I am often asked what a cabin air filter does and why it needs to be replaced.
The cabin air filter’s basic purpose is to filter the air coming into the cabin of your vehicle. Think of it like the furnace filter at home. It filters out dust, pollen, mold spores, leaves, and other debris. So as you can likely imagine this filter gets dirty, the dirtier (or more clogged) the filter gets the harder it is to push air past the filter and into the car, which in turn causes the heat and A/C systems to work harder and could cause pre-mature system failures. Since cabin air filters are housed in dark and moist places they can become a great breeding place for bacteria and mold.
Car manufacturers have different recommendations on how frequently to replace the cabin air filter. It’s typically every 15000-30000 miles. Though it is important to consider your driving habits, if you drive in a heavily polluted areas, on gravel roads, or are a smoker they will get dirtier faster. Prices vary depending on your vehicle but typically they are not very expensive. It’s definitely cheaper to replace the filter as recommended by the manufacturer then to deal with the additional repairs your car and personnel health will need.