A young woman in California spent three years driving around without a working air conditioner. She was disabled, on a limited income and the primary caretaker of her elderly mother with Alzheimer’s. 

This was the exact case Nathan Perrine, executive director of the council that manages the Cool Air Rebate program, sought to help. Launching the CAR program led to helping nearly 11,000 Californians in need and funding $4 million in repairs over 16 months. 

With the scorching California summers, having a working air conditioning system in your car is pretty much essential.

But for many low-income residents, the cost of repairing a broken A/C can be out of reach.

That’s where California’s Cool Air Rebate Program comes in, helping eligible families pay for A/C repairs.

California drivers facing costly air conditioning repairs may have new financial relief through a program designed to help cover expenses.

The state’s Cool Air Rebate Program can reimburse up to 90 percent of the costs associated with repairing a leaky AC unit.

Diagnosing and fixing an automotive air conditioning unit can reach exorbitant prices, often costing drivers thousands of dollars.

The Cool Air Rebate (CAR) Program, initially launched as a pilot in Fresno, is now available statewide. It’s designed to help low-income Californians cover the cost of repairing leaking vehicle air conditioning systems that use R-134a refrigerant, a potent greenhouse gas.

A collaborative initiative between the nonprofit Car Care Council and the California Air Resources Board, the program covers vehicles manufactured between 1993 and 2019, as well as older models that have been retrofitted to use R-134a.

Sacramento (California.- Con la llegada de los meses más calurosos del año, California ha anunciado la expansión estatal del Programa Cool Air Rebate (CAR), una iniciativa pionera destinada a ayudar a conductores de bajos ingresos a reparar sistemas de aire acondicionado defectuosos en sus vehículos.

Desde su lanzamiento piloto en Fresno en 2024, el programa ha impactado positivamente a miles de californianos, y ahora se extiende a más de 110 ciudades, cubriendo hasta el 90% del costo de reparaciones elegibles, un aumento significativo respecto al 80% anterior.

El programa Cool Air Rebate (CAR), que brinda asistencia financiera a californianos de bajos ingresos para reparar sistemas de aire acondicionado con fugas en vehículos, celebró hoy su expansión en el Inland Empire anunciando cambios clave que permitirán a más personas mantenerse seguras y frescas en sus automóviles este verano.

The Cool Air Rebate (CAR) Program, a statewide initiative aimed at supporting low-income Californians with vehicle air conditioning repairs, announced a series of updates effective July 1 that increase both financial assistance and program access.

The CAR Program will now cover up to 90% of eligible repair costs to remove leaking R-134a refrigerant, a potent greenhouse gas that is 1,400 times more damaging than carbon dioxide. This marks a 10% increase from the program’s previous subsidy limit. Additionally, income eligibility has been expanded from 200% to 225% of the federal poverty level, enabling more Californians to qualify for support.

Does your car’s air conditioning need a fresh blast of cold?

The year-old Cool Air Rebate (CAR) Program offers financial assistance to qualifying, low-income Californians who need a particular coolant leak fixed in cars made between 1993 and 2019.

“Low-income families are often the most impacted by extreme heat, and this program makes it possible for them to fix their car A/C and avoid the heat-related risks that come with driving in extreme heat,” said Nathan Perrine, the executive director of the Car Care Council, which manages CAR.