"Why Owners Spend Hundreds of Thousands to Replace Working Air Conditioner Refrigerant with the Old Type"

Introduction of New Refrigerant in 2017-2018

Air Conditioner Repair Costs Exceed 1 Million Won

Lines at Repair Shops for Old Refrigerant Conversions

Requests for Warranty Extensions Lead to Mediation

"We have received over 100 inquiries in the past month alone from customers wanting to replace their new refrigerant with the older type. This week, we already have six replacement appointments scheduled."

Mr. A, who operates an auto repair shop in the greater Seoul area, shared this in a phone interview with The Asia Business Daily on September 9. He explained that since early last month, word has spread online through car forums that vehicle owners want to switch to the old refrigerant—even though their air conditioners are working perfectly—leading them to visit repair shops.

Photo of refrigerant replacement work on the 2023 Kia EV6. Photo provided by reader

Mr. A added, "Back when we used the old refrigerant, it was rare to see customers come in for refrigerant issues, even five years after purchase. Now, however, owners of vehicles equipped with the new refrigerant—just around five years old—are coming in preemptively out of concern, asking for a replacement."

Automakers introduced the eco-friendly "R1234yf" refrigerant around 2017–2018 in line with new global environmental regulations. Recently, however, there has been a series of air conditioner malfunctions in vehicles reaching their fifth year on the road—including refrigerant leaks and evaporator corrosion.

The main issue is cost. The new refrigerant is more expensive than the previous R134a, both in terms of raw materials and the complexity of the work, with repair costs well exceeding 1 million won. If a problem occurs after the standard warranty period ends, the vehicle owner must cover the cost. As a result, some vehicle owners are now proactively replacing the refrigerant with the older type, spending hundreds of thousands of won before any malfunction occurs.

Accumulated dissatisfaction has also led to legal disputes. One hundred Hyundai and Kia owners have retained legal counsel and have filed for collective dispute mediation with the Korea Consumer Agency. When the case was first filed in June, there were 61 applicants, but the number has recently increased to 100.

Lee Chul-woo, the attorney representing the consumers, stated, "The Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee is currently reviewing whether to initiate mediation, and we anticipate it will begin within this month." However, he also noted, "Given the complexity of the case, it may take more time to reach a final conclusion."

One of the main points of contention in the collective mediation is the warranty period. Genesis is reported to have extended the warranty on the evaporator for certain models and production years. Hyundai and Kia vehicles, however, are subject to a three-year/60,000-kilometer warranty. Attorney Lee explained, "Despite being the same issue, warranty extensions were provided for Genesis vehicles in some cases, which raises concerns about consumer discrimination."

Industry sources believe that issues with the new refrigerant are not limited to any particular company. In the domestic market, Hyundai and Kia account for a large share of vehicles, so more cases have surfaced, but this is a problem that can be shared by all automakers that have adopted R1234yf.

Kim Pil-soo, professor at Daelim University’s Department of Future Automotive Engineering, pointed out, "If the new refrigerant is used in existing systems without sufficient testing—given differences in pressure, cooling characteristics, and other factors—problems can arise, so thorough verification is needed." He added, "If the same issue keeps recurring in the same vehicle models, there needs to be a recall to protect consumers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.