Volkswagen Golf AC compressor price snapshot
- Low
- $41
- Average
- $146
- High
- $449
Vehicle-specific price guide
How much is a used Volkswagen Golf AC compressor?
Asking prices from 177 salvage yards in 37 states, broken down by model year, condition grade, and fitment variant.
SKWritten bySaurabh Kumar · Co-Founder & CTO
SK
Saurabh Kumar
Co-Founder & CTO, Part Price Guide
Built the pricing pipeline that collects and normalizes used OEM part listings from salvage yards and online marketplaces across the US.
ASReviewed byAmbika Sharma · Co-Founder & COO
Last updatedOct 17, 2026AS
Ambika Sharma
Co-Founder & COO, Part Price Guide
12 years of project management and technical operations experience. Reviews price guides for sample size, fitment accuracy, and data freshness.
Part overview
About the Volkswagen Golf AC compressor
What the AC compressor does, common failure signs, and prices across all vehicles: used AC compressor price guide →
Also known asA/C CompressorAir Conditioning Compressor
Price summary
A used Volkswagen Golf AC compressor costs $41 to $449, with a median asking price of $113. Based on 952 priced salvage yard listings across the US, compatible across 2015–2025 (11 model years), updated Oct 17, 2026. Prices exclude shipping, core charges, and installation.
Grade A (excellent)$120
Grade B (good)$105
Grade C (fair)$87
USD
Condition comparison
Price by part grade
Grade AClean / low wear$41–$449750 listings
Grade BStandard used$65–$32355 listings
Grade CVisible wear$87–$875 listings
Grade XUngraded$45–$228142 listings
| Grade | Price range | Relative range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade AClean / low wear | $41–$449 | 750 | |
| Grade BStandard used | $65–$323 | 55 | |
| Grade CVisible wear | $87–$87 | 5 | |
| Grade XUngraded | $45–$228 | 142 |
Median by grade
Grade price comparison
Grade A$120
Grade B$105
Grade C$87
Ungraded$80
Median asking price by seller-reported condition grade · $41–$449 overall range
Regional supply
Where the Volkswagen Golf AC compressor is listed
We found priced Volkswagen Golf AC compressor listings at 177 salvage yards across 37 states. California supplies the most, with 403 listings (42% of the total) from 39 yards. Location matters: yards in Utah ask a median $90, while Massachusetts yards ask $162, 80% more for the same part. Shipping usually costs less than that gap for smaller parts, so it can pay to buy out of state.
| State | Listings | Yards | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 403 | 39 | $95-16% |
| Arizona | 130 | 10 | $103-9% |
| Utah | 68 | 8 | $90-20% |
| Texas | 66 | 17 | $113 |
| Nevada | 62 | 6 | $107-5% |
| Idaho | 19 | 4 | $112-1% |
| Oregon | 15 | 3 | $94-17% |
| Massachusetts | 15 | 6 | $162+43% |
States with at least 10 priced listings. % is versus the $113 national median.
Replacement cost
What is the Volkswagen Golf AC compressor replacement cost?
- Used part
- $113
- Volkswagen Golf median asking price
- Labor
- $285–$900
- 3–6 hours at $95–$150/hr
- Estimated total
- $400–$1,015
- median used part + labor
Labor is a typical independent-shop range for AC compressor replacement, not a quote for your vehicle; it does not include refrigerant evacuation and recharge, and a new receiver/drier if required. The part price is the live median from the salvage-yard listings on this page. Full AC compressor replacement cost breakdown
Sources
- Labor time estimates: Part Price Guide labor database
Model-year comparison
What does a Volkswagen Golf AC compressor cost by year?
202518 listings$225$100 – $260202447 listingsFits 3 years$195$80 – $338202350 listingsFits 4 years$223$95 – $440202247 listingsFits 3 years$213$80 – $371202150 listingsFits 7 years$131$45 – $323202058 listingsFits 6 years$113$59 – $295201986 listingsFits 9 years$103$59 – $3432018109 listingsFits 11 years$103$41 – $3432017184 listingsFits 4 years$94$41 – $4492016230 listingsFits 5 years$100$65 – $4492015234 listingsFits 5 years$100$41 – $449
Market analysis
How much does a used Volkswagen Golf AC compressor cost?
Asking prices for a used Volkswagen Golf AC compressor are unusually spread out: the top listing asks more than ten times what the cheapest does, so which unit you pick matters more than the median. Condition matters: grade-A units (lowest mileage, best condition) carry roughly a 38% premium over grade-C stock, with grade-A medians at $120.
