A dirty air filter can make the engine dirty, resulting in low fuel economy and dirty emissions. If the engine gets dirty enough, you can lose power completely. While there's no direct impact on engine performance with a broken or malfunctioning cabin air filter, it's not the best idea to do so. Especially if you are using your air conditioner or heater, as a throttled filter would reduce airflow in the HVAC system, forcing the system to consume more energy to circulate the temperature inside the vehicle.
After some time, it might require maintenance work mainly due to malfunctioning air filters. The biggest problem is the health risk it can cause. Even though a cabin air filter doesn't directly affect whether your vehicle can drive, it's still an essential part of regular vehicle maintenance and ignoring the air filter will negatively affect your vehicle. This is the most serious risk for anyone who does not change the cabin air filter because the result is an acute failure of a major vehicle safety system that will be very expensive to repair. Changing the cabin air filter at regular intervals will ensure that passengers don't have to roll down windows in the middle of winter to get fresh air. The shape and size of a cabin air filter may vary depending on the vehicle, but its overall shape is similar to that of the engine air filter, but smaller.
A new cabin air filter will prevent pollen from entering the vehicle and cause its occupants to start sneezing, or even worse. The cabin air filter prevents pollution such as dirt, dust, smoke, smog, pollen, mold spores and exhaust gases from entering a vehicle's cabin through the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. A clogged cabin air filter can cause numerous potential respiratory problems due to its inability to prevent pollen and dust particles from entering your car through the air conditioner. It can also lead to decreased air quality from the old air filter which allows condensation to form on the windshield. Simply changing the cabin air filter will dramatically improve your vehicle's air quality. Similarly, your car's ventilation system features the cabin air filter to maintain a constant flow of clean air.
With a clogged cabin air filter, lack of airflow can be felt in the dashboard grilles and will result in lackluster defrost and defrost performance, as well as reduced air conditioning and heating functionality. Before entering the passenger compartment, outside air is directed through this filter to trap contaminants inside the filter and prevent them from entering the interior of your vehicle. A cabin air filter clogged with debris can cause the fan motor of the air system that pushes air through the car's ventilation grilles to malfunction, partially or fully.
