York-Johnson Lawsuit: Settlement Coverage, Claims, and Deadline

The York-Johnson copper coil lawsuit is Dickerson v. York International Corporation, a 2015 class action alleging that Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) sold residential and light-commercial HVAC systems with uncoated copper evaporator and condenser coils prone to corrosion and refrigerant leaks. The case settled in 2017. JCI denied any defect but agreed to provide free replacement coils, service rebate certificates, and reimbursement for out-of-pocket repair costs to eligible owners, with claims tied to the applicable five- or ten-year warranty and a 120-day window after each qualifying coil failure.¹

What the Lawsuit Alleged

The plaintiffs said the copper tubing JCI used in its coils was vulnerable to formicary corrosion, a process in which volatile organic compounds from common household products create microscopic tunnels through the copper. Those tunnels eventually let refrigerant escape, and once a system loses refrigerant it stops cooling or heating properly, leaving homeowners to pay for labor, refills, and parts.²

The complaint also alleged that when customers complained under warranty, JCI’s usual response was to recharge the refrigerant rather than replace the corroded coil, which left the underlying problem in place.²

JCI denied the allegations. The company said copper coils had a “proven track record of consistent, reliable performance,” that formicary corrosion was rare, and that its own data showed fewer than two percent of copper coils sold since 2010 had failed for any reason, with fewer than ten percent of those failures believed to involve formicary corrosion.³

Who the Settlement Covers

The class is broad. It includes anyone in the United States who bought a new, uncoated copper evaporator or condenser coil sold under one of JCI’s brands between January 1, 2008, and March 15, 2017. Those brands are York, Fraser-Johnston, Luxaire, Coleman, Evcon, Guardian, Champion, and Dayton. The coil has to have been installed in its original location for residential or light-commercial use and covered by JCI’s five-year limited warranty or an extended ten-year warranty.⁴

Similar copper coil class actions were filed against Carrier, Trane, Lennox, and Goodman during the same period, but those cases are separate and their settlements do not apply here.⁵

What Class Members Can Receive

Relief depends on how many times the coil has failed and when the failure happened. There are four tiers:

One failure before March 15, 2017: a $75 Service Rebate Certificate, valid for one year, for HVAC maintenance by an authorized JCI dealer.¹
Two or more failures before March 15, 2017: reimbursement of out-of-pocket labor, refrigerant, or parts costs up to $550 per replacement, capped at $1,100.¹
First failure after March 15, 2017: a free replacement coil (aluminum or tin-coated copper for evaporators, copper for condensers) plus a $75 Service Rebate Certificate. Condenser replacements also come with an eight-year extended warranty.³
Two or more failures with at least one after March 15, 2017: a free replacement coil plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs up to $550 per replacement, capped at $1,100.¹

There is no single lump-sum fund. JCI handles replacement coils and reimbursement claims individually as they come in.⁴

How to File a Claim

The court gave the settlement final approval on August 22, 2017, and an appeal filed the next month was dismissed on October 26, 2017.⁶ The initial claim deadline was December 20, 2017, but the settlement anticipated later failures: a class member whose coil fails while still covered by the applicable warranty has 120 days from the date of that failure to file.¹

Claims can be filed online through the settlement website or sent by mail, fax, or email to the settlement administrator, Angeion Group, in Philadelphia. You will need evidence that the coil failed, such as service invoices, receipts, photographs, or a prior warranty claim. If you are seeking reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, you will also need proof that you paid them.⁷

One recurring snag reported by claimants: denials tied to system model numbers not appearing on the qualifying list, even where the coil inside was the type at issue. A commenter on a public claims forum argued verification should turn on the manufacturing numbers stamped on the coil itself rather than the broader system model number. If you get a denial on model-number grounds, the coil’s own identifying marks are worth checking against the settlement documents before giving up.²

Why the Window Is Closing

The settlement is final and the opt-out and objection deadlines are long gone. What still matters is the warranty math. The latest qualifying purchase date is March 15, 2017, so a ten-year warranty on the last eligible coils runs out in 2027, and five-year warranties on those same purchases have already expired. Once your warranty ends, the 120-day post-failure claim right ends with it.¹ If you own a covered York, Fraser-Johnston, Luxaire, Coleman, Evcon, Guardian, Champion, or Dayton system and your coil has leaked, check your warranty status and file promptly.

1
JC Copper Coil Settlement. Dickerson v. York International Corporation Settlement
2
Top Class Actions. JCI Defective Copper Coils Class Action Settlement
3
Climate Control Professionals. JCI Letter Regarding Settlement
4
Angeion Group. Notice of Class Action Settlement
5
Fire and Air AZ. AC Evaporator Coil Leak
6
JC Copper Coil Settlement Claim. Frequently Asked QuestionsJCI Defective Copper Coils Class Action Settlement
7
Angeion Group. Claim Form