A 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid owner elected to change her own cabin air filter after being quoted $87 by a service center for a replacement. TikTok user Greta (@gretz____) was shocked at how easy the procedure was to complete herself, and how much money she saved in doing so. She documented the entire process, from purchase to installation, in a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 796,000 views on the popular social media application.
Hyundai Service Center: $87 for a Cabin Air Filter
Greta begins her video by stating she “was just quoted $87 at [her] Hyundai service center to change [her] cabin air filter.” She repeats the quoted price again, intoning that the quoted amount is much too high for what is a relatively straightforward procedure that drivers can almost always perform themselves.
Following this, the TikToker says, “So we’re gonna go into AutoZone and see how expensive it is to get one myself and change it myself.” Next, her clip transitions to a sped-up timelapse of her exiting her parked car and entering one of the popular automotive parts store’s locations. Then, an associate offers to help Greta locate the appropriate cabin air filter for her vehicle. She graciously accepts the worker’s offer and lets her know the make, model, and year of her vehicle.
Immediately thereafter, Greta shows what AutoZone was charging for an appropriate cabin air filter that’ll work with her 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: $23.99. Next, the TikToker films herself walking outside of the store with the STP cabin air filter in hand. “The goods have been acquired. … Total was $26 after tax. So, not bad,” she says into the camera.
Installing the Cabin Air Filter Herself
Still recording herself, Greta remarks that she had no prior knowledge of replacing her own cabin filters. So, she looked up how to perform the swap on YouTube and got to work.
“Gonna try to do it myself really quick,” she says, before popping open her car’s glovebox. “So, you just open and it’s, like, right here,” the TikToker states. She points to a small area located in her car’s dashboard just above the glove box cubby. “So, you have to kind of wiggle out your thingmajig, which I just did,” she remarks. With her glovebox’s cubby disengaged from the latches that keep it in place, Greta can then access the small black tab located in her car’s dash that keeps the cabin air filter in place.
Her elation can be heard through the video as she expresses how happy she is upon being able to access the vehicle’s cabin air filter. “I figured it out, you guys!” she tells viewers.
Cabin Air Filter Replacements, Near Identical On Most Cars
Depending on the type of vehicle you have, swapping out a cabin air filter yourself is almost the same for each and every popular commuter vehicle. Take 2018-2023 Toyota Camrys, for instance. This YouTube video indicates that the swap-out process is nearly exactly the same as Greta displayed in her TikTok. This is also the case with the 2023-2024 Mazda CX-50, too. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a vehicle that doesn’t place its cabin air filters directly in its glovebox. The Tesla Model 3 is one popular commuter vehicle that’s a different animal entirely, which requires more disassembly than what Greta and others have shown off with their cars. Another popular EV, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, has its cabin air filter replacement area located under its hood as well. Unlike the Model 3, however, there isn’t any need to unlatch any wiring harnesses, and it is a generally straightforward process.
If you’re wondering the best way to go about changing out your cabin air filters, there are plenty of tutorials online that’ll teach you how to do just that. This way, you can purchase the filter yourself and save some cash on properly maintaining your vehicle. If she had opted to purchase a cabin air filter online, Greta could’ve saved even more money. It appears that a single filter, which is compatible with a wide range of different Hyundai vehicles, sells for $12.99 on Amazon.
“I’m Dying To See How Gross This Is”
As her video progresses, the TikToker shows off the grime and debris that her old cabin filter accumulated. After inspecting it, she initially states that the soot-stained component wasn’t as vile as she anticipated. However, further scrutiny convinced her that it was indeed time to chuck it in the trash and place a fresh filter.
“I’ve seen worse, though,” she says right before comparing it to the new unit she just bought from AutoZone. After unwrapping the filter, she popped it into its designated space and placed the black security tab over it. To close out her video, she emphasized to other folks online, especially women, that they can change their own cabin air filter without spending $90.
Other users on the application echoed her sentiment, like this one user who said easy, cost-effective swaps don’t end with cabin air filters. “Don’t you feel like you could take over the world right now? I changed my own headlights about 15 years ago, and I’m still riding that high,” they said.
Someone else lauded the collective shared knowledge of folks on the internet and how people can use that to their advantage. “Honestly shout out to the people who post YouTube tutorials of how to do stuff like this,” they penned.
Motor1 has reached out to Greta via TikTok comment for further information.
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