How Often Do I Change My Cabin Air Filter?

Cabin Air Filter
The cabin air filter plays an important role in the comfort of your vehicle on Munster roads and beyond. It traps particles and pollutants and prevents them from being circulated into the air inside the cabin, resulting in cleaner, healthier air for you and your passengers. Many people wonder how often to change a cabin air filter, and the general recommendation is every 15,000 miles. Consult your owner’s manual for an exact timeframe. In this guide, our service team at Webb Ford shares what you need to know about the role of cabin air filters and how to replace them.
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What Does a Cabin Air Filter Do?

Before we get into the steps of changing a filter, let’s answer the question, “What does a cabin air filter do?” The air filter catches dirt, dust, dander, pollen, and other fine particles and pollutants so they can’t get inside the cabin and affect your air quality. With the passage of time, the particles naturally build up on the filter, and this leads to clogs that can diminish the healthiness and breathability of the air inside the cabin.

How to Tell If You Need to Change Your Cabin Air Filter

If you regularly drive on dirt or gravel roads or in areas of heavy construction, you will likely need to change your cabin air filter more frequently than every 15,000 miles. Here are some other common indicators that you need an air filter change:
  • You notice a reduction in airflow when the heating or air conditioning system is on
  • You spot an increase in dust on the interior surfaces of the cabin
  • You smell lingering musty or stale odors

How to Change a Cabin Air Filter

You can change your cabin air filter yourself, or our service technicians at Webb Ford can take care of this routine maintenance task for you. If you choose the DIY route, these are the basic steps of changing your filter yourself:
  1. Check the owner’s manual to find the location of the filter. In most cases, the filter is found under the hood or behind the glove box. With some vehicles, however, the filter may be under the dashboard; this involves more in-depth work and should be left to professionals.
  2. Put on a mask and gloves and remove the dirty air filter.
  3. Dispose of the dirty filter in the trash and replace it with a new OEM filter. If you own a Ford vehicle in the Schererville or Griffith area, contact our parts department to order a filter.

How Much Does Changing a Cabin Air Filter Cost?

The cabin air filter cost varies based on the make and model of your vehicle. In general, you can expect to spend between $35 and $100. Bear in mind that if your vehicle is still under warranty, the replacement cost may be covered. We offer regularly updated service specials to help you save on routine services like cabin air filter replacements.

Let Webb Ford Handle Your Cabin Air Filter Replacement Needs

Now that you know how often to change a cabin air filter, you can replace your own or allow us to handle it for you when the time comes. Contact us today or make an appointment online to schedule your service visit. Our team is here to help keep your vehicle in safe, reliable condition for as long as you own it.