When should my car’s cabin filter be replaced?

QUESTION

Hi John,

I have a Kia Carnival 2019 model and in the second annual service (30,000km) done in May, 2021, I was charged for a replacement of the cabin pollen filter with a genuine filter. I believe it amounts to $53.25

The vehicle has only done about 6,793 kms; it’s in immaculate condition.

I recall in your reports that one has to follow the service schedule to the letter, whichever comes first between mileage or time, and that it can be done by a, independent mechanic using quality, fit-for-purpose parts, etc.

But am I wrong, or perhaps have misunderstood in some things? My retired mechanic friend says that the interior cabin filter on such low mileage should not have been replaced. That is, charging me for something which in this case, should be a mileage based part.

In any case, I wouldn't know if the filter was actually replaced or not. I now have to assume, and have some blind faith, especially considering the old one would be almost certainly clean.

It's not a 'fight' or even an argument I wish to take further, I just wonder about your perspective on changing out such a part so early.

Thanks in advance,

Peter

P.S. Thank you for all the info, from the awful ‘Free Speech incident’ to all the issues relating to exorbitant parts and servicing quotes, to the excellent interview on vehicle suspension.

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ANSWER

Hello Peter,

Thanks for the kind words.

With only 7000km at an average of 50km/h, that’s about 140 hours of operational time, ballpark.

It’s highly unlikely you would have blocked or impaired the cabin filter in that time, and it should be good for at least 15,000km. This replacement seems over-enthusiastic to me. It would’ve been a basic courtesy of the dealership (I presume) service department to at least show you the filter, or take a photo, if it was actually in need to replacement. It sounds like they might have taken it upon themselves to make that determination and charge you for you - it doesn’t look good.

Stinging you $53 is probably not worth taking the Bat-pumpy off the wall and striding into the service department, however. But it’s certainly a valuable life lesson, especially when leaving your vehicle with caretakers, however temporarily.

Just pre-empt it next time, verbally tell them, ‘No need to replace the cabin air filter; I’ve only done another 7000km since the last service’, kind of thing. When you call up to book your car in, take hand-written notes and make a point of writing down that you’ve told them to not replace the cabin filter.

Same goes for any other exchange you have with a dealership, a carmaker or some third party - take notes, note the date and time, as well as the people you speak to. If you need something repeated, ask, take notes and repeat any complicated explanations or definitions to them to ensure messages are understood. Then put that page of notes with your invoice for record-keeping and cross-referencing later.

This is a lot for a $50 filter, but if it comes to bigger problems like warranty claims or legal issues, this can be an invaluable habit to get into.

Also, you can generally pick up a non-genuine (but high quality) cabin filter from AutObarn, Repco or SuperCheap Auto, for most cars, and they will help you replace it yourself - or the user manual will tell you. It’s typically quite easy to DIY, but if you’re completely useless with anything technical (that’s not an insult) leave it to an independent mechanic who will be much cheaper than the dealership.

Enjoy the fresh air, Peter. I hope this helps.

JC

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