What AC brands to stay away from?

What AC brands to stay away from is subjective and depends on region, but generally experts recommend staying away from off-brand, no-name air conditioners sold online without local dealer support, very cheap import brands with no AHRI certification, and brands with poor parts availability and short warranty like 1 year parts only. Some budget brands that have historically higher failure rates in consumer surveys include older low end models of certain value brands when installed poorly, but brand alone less important than installation quality. Brands to research carefully include those sold only online without professional installation, as they may void warranty and have no local service. Also avoid brands that have no ENERGY STAR certification, no 10 year parts warranty, or that use proprietary refrigerant that is obsolete like R22 new units. Instead choose brands with 10 year parts warranty, local distributor, and contractor who can get parts quickly like Trane, Carrier, Lennox, Daikin, Goodman, Rheem, York. Avoid used or refurbished AC units with unknown history.