The air filter in your Toyota Camry keeps dirt from flowing into your engine and damaging its internals. Since its filter element fills up with debris over time, you need to replace it on a regular schedule — or your engine won’t have enough airflow to run right.
What’s the best air filter for the 2020 Toyota Camry?
If you want to stick with OEM, as is recommended, you can get a replacement air filter from Toyota for about $25. For an aftermarket air filter, consider going with K&N. Amazon has the right one for just under $60.
Which air filter should you choose? How often do you need to replace this important part? You have lots of questions — and we have the answers. Just use this article to learn all you need to know, and then get ready to take excellent care of your Camry.
How Often You Should Change Your Camry Air Filter
Toyota recommends that you change your air filter once every 30,000 miles in normal driving conditions. If you’re driving in an area that’s abnormally dusty, on the other hand, you can drop the service interval down to 15,000 miles or less.
Either way, it is often best to have your lube tech visually inspect your air filter every time you have your oil changed. They will look for any signs of damage or excessive debris and let you know if it’s time for a replacement.
Even if your air filter looks okay at the 30,000 mile mark, just have it changed anyway. That way, you can rest assured that the filter element won’t break down and let copious amounts of dirt flow straight into your engine.
You can also inspect and replace the air filter on your 2020 Camry yourself if you’re confident under the hood.
Just follow these steps:
- Find the airbox and slide off the clips located at each corner
- Lift the lip to access the engine air filter inside
- Pull the old filter out and put in the new one
Once you’re done with those steps, you just have to put the lid down and reinstall the clips. After that, you’re good to go. Pay attention to how your engine sounds and feels in the first couple miles afterward. If anything seems wrong, check your air filter for problems to verify nothing is out of place.
Aftermarket vs. OEM: Which is Better for Your Camry?
Toyota builds all of their OEM air filters to perfectly fit in the airbox and provide the ideal amount of airflow to the engine. They never stray from that formula to help keep engines running cleanly and efficiently mile after mile.
K&N aftermarket air filters are built with just as much care, but they often cover multiple applications. This can leave you wishing for a better fit. The airflow, on the other hand, is often superior to the OEM filter, giving your car a little bit more oomph on all your travels.
At just over $25, OEM air filters are a good deal and won’t break the bank as this service appears on the horizon. Unlike K&N filters, they are not reusable, however, and will require a new purchase every time you need to change it.
With K&N, you pay about $60 for a filter and never have to buy another one for the life of your car. At each service interval, you just have to clean and reoil it to make it look and work like new once again.
The cleaning process is a lot more involved than the simple replacement needed for OEM filters. And if you don’t do it right, you could end up damaging your engine.
As you decide between OEM and aftermarket engine air filters for your 2020 Camry, you have to weigh all the factors above to find the right choice for you. It all comes down to your preferences in the end since they are both equally good, but in different ways.
Photos: Toyota
