Filters

When to Replace a Cabin Air Filter

The cabin air filter is easy to forget. It sits behind the glove box and does its work out of sight. Here is how to tell when it is finished and how to match a new one.

What the filter catches

Every breath of air from the vents passes through this filter first. On a dusty road or in spring pollen, it loads up fast.

However, a general list includes dirt, dust, leaves, twigs, insects, soot, smog, mildew, pollen, mold, spores, fungi, bacteria, germs, rodent droppings and other undesirable debris.

AAA, The Importance of Cabin Air Filter Replacement for Your Vehicle

EPAuto cabin filters add baking soda and carbon to the media. The carbon is there for smells: exhaust in traffic, a farm road, a wet dog.

CP285CP285 Cabin Air Filter

Fits Lexus, Toyota, Jaguar and 5 more

4.7 · 44,759 ratings

$11.97single filter

CP134CP134 Cabin Air Filter

Fits Acura and Honda

4.7 · 35,998 ratings

$9.97single filter

CP182CP182 Cabin Air Filter

Fits Honda and Acura

4.6 · 10,510 ratings

$12.97single filter

CP157CP157 Cabin Air Filter

Fits Lexus, Toyota, Subaru and 1 more

4.8 · 7,157 ratings

$12.97single filter

Three signs it is clogged

Symptoms of a restricted cabin air filter include reduced airflow through the HVAC system, windows that fog up easily and are hard to defrost, and persistent bad odors.

AAA, The Importance of Cabin Air Filter Replacement for Your Vehicle

• Weak airflow. The fan is on high and the vents feel like low.
• Fogged glass. The windshield mists up and takes a long time to clear.
• A smell that stays. Musty air when the fan starts is the filter talking.

There is a fourth cost you do not see. A blocked filter makes the fan motor work harder.

A restricted cabin air filter also places a greater load on the ventilation fan and can shorten its service life.

AAA, The Importance of Cabin Air Filter Replacement for Your Vehicle

How often to change it

Factory-recommended intervals for replacing cabin air filters range from 15,000 to 30,000 miles. Ask your auto repair shop or check your auto's owner's manual for exact mileage specifications.

AAA, The Importance of Cabin Air Filter Replacement for Your Vehicle

We recommend a shorter cycle for our filters: every 12 months or 12,000 miles. A yearly change is easy to remember, and a carbon layer holds less odor the longer it works. Drive on gravel or in heavy traffic and you may need one sooner.

How to match the part

1. Look up the carUse the filter finder: make, model, year. The year matters because a redesign often changes the filter housing.
2. Check the old filterMost cabin filters have a number on the frame. A FRAM CF number or the factory number will lead you to the same EPAuto CP part.
3. Mind the arrowThe new filter has an airflow arrow on its edge. Point it the same way as the old one.

A cabin filter does nothing for the engine. If the car also feels slow to accelerate, look at the engine air filter next.

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