A heat pump is supposed to help homeowners save money over time, not create a major repair headache after just a few years. But one homeowner said their Mitsubishi system failed early — and that the proposed "warranty" fix was so expensive that replacing the unit was presented as the cheaper option.
The claim quickly drew skepticism from other heat pump owners and HVAC professionals, many of whom suggested the problem may not be the equipment itself but the repair guidance the homeowner received.
What happened?
In a Reddit post, a homeowner said the cooling function on a floor-mounted Mitsubishi heat pump had failed after about three years.
"The AC on it has completely stopped working and apparently it needs a new evaporator coil in the unit," they wrote. "The warranty only covers the parts but the parts don't seem to be available."
Later in the thread, the homeowner said they had been told the unit used an older refrigerant type, which was part of the explanation for the difficulty with the repair. They said the quoted price for "the cost of the unit + labor would be $4500 total," and that replacing only the coil would mean more labor, along with a wait for the warranty part to arrive.
Rather than accepting that explanation at face value, several commenters questioned the diagnosis and the recommendation that followed it. One person with installation experience wrote, "In the 6 years I've been installing mitsubishi heat pumps, I've never seen a floor mounted unit need a coil." Another commenter was more blunt: "Someone is trying to sell you a new unit."
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Why does it matter?
Situations like this can turn a warranty that sounded reassuring at the time of purchase into an expensive surprise. If coverage applies only to parts and not labor — and if a contractor says the covered part is difficult to source — out-of-pocket costs can still climb quickly.
Commenters also pointed to pricing that made the quote look even harder to justify. One person said a new floor unit was listed for $997 and added, "I bet you can find someone that will change the head entirely for $1k."
Even allowing for regional differences in labor and pricing, that was still far below the $4,500 figure the homeowner said they were given.
What can I do?
Instead of relying solely on the dealer who made the diagnosis, commenters urged the homeowner to contact the manufacturer or another authorized company.
"Contact Mitsubishi directly and tell them the dealer is giving you the old run around and ask them if they'll kindly honor the warranty with another local affiliated company," one wrote.
That may connect a homeowner with an authorized contractor who can actually order the needed parts, and it also creates a paper trail if the original quote does not align with what the manufacturer says is possible.
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