First time replacing cabin air filter - need to break off (2) tabs?

I do not have those 2 tabs on mine...

If you watch this video (2021 Sorento), he does not have them. But if you look close you see that it looks like they USED to be there - cause you can see the little stumps from them.
Does yours have any little "stumps" in those spots?

Those are retainers, thy should lift to unhook

jrhoads23 said:

Per the maintenance schedule, we are replacing our cabin air filter for the first time. Very simple to get to (behind the glove box) but I noticed there are two "tabs" preventing the air filter cover from being removed. Are you supposed to cut these tabs off the first time you change it? If so, what in the world would be the point of these? Just to see if people are actually replacing it??? If so, that seems very silly

Am I missing something?

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I think you need to lift up from the bottom of the tabs - swiftly and with some force. They look like they will snap right off. Once those tabs are off, use the right and left hand spring-loaded pinch closures to remove the cover.

The tabs are molded into the plastic - they do not come off or detach. If you pull on them and twist them, you will see that they are connected. The only way to remove them, would be to cut them off

jrhoads23 said:

The tabs are molded into the plastic - they do not come off or detach. If you pull on them and twist them, you will see that they are connected. The only way to remove them, would be to cut them off

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It doesn't make sense to me -- from a pure engineering perspective -- that KIA would design a "locked-in" closure, one needing a special cutting tool to gain access on a simple filter housing.

Sloop John said:

It doesn't make sense to me -- from a pure engineering perspective -- that KIA would design a "locked-in" closure, especially one needing a special cutting tool to gain access.

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That is exactly what I am thinking... why would Kia do that?
Now you don't need a special cutting tool to remove them... some decent scissors would do it or you can probably just twist them back and forth until it gives - but it doesnt make sense to me.

Maybe just apart of the molding and someone forgot to clip it at the factory…I’ll look to see if they are on our car later today.

Cincydriver said:

Maybe just apart of the molding and someone forgot to clip it at the factory…

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HAS to be something like that.

In which case, jrhoads23 needs to have the dealer rectify the issue so as not to void the warranty.

So peculiar... You learn something new everyday.

It will interesting to find out if there is even a filter behind those clips, or if the manufacturer forgot to install one since the clips are still in place.

They are probably on their during assembly so the cover does not accidentally get knocked off during production. Just aguess.

Sparklander said:

It will interesting to find out if there is even a filter behind those clips.

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Mine didn’t have those. I just changed it again. I have 57000 on it now

jrhoads23 said:

That is exactly what I am thinking... why would Kia do that?
Now you don't need a special cutting tool to remove them... some decent scissors would do it or you can probably just twist them back and forth until it gives - but it doesnt make sense to me.

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It's been a couple of weeks, what happened? - the suspense is killing us .....

When I took delivery of my 2021 Sorento S in December 2020 I drove it for a week. There was no air from the vents but the dealer said that was because it was winter and the climate control automatically diverted air to under the seats with the demand for heat. The car was cold and the defroster did not work. Meanwhile I could hear the blower working furiously. I had to go back to the dealer to drop off some paperwork and I complained about the lack of heat. They sent a technician out and he immediatly opened the glovebox. There was a tag that read "remove on delivery" attached to a ribbon behind the glove box. He dropped the glove box and pulled the cabin filter. Who ever prepped the car had failed to remove the shrink wrap from the cabin filter. He said that was the third one this week. He said kia just started shrink wrapping cabin filters in new cars to prevent mold while the cars were on the lot. He removed those two backets like you pictured. They just snapped off.

Two things come to mind. First, dealers don't have a clue what they are talking about most of the time, and second, the OP better get that plastic wrap off his cabin filter.

I better go out and check our Sportage cabin filter.

Thank you for sharing.

Sparklander said:

and second, the OP better get that plastic wrap off his cabin filter.

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Hope he is still active to read this ....

mckay99 said:

Mine didn’t have those. I just changed it again. I have 57000 on it now

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Just replaced mine as well (1st time). No tabs, no shrink-wrap, all normal and air filter was dirty.

Had a heck of a time FINDING a non-OEM filter. Ended up going with a NAPA FIL4270 which "mostly" fit but was not exactly the same size. It did seem to fit over the opening in the filter box guts correctly. I paid about as much as I would have for the OEM one and will likely do that in the future. The factory filter is 97133-L1000.

jrhoads23 said:

If you watch this video (2021 Sorento), he does not have them. But if you look close you see that it looks like they USED to be there - cause you can see the little stumps from them.
Does yours have any little "stumps" in those spots?

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Did anyone notice he put it in upside down? Even though he said the airflow was down, the arrows were pointing up...