The cabin air filter serves to clean the air drawn in by your car’s ventilation system. A car may have multiple filters to achieve different objectives, such as to limit pollen or odors, to provide sequential filtering or just for “packaging” reasons: to provide enough filtering and airflow in a tight space. Manufacturers commonly recommend filter replacement every one to two years, but it depends on the car, filter type and how dusty your environment is; check your owner’s manual for recommendations. Odors, inadequate airflow and disproportionately loud fan noise are signs that the filter needs replacement.
