AC hose replacement

So about a month ago my AC stopped working. I was able to survive a little bit without it until recently. I took it in the shop last week and the guy replaced the VW core vents & put some dye in to test for leaks/recharged the system. A day later it stopped working. I took it back today & they found a hole in one of the AC pipes from a hose clamp rubbing on it. The hose they have to replace is priced at $345 + adding in the labor makes it a total of $674.

I just paid $200+ for them to replace the vents & recharge the system last week. Another near $700 is killer right now. Anyone know of any other alternatives I may have? Perhaps somewhere I can get the hose for cheaper? Any help would be really appreciated.

I had the same problem about a few years back. Stealership claimed it was a nearby hose clamp rubbing up against it, causing a leak. Got it replaced under warranty but those mofos were being little b**ches and didn't give me a loaner car, even after I requested for one. Driving around in 90*+ humid weather sucks without A/C.



A cheaper alternative part, I highly doubt it.

That's exactly what the guys at the shop said it was. My warranty expired 4 months ago so of course this is perfect timing. Sounds like I don't have a choice

If you look closely, it's a transition from rubber hose to hard plastic/ABS, then back to rubber hose. Pretty stupid if you ask me. A high temp rated rubber hose would have suffice but then again, those VW engineers are highly intelligent and come up with great ideas.

Get the part number and search for it online. I've found amazon and eBay often have cheaper aftermarket parts. There's also the oem VW Chinese parts that are cheaper but shipping may take time.

ECS and DAP usually bet dealer prices by 20% as well...