I have a 2010 RDX Tech that has had issues with the cooling system for about 8 months now. Initially the only problem was with the vent control. It would only blow air through the floor vents no matter what setting it was on. I tried many things but nothing worked. It happened intermittently and not very often, resolving fairly quickly on its own (all settings/vents working normally). I didn't give it much thought, but now the AC is completely dead. It much more often only blows through the floor vents and there is NO cooling (in the middle of a heat wave!). It still blows regular and hot air. One shop said the compressor needs replacing, but I am more skeptical due to the long term issue that was already present. Any solutions/tips/experiences would be very appreciated! Thank you all!

Also, the car is generally well-kept, with low miles. Nothing major has gone wrong with it.

 

Try changing out the AC relay, its like ~$15. If the compressor clutch still spins freely, it may not be the compressor that is dead.

Try the AC relay first and get back to us.

 

Sounds more like blend door(s) actuator problem.

 

The first thing sounds like what AlanW said: a blend door actuator problem; the second thing (no cooling) sounds like the AC relay or the coil - if it only stops working when the weather is hot, it's more likely the coil, but the relay is cheap, won't hurt that much to just replace it too.