How much does it cost to replace an air filter in a car

A cabin air filter is a necessary item in your car’s arsenal, and essential to giving you a set of lungs full of clean, non-toxic, non-microbial air. A cabin air filter is often one of the most under appreciated and overlooked items in your car, and when we have the option to replace it we often let it go by because it’s just so expensive. 

The truth is that a cabin air filter is not only important for you and your vehicle, but it’s also remarkably affordable if you know where to look (and where to avoid). 

Understanding your car cabin air filter change cost is something all car owners should know and we’re here to help. You’ll see with just a little know-how, this is a project you can do yourself with confidence.  

The average price to get a cabin filter replacement at a dealership is anywhere from $40 to $130 

Surveying the field, if you have your local mechanic replace your cabin air filter, it can range in price from $40 to $130. This variation can be because your car is foreign (making the cabin air filter harder to get to), or because the mechanic is also raising the price on a minor repair. $40 is a fair price, if it includes the parts, if you don’t want to do it yourself. But with the extremely minor amount of labor that goes into replacing most cabin air filters, even $40 can be seen as high.

Other major chains are about the same: some will charge anywhere from $39 to $60, others will  charge you between $44 and $156. While paying someone else to do your cabin filter replacement is certainly convenient, when you consider the time spent waiting and cost associated with labor, you should see a strong reason to do the cabin filter replacement yourself.  

Do It Yourself and Save TONS of Money

The reason that you should replace your cabin air filter by yourself is because the procedure is so easy and so fast. Once you get the right part (which you can purchase through this site) the replacement procedure on most cars is remarkably simple: you open the glove box, and then remove the hooks holding it in place, letting the glove box down into the footwell. 

Behind the glove box is a panel, held in place by pins or hooks, that you remove to access the cabin air filter. Open that up and, voila!, you’ve just uninstalled your cabin air filter! Pop the new one in place, retrace your path through the steps you just took (put the panel back in place, replace the pins, rehang the glove box) and suddenly you’re done and the air filter has been changed. 

That’s really all there is to it on most vehicles. It takes less than ten minutes if it’s your first time, and even less if you’ve done it before, and you’ll save a ton of money.

Now, to be fair there are always outliers. There are some cabin air filters that are harder to access. If you’ve never done it before, just consult your owner’s manual and it will walk you through the steps to finding the air filter and learning how to remove and replace it. These outliers are usually on foreign or luxury cars, or sometimes large trucks. Still, even if you have one of these vehicles, it can’t hurt to check your owner’s manual, see how to access the cabin air filter, and see how easy it is to replace. 

Conclusion

When it comes time for your car to have a cabin filter replacement, doing it yourself is usually the most affordable option. The amount you pay in labor alone for a procedure that can take less than five minutes can be appalling. With a clear understanding of the cabin air filter change cost for your vehicle, you can save yourself money and confidently buy a new filter from Pureflow and do your cabin filter replacement yourself after reading more of our articles. We think you’ll be glad you did.