Things I Assumed Were Being Taken Care Of (But Weren’t)

When was the last time you checked your vehicle’s cabin air filter?

If you’re like I was (up until last week), the answer is… never. It’s one of those things I just assumed got handled during regular service. You take your car in, they do the required stuff, and that’s that. Maybe they do — but judging by mine, it’s also very easy for it to be overlooked.

By chance, my husband was watching some car video on YouTube, and I happened to hear them mention how easy it is to change, how often it’s forgotten, and how much of a difference it can make. That was enough to get my attention. I looked up the filter for my vehicle, ended up ordering a pack that included both the cabin and engine air filters, and waited for the weekend.

Armed with my phone and a how-to video, I set out to change the cabin air filter. Maybe this is normal, but it looked filthy to me. Definitely not something that had been changed recently.

By the time I moved on to the engine air filter, my husband came out to see what I was doing and decided to “help.” That help included breaking the little plastic spring clip on the filter door… but that’s a separate story. That filter actually wasn’t too bad — it had probably been replaced during my last oil change — though I still ended up vacuuming out the box.

Next time I order a cabin air filter, I’m planning to go with an N95-style version and change it every 3–6 months, especially with my air sensitivities and allergies.

What I did notice right away, though, is that the airflow is noticeably better. The cold air is actually blasting now.

So if it’s been a while — or if, like me, you’ve never checked — it might be worth a look.