Honda Civic 2016–2020 — technical service bulletin
Bulletin APaS12182020 · NHTSA communication 10184663 · issued Dec 18, 2020
Technical service bulletin
communication type
Equipment
component
2016–2020
model years
5
vehicle entries
Official summary
Dealer Message - We have noticed an unprecedented parts demand and number of warranty claims for the 2016-2020 Civic A/C compressors. The overwhelming majority of the compressors returned and analyzed have been proven to be LEAK FREE. Some compressor designs will allow for some oil seepage and/or red dust in the compressor clutch/shaft area. This is NORMAL for this compressor design (see pictures HERE).
What a TSB means. Technical service bulletins are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls, and repairs are not automatically free (warranty extensions are an exception worth checking). The full document is available via NHTSA’s vehicle lookup.