Here are pictures documenting the change/replacement of the cabin and engine air filters of my 2020 Subaru Outback Onyx XT.
Project duration: 10 minutes under good conditions
Tools needed: Hands, maybe a flashlight.
Cabin Air Filter
Open your glove compartment.
There’s a tab on the right hand side when you open it. Just tug on it higher up and it comes right off.
On either side of the glove box, are hinges as shown in the upper picture. Push hard on either side to pop them out. It might be hard to do if your car is newer or when it’s cold. Mine qualified under both conditions and I had a heck of a time.
Aaaand, it finally came out!
Here’s a closeup of one of those hinges. Subaru gave it extra felt. Kinda nice.
And here you have the cabin air filter box.
I couldn’t figure out how to remove this piece and managed to break off one of the clasps on the side of the cabin air filter box like an idiot. 🙁 All you have to do is squeeze those two things on the bottom at the same time and it comes right off.
Here’s the old one.
I don’t think the filter has been changed since I first bought the car Nov of 2019, so it’s been over a year (it is mid-Feb 2021 right now). That’s a genuine Subaru cabin air filter.
This is the new filter installed. **N.B. From various online videos, I hear that Subaru’s air flow is from top to down, but Subaru is apparently one of the few (if not the only) car manufacturers for which the OEM cabin air filter arrow doesn’t correspond with air flow direction. If you’re using aftermarket, then make sure you follow the air flow.**
OK, then you just put it back together. Cover on the filter box, line up the bottom hinges of the glove box and simply push up until it snaps in, then make sure you replace the little clasp on the right side and BOOM, you’re done!
Engine Air Filter
Open the hood
On the left side of the engine bay, find this and unhook the metal clasps.
If you wiggle it apart, you’ll see the old engine air filter.
Just pull it out.
I used a genuine Subaru engine air filter. The new one is on the left and the old one on the right.
You just slide it in there, foam-side facing the back of the car, close up the clasps, and you’re done!
Yay!
Thank you for this information, as all the other information was for previous models. I too broke off the tabs but on both sides of the HVAC Filter housing.
Oh no! I hope everything worked out okay. 🙂
Hey. Thanks for this, but can you give me more info on that cabin air filter airflow direction not matching the arrow on the filter? How did you determine this? thanks
If I remember correctly, I had seen the weird direction thing on a Subaru guy video. Airflow is usually down. I no longer have the car anymore (2 cars later now), but if you’re replacing a Subaru filter with a Subaru filter, then I’d recommend replacing the arrows the way the original one was oriented. In the end, I’m sure nothing will blow anything up even if it’s upside down. Not an automotive person, though.