My 2017 Lexus GS 350 needs a new air filter. It’s been about 20,000 miles and is ready for a replacement. No matter what car I drive, weather it be a $500 Honda Accord or my GS I’m still a do-it-yourself kind of guy and refuse to hand over money for something I can easily do on my own. The Lexus dealer can and will charge upwards of $150 to replace the air filter. If you follow my instructions below I will save you over $100 and have your car done in 5 to 10 minutes!
Where to get the correct air filter?
I like to shop on Amazon, they usually have great prices and with my prime membership the orders arrive at my door super quick.
There are quite a few manufactures that make replacement filters for the GS, I tend to steer toward name brands I trust and have used in the past.
Fram is my first choice in filter, they tend to be slightly more expensive than other brands, but they perform well and last. This particular filter has an extra layer of filtration material on the bottom. I haven’t seen that previously on others. I’m curious if it adds that much more filtration without cutting down the airflow to the engine. $33.99 at Amazon
Another high quality choice would be this K&N filter. K&N is know for high quality, high performance air filters and this one is no exception. At a cost of over $60 this is one of the more expensive options for the GS 350 – K&N Filter at Amazon $60.94
There are quite a number of aftermarket air filters available for the GS 350, obviously the choice is yours, just be careful what you choose to protect the engine of your $50,000+ luxury car! Use this link to search all GS350 compatible filters on Amazon
How do I change the air filter?
Lexus was very cool this time around, the air filter can be replaced with NO TOOLS what so ever!
STEP 1 – Remove the sound proofing cover
Lexus likes to include lots of plastic covers over their engines and I’m not 100% sure why. My best guess is for sound proofing to keep the cabin as quiet as possible.
There are 4 “pop” pins that need to be removed in order to remove the cover. The clips are easy to get out, simply PUSH the center of the clip in (yes push it down) and then pull out.
Once the four clips are removed take the cover off and place it to the side. You now have access to the air filter box.
STEP 2 – Open the air filter box
The air filter box has 4 clips that can be easily pushed open with your thumb.
Gently lift the top cover off the box, be careful not to disturb any of the sensors or wires on the air filter box. The filter will be positioned in the lower 1/2 of the box, pull it out. Take note of the orientation of the filter. (It can only go in one way)
Position the new filter in the box EXACTLY the way the old one came out. Next, place the cover back on the box and make sure the sides seal tight. We don’t want any leaks, all the air flow into the engine must be pulled through the filter.
Finally snap the metal clips back on the filter box, and lastly place the sound proofing cover back over the engine.
TIP: To easily replace the black clips push up from the bottom until the head 
pops up. Then simply insert the clips in their proper holes and push the head down until its FLUSH with the rest of the clip. Remember if you push too far the head will sink into the clip for removal purposes. These clips can be used over and over again, however on occasion they can break. Replacement clips can be purchased on Amazon for $5.00 or so. Click here.
How to set a filter replacement reminder
The Lexus infotainment system has a provision for setting maintenance reminders. It may be a good idea to configure a reminder for the next air filter replacement.
Here are the steps: From the main menu click SETUP ->Vehicle -> Maintenance -> Air Filter -> Set the parameters for the next change interval. I believe its recommended to change every 12,000 miles or yearly. If you’re a more visual person please see the steps below:
DONE!
Sit back with a cup of tea or coffee and remember you saved over $100 by doing this simple and easy job yourself!
Thank you for reading my blog,
-Joe
Don’t forget to shop my ETSY store www.geekgearstore.com