A/C Condenser

[janvds]

Hi,

I have a 2007 Camry that was involved in a front end collision in November of 2007, about 4 months after I bought it. I lived in New Jersey at the time. The insurance company (Allstate) had one of their body shops do the repair work. But the A/C has been a continuous problem although the compressor, condenser, hoses, etc. had all been replaced.

Three years ago I moved to Ontario. I had forgotten about Allstate's written warranty/guarantee until earlier this week and I called them up. They advised me to bring it to a local dealer for an A/C diagnostic. The result of the diagnostic is that the condenser is leaking in several places and needs to be replaced.

Breakdown of the parts and labor to replace the condenser is as follows:
New condenser: $721 (Toyota part number 88460-06210)
Installation: $230
Refrigerant: $28
Total: $980 plus taxes

When the condenser was replaced by the collision shop in November of 2007 the cost at that time was about $165 for the condenser. I called a local mechanic who has certification for air conditioning and he quoted $500 plus taxes. Has anyone else been in this situation? What is the likelihood of the insurance company covering the costs? Or am I better off going to the local mechanic and saving myself $500 if I end up having to pay out of pocket?

[gdanaher]

You will never know if you don't ask, but if it was replaced by Allstate, and there is a lifetime warranty on parts and labor, then it should be covered. As for 165 dollars for the original replacement, that might just be the problem......