New car filters

[That1guy702]

I've only ever had 2 cars from the same year I've purchased. One used one spanking new. Both times I've noticed that you can only get the filters from the dealers at first. Is anyone aware about how long it takes for yer new cars oil/air filters to be widely available?

 

[Wrenchturner44]

I have noticed it is longer with the Hengst style cartridge filters. Spin on's seem to be available within a few months.

 

[PimTac]

Depends on the car.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I never had a difficult time getting a filter. Most of the vehicles I buy are very mass produced though.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Welcome to BITOG

You typically don't need to replace the air filter within the first year you buy the car.

Also, you generally shouldn't buy the first year of a car anyway because they still need time to work out the bugs

 

[dwendt44]

And, as is often the case, aftermarket filters are a step or two up from the mediocre
filters put on at the factory.


My 2¢

 

[JTK]

I remember getting stared at like I had 2 heads back around 1998 when I was trying to find a replacement cabin air filter for my parent's 1997 Buick Century. Parts stores had no idea what I was talking about.

Got one at the buick dealer.

It mounted in a compartment in the wiper cowl from under the hood in this particular vintage.

 

[mdtaylor86]

I bought a 2018 F-150, brand new, for my work fleet. First year of the 2.7L EB Gen2. I don't know if the 2015-2017 Gen1s used the same filter, but this uses a cartridge filter installed on the top of the engine. The only filter I could get for a solid year and a half was a Motorcraft one. I found other model numbers from WIX and MAHLE and maybe a few other manufacturers, but I couldn't find the actual filters anywhere so I had no choice but to get the OEM filter. Not that Motorcraft is a bad filter, but I like having options.

 

[Chris142]

I don't know why they can't use an existing filter #. Went through this with a quad about 20 years ago.

 

[PF52]

I could see air filters being an issue, at first, until suppliers catch up to the new models. But most people usually don't need to replace theirs so soon unless they're used in dirty environments; work or farm trucks for example.

Oil filters almost always have been available long in advance. Example:: How many different cars does the PF52 in my picture fit on? The list is probably as long as my arm.

 

[Hootbro]

Availability aftermarket will depend if the new filter is a new design covered by still valid patents. Aftermarket either finds away around the patents with a suitable design replacement or build the filters under license from the patent holders.

Usually the OEM of the actual factory installed filter will be first to offer it under license but may not exactly be the same as the OEM supplied filter with usually the filter media being different.

This is more prevalent with cartridge filters than can filters.

 

[DGXR]

This is similar to the situation where every electronic device has its own unique power supply design, special plug or interface, all that jazz. Pure capitalism. I agree there are plenty of filter sizes and designs already on the market that a new model shouldn't need its own unique filter. This goes for engine air filters, engine oil filters, fuel filters, and cabin air filters. Each of these filter types has literally hundreds of sizes, shapes, designs, etc. currently on the market already. If a new model has some special technology that requires a special filter, that's fine, but how often does that happen?