Model year matters too: 2017 units carry the lowest median at $94, while 2025 tops the table at $225. Parts from 2015–2018 are interchangeable, so if the 2017 fits your vehicle, it offers the best value across 4 compatible years.
Against comparable vehicles, the Volkswagen Golf sits 25% below the Ford F150 ($150), 43% below the Mercedes E Class ($198), and 55% below the Mercedes GLE Class ($250) for the same part. The “similar vehicles” cards below open each comparison guide.
Buying a used AC compressor: what to check
- Ask whether the compressor was removed with the system still sealed. Open systems ingest moisture.
- Confirm the clutch engages freely and the pulley spins without grinding.
- Match the refrigerant type (R-134a vs R-1234yf). They don't interchange.
- Budget for a new receiver-drier and system flush at installation.
Keep browsing this vehicle
What other Volkswagen Golf parts are priced?
01wide ±126%
Front Seat
$175median
$59$500
02wide ±162%
Transmission Control Module
$135median
$38$475
03wide ±248%
Axle Shaft
$116median
$30$605
04wide ±279%
Brake Caliper
$75median
$20$439
05wide ±285%
Wheels
$134median
$35$800
06wide ±177%
Tail Light
$110median
$30$420
07wide ±287%
Transmission
$920median
$175$5,449
08wide ±85%
Quarter Panel
$421median
$200$912
09wide ±219%
Car Radio
$151median
$35$697
10wide ±209%
Center Console
$120median
$35$537
11wide ±226%
Control Arm
$80median
$30$392
12wide ±127%
Side Mirror
$250median
$50$686
Price comparisons
Compare Volkswagen Golf AC compressor prices
AC Compressorcompare
FordF150vsVolkswagenGolf
F150$150
Golf$113
$37 diff3,875 listings
AC CompressorcompareMercedesEClassvsVolkswagenGolf
Class$198
Golf$113
$85 diff3,242 listings
AC CompressorcompareMercedesGLEClassvsVolkswagenGolf
Class$250
Golf$113
$137 diff3,238 listings
AC CompressorcompareHyundaiElantravsVolkswagenGolf
Elantra$143
Golf$113
$30 diff3,120 listings
AC CompressorcompareRam1500vsVolkswagenGolf
1500$130
Golf$113
$17 diff3,069 listings
AC CompressorcompareFordExplorervsVolkswagenGolf
Explorer$143
Golf$113
$30 diff3,010 listings
Compare fitments
What do similar vehicles charge for this part?
BMWwide ±287%
BMW X3
$150median
$35$897
BMWwide ±195%
BMW X5
$198median
$50$822
Chevywide ±168%
Chevy Equinox
$110median
$30$400
Chevywide ±146%
Chevy Malibu
$125median
$35$400
Chevywide ±90%
Chevy Silverado 1500
$163median
$65$360
Chevywide ±115%
Chevy Tahoe
$175median
$70$473
Chevywide ±138%
Chevy Traverse
$125median
$41$387
Dodgewide ±142%
Dodge Challenger
$103median
$40$333
Dodgespread ±47%
Dodge Charger
$103median
$75$172
Dodgewide ±112%
Dodge Durango
$150median
$40$375
Fordwide ±133%
Ford Edge
$132median
$40$390
Fordwide ±125%
Ford Escape
$150median
$40$415
Common questions
Volkswagen Golf AC compressor FAQ
How much is a used AC compressor for a Volkswagen Golf?
The median asking price is $113 across 952 priced listings from 177 yards. Grade-A units, the cleanest stock, have a median of $120. 2017 is the cheapest model year we track, with a median of $94.
How much does it cost to replace a Volkswagen Golf AC compressor?
Using a used part, a Volkswagen Golf AC compressor replacement typically runs $400–$1,015 all-in: the median used AC compressor for this model lists at $113, and independent-shop labor for AC compressor replacement typically takes 3–6 hours at $95–$150/hr ($285–$900). The labor figure does not include refrigerant evacuation and recharge, and a new receiver/drier if required. Labor is a national part-level estimate, not a quote for your vehicle.
Which Volkswagen Golf model years does this price guide cover?
This guide currently has year-level pricing for 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015. Other model years contribute to the overall range where sellers listed them without a year breakdown.
Which Volkswagen Golf AC compressor years are interchangeable?
Salvage-yard interchange data links Volkswagen Golf AC compressor fitments across 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. Searching all 11 years widens the pool of units; confirm the part number against your VIN, since trim or drivetrain can split an interchange group.