AC Compressor Failure: After Just 6 Years?

How does it look for you guys? Has anyone else gotten a new one already? I find the replacement part price plus installation to be very annoying .

We've already had several vehicles that weren't very old and had a defect in the compressor.

Often, this is just a 'consequence of something else.'
Sometimes the cause lies elsewhere, meaning that a new compressor will only provide temporary relief.

@windl:

How many times in the past 6 years have you had the air conditioning system refilled with refrigerant?

'I've had the car for 3 years and I should have gotten an AC system check done. It started with a loud whistling sound that made me think it was the turbo, as it occurred during acceleration and seemed synchronized with the turbo. The whistling then turned into a loud rattling noise, but that wasn't constant... Well, maybe I should have had the check done earlier.'

What possible causes could there have been?