Is £655 a fair price to repair my Volkswagen Passat's faulty air conditioning clutch?

A high pitched whine from the lower front of the engine compartment of my 2005 Passat Highline 2.0 TDi (77,000 miles) was diagnosed by my Volkswagen dealer as a faulty air conditioning compressor, in which the clutch has gone, apparently. Certainly the noise stops when air conditioning is turned off, so this is fair enough. The quote for replacing the compressor is £655 including £315 for the replacement unit. Is this a reasonable charge or should I go to an air conditioning specialist?

Asked on 12 August 2010 by tmorris

Answered by Honest John
Why is he quoting to replace the compressor when only the compressor clutch has failed? A new clutch is a £100 job.
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