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We took our VW Polo to have the A/C repaired in December last year. The receiver dryer was replaced, the system was re-gased and tested and it appeared to be working fine. Then last week, little more than a month after the repair was done, the A/C sprung an extreme leak and poured out as steam from under the bonnet. The electric windows and mirrors also stopped working when this happened. We had only used the A/C two or three times since the repair at most. I returned the car to the original repairer and they claim that a different part of the A/C has failed so that warranty on the original fix does not apply. They also say they cannot locate the reason for the electric window/mirror failure and that it is unlikely to be related to the A/C, even though both failed at the same time. I am intending to make a complaint to the MTA, but am wondering if it is normally considered acceptable for A/C systems to fail one part after another like this, whether the A/C test carried out during the original repair should pick up such a fault, and whether this should be covered under repair warranty. Any advice gratefully received.

Hi there,
It does sound like a strange coincidence. However I would be looking at the place where the leak occurred and see if it was a part that had been touched, moved, or undone as part of the original repair, as they may have left it loose or pinched a seal when re-assembling.
Or it could be a case or extra pressure applied to components that previously hadn't been working as hard, and now the weakest area fails (a bit like an engine cooling system).
Unless the gas leaked onto a component related to the mirrors/windows, there would not really be any connection as the systems are not linked in any way. I would look at fuses as a starting point. However it's hard to pin the cause until a remedy is found. You may need a second opinion from another specialist which will help understand if a claim needs to be made or not.