So its funny at the SCAA BBQ picnic we were talking about how the in cabin air filters are expensive and you can just go buy a filter for a heater/AC unit and cut it to fit the existing filter, or go down to your local auto parts store and buy one for $10.

Today I took our RS3.0 for an oil change the car is only five months old and has 8,500 miles on it. This is the 2nd free oil change I was using. So about 20 minutes into the oil change process the service advisor brings me the in cabin air filter and is like we are recommending that you change this. She started to go into what it did. I stopped her and asked how much (just for my amusement) she is like $35.00 I was like no.

It was not even that bad it’s funny that they were trying to make $ off me kind of upsetting. I had my other xB for 18months 25,000 and I never changed the in cabin air filter!

Okay so now I feel a little better, and I didn't even need a filter

 

I hope the 'tech' brought you the entire drawer with the filter still in it, Mo. If not, he probably damaged it ripping it out of the drawer and stuffing it back in, assuming he actually put it back. (Personally, I'd check.)

Unless you drive in a lot of dust and pollen on a regular basis, with your blower constantly sucking in air, you probably only need to change the filter about once a year, and it's even better if you pull the drawer every few months, shake and blow the crud out of it, and slide the drawer back in. (Per the owner's manual.)



My filter has been in my box for over a year, and is just about ready to be replaced... (But not for the $45 I saw it for in the last local dealer I visited!!!)

 

I don't even have one of these in ha ha

 

It that was even the filter from my car lol. I'm going to check once I get off work.

 

Hmmm... I have purchased two from Russ and I think the price was $23 but my memory plays tricks on me it could have been more.

 

I made mine in 10 mins and you would be suprised how much it filters out. go to home depot and buy one of the hvac filters and cut it to size. I think I got 6 or 8 out of the one I bought for $6.

 

Honestly it didn't look that bad. I'll probably just leave it for a few months after I check and make sure they didn't rip it apart by pulling it out.

 

I am going to have to make one of these, driving down to the grain elevator all the time, I'm sure it would help keep the dust out of the car.

 

I got a 4 pack of the filters at wally world that makes 32 filters fo 50 cents lol

 

haha you guys are funny... my work (*Toyota of Gladstone*) Charges 56.25 for a cabin air filter. You guys are getting off cheap with the 35 stuff!! Just thought Id let you know!!

 

$56.25 is a ridiculous price for a $.99 filter, Melissa. That's like, uh, 98% profit margin?

Tomas

 

Isn't this a Toyota part? why are all the dealers charging different prices??? odd. There is no way people are changing those every 6mo / 8,000 miles either. I don't mind buying one every 2-3 years as needed. At $35 or $56.25 I'll go down to the local Auto parts sore and get one for $5-10. Or cut one out of an HVAC filter as mentioned above. Oh yeah the funny part was the service tech is like we won't charge you for labor to put in the filter if you buy in. Like that is supposed to be a selling point for something that takes maybe 30 seconds to swap out.

Parts need to be replaced sometimes and that is fine my issue was more that I have like no miles on the car and only owned it for six months the filter did not need to be changed. I feel like the dealer was trying to make money off me cuz I went in for the free scion oil change that was my bigger issue. Needless to say I just won't use that dealer for service anymore.

 

Dealers can charge whatever price they want for any part.

Toyota dealers are not limited by having to charge everyone the same price for things.

Scion dealers ARE limited by having to charge everyone the same price for MANY things, but that is only within the dealership - they do NOT have to charge the same as any other dealer.

If Scion dealer "A" sets the price of the Cabin Air Filter at $21, and Scion dealer "B" sets the pice of the same item at $60, there is no problem, so long as they charge everyone who walks in THEIR door the same price. (This is assuming that the Cabin Air Filters are even within the contract covering price controls.)

The problem is this is a very low volume item and is not something commonly stocked by the average autoparts store. Most autoparts stores WILL special order them, but even their prices are ridiculous in contrast to the actual material and manufacturing costs ($14 to $25, for the most part).

The OEM filters are not HEPA filters, but simply particulate filters. This same sort of filter for your furnace is available for about $5 in a size that will easily make six for your car.

One of my Scions is running the Toyota filter, one a 3M Filtrete filter cut down from a furnace filter. Both do a fine job.

Tomas

 

Hey tomas... I agree thats ridiculous.. The actual part is 28.00 but they charge for labor... I dont understand why because its easy as hell to take out.. Yes they make profit on everything they do here in service, its ridciulous... Being friendly with the techs sure pays off when I buy things for my tC though!!! Trust me, I dont agree with their pricing what-so-ever... and no Toyota has to match prices with each other unless they are owned by the same person. Even then, taxes are allowed to change things.

 

i ordered one thru advance auto for about $12....if i remember right

 

prices are all over the place at the dealers, I bought an exhaust gasket for $10.10 at the dealership in everett where it's $15 at the Bellevue dealer for the same part.

 

yup! Its quite lame how they price things but we all know how dealerships go.. its all about the money in their pocket. I have realized this first hand since I've worked at TOG...