Honda Dealer Faces Backlash Over $130 Cabin Air Filter Charge

A Honda HR-V owner says a dealer charged $130 for a cabin air filter multiple times. Review the case, service records, and why it sparked backlash.

A routine service visit turned into a cautionary tale after a Honda HR-V owner noticed an unusually expensive line item appearing again and again on dealer invoices. According to the service records, an official Honda dealer charged $130 for a cabin air filter replacement at nearly every oil change.

The documents show the filter was replaced four times between roughly 30,000 miles and an odometer reading of 51,809 miles. While cabin air filters play an important role in keeping dust, pollen, and exhaust particles out of the cabin, the frequency raised eyebrows. Honda’s own guidance does not suggest replacing the filter at every oil service.

Pricing became the central point of criticism. Genuine Honda cabin air filters for the HR-V are widely available for around $11 to $25, with even premium carbon versions selling for far less than the amount billed. Labor costs offer little justification, either: on the HR-V, replacing the filter typically involves lowering the glove box and takes only a few minutes, with no special tools required.

The case surfaced through a detailed Reddit post and quickly spread across automotive news outlets, sparking backlash online. What troubled many readers was not the replacement itself, but the combination of high pricing and repeated upselling of a simple, low-cost maintenance item.

Beyond this single example, the story has renewed warnings for car owners to review dealer invoices carefully and question optional services. Cabin air filters remain one of the easiest maintenance tasks to perform independently or through an affordable third-party shop. As online reactions suggest, incidents like this risk further eroding trust in dealership service departments unless transparency becomes a higher priority.