My wife has a 2001 Civic with about 70,000 miles. The dealer says she needs to replace the pollen filter. I’ve never heard of that. What is it and can it cause harm if not replaced?
If your car has a Cabin Air Filter (the correct term, rather than “pollen filter”), then it should be replaced far more often than every 70k.
First, I would suggest that you verify that the car actually has one, since cheaper cars from 6 years ago rarely had this feature. See what your Owner’s Manual says about this feature on Civics. (If there is no mention in either the section on the A/C system or in the Maintenance Schedule, then it wasn’t even offered on '01 Civics!)
If your car does have this feature, failure to replace it in a timely manner will lead to windshield fogging and impeded air flow through the A/C and heater. Follow the replacement schedule listed in the Maintenance Schedule.
Personally, I replace mine once a year, as I suffer from allegies and I want as much relief as possible from pollen and dust.
Our 2002 Civic has a cabin air filter and I believe the 2001 has one also. It’s located behind the glove compartment