What is a Cabin Air Filter?

Filter Purpose:

The cabin air filter is there to filter out the impurities that are coming into the vehicle from the outside air during the AC/Heater Recirculation function. If the cabin filter becomes too dirty it becomes inefficient and restricts the airflow volume that enters the car. If the cabin filter becomes plugged it can affect blower motor and airflow operation. Over time, the filter will become plugged with dirt, pollen, leaves etc.

Odors:

Cabin filters can often be the cause of a bad-smelling vehicle interior. They can cause the inside to start to smell musty and damp, or they can start to allow dust/pollen to float inside the vehicle, which can be very dangerous driving that way if you have allergies. I have seen rodents build a nest on top of cabin filters before, which will definitely create a ‘unique’ smell!

Service:

The usual cost for a cabin filter if you go through the repair shop will range around $80-110 dollars, so if you do it yourself you can save a pretty nice chunk of money.

You can get the filters for around $20 dollars and save the rest to spend on something you actually want to. Chances are you can find a cabin filter replacement video for your vehicle on YouTube and do it yourself.

Cabin filters on most vehicles take less than half an hour to replace, and usually only require having a screwdriver set, small sockets and maybe some interior trim tools.

The location of the cabin filter is usually behind the glove-box inside the vehicle, or outside the vehicle under the windshield cowl on the passenger side. If you are unsure, a simple Google search should help you.

Cabin Air Filter Location

If you have any questions about the cabin air filter on your vehicle feel free to drop them in the comments below!