My 2017 Ford Escape does not drip water when I turn off the air conditioner. As a result it smells terrible when I first turn on the air, presumably from rancid water sitting in the unit. A service call at 24K miles resulted in the dealer’s mechanic telling me that the clogged drain needed to be blown out it but it was not covered by the warranty and would be an $85 charge. I complained loudly and the service ended up being performed at no charge, so my question is, is a clogged air conditioner drain a common problem? What can I do to remedy the problem as the smell has returned despit replacing the cabin filter.
Yes, very common. Especially if you live near plants that shed. I.e. leaves, seed pods, ect.
The dealer was very nice to comp you for the repair. Don’t expect that a second time, that repair should be part of your maintenance since, as you post, it seems to have happened again.
There are products on the market to address the smell. A simple search will find several. I use a cleaning product called Odo-Ban. Pour a bit in a bucket with hot water and pour it down into the vents at the base of the windshield and let it sit overnight without rinsing. Rinse in the morning. Usually works in one treatment.