Honda Freed Hybrid AC/Heat Failure, Common Issue & Fix

Hey there! I had some experience with a similar issue on my 2015 Honda Insight Hybrid (also had a look at the Jazz Hybrid back then). I'd say I have low experience with car repairs, but this problem really caught my attention. My symptoms were exactly like yours, weak heating and cooling performance. Took it to my regular workshop and they diagnosed a faulty electric auxiliary heater. The repair set me back about 350 Euro, but it fixed the issue completely. The heater and AC have been working perfectly since then. Before I can share more specific details, could you tell me if you're getting any warning lights on the dashboard? Also, does the problem occur more during startup or after driving for a while? This would help narrow down if you're dealing with the same issue I had. Hope this helps! Let me know more details about your situation.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine's at 35717 KM and just had its service last month. No warning lights showing up, but the weak airflow happens pretty much all the time, whether it's just starting up or after driving for a while. Good to know about the electric auxiliary heater fix in your case, that's really helpful info! Would you happen to know if your mechanic had to mess with the hybrid system at all during the repair? Really hoping it's just the heater unit and nothing more complicated. The car runs perfectly fine otherwise, it's just this annoying climate control thing that's bugging me.

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your Freed. Yeah, after hearing about the consistent weak airflow and no warning lights, it sounds really similar to what I experienced with my Insight. The good news is that when they fixed my auxiliary heater, they didn't need to mess with the hybrid system at all, it's actually pretty separate from the main hybrid components. My mechanic told me they just had to access the heater unit behind the dashboard, and it was a straightforward swap of the faulty part. Took them about 2-3 hours total. Something I forgot to mention in my first reply, before the repair, I also noticed that my car would take much longer to warm up in cold weather compared to when it was new. Did you notice anything like that too? Since you mentioned your recent service, did the technicians say anything about the AC system pressure or refrigerant levels? In my case, they initially thought it might be a refrigerant issue, but the levels were fine. It was purely the auxiliary heater acting up. Keep us posted on what you find out when you get it checked! I'm pretty curious to know if it's the same issue I had.

Thanks so much for all that detailed info! Yeah, now that you mention it, I have noticed the car taking longer to warm up lately. I'm really relieved to hear they didn't need to touch the hybrid system for your repair, that was my biggest worry. The service guys didn't mention anything about the AC refrigerant levels during my last visit, which is odd considering the symptoms. I think I'll book it in next week and specifically ask them to check the auxiliary heater based on your experience. It's super helpful to know it was a relatively quick fix for you. Really appreciate you taking the time to share all these details about your repair, it's definitely made me feel better about getting it sorted. I'll update the thread once I find out what's actually wrong with mine. Hopefully it'll be the same straightforward fix you had!