 HHR has never been a problem for me. It always blows cold air on hot days {when I turn it on} and does not cool at all when its cold out {and not turned on}I have 230,000 miles on my HHR now and the air still works great.

I realize that as the car gets older things fail, that's just the way things go. I guess all you can do is wait for that and deal with it when it happens.

My 2008 HHR Panel A/C has (knock on wood) never needed any attention, & it gets like ice in there. I've owned it since '09.

2007 LS, 11 years old, 433,000 klms , still has the OEM 134A freon. I check it every April while in Florida, it’s never needed a top up.
I believe problems can start from road rock damage to the condenser or a bearing ceased in the compressor.
Our 2003 Pontiac Sunfire GT , 15 years old with 340,000 klms it has the OEM 134A too.

"I believe problems can start from road rock damage to the condenser"

That's where my gutter guard grille come in handy.

My home A/C was installed in 1992, 5 years ago I replaced the main relay (contactor). Last month it wasn't cooling the house down, I got a friend that does hvac to come over; he added an ounce of freon and cleaned the grass clippings and mulch off of the coils, works fine again. That's it in 26 years.

Don- In the spring I open the fan top, get a can of scrubbing bubbles, & spray the fins, let it foam & rinse gently outwardly, no nozzle.

Plus when mowing it is a big no-no here to aim cuttings at the A/C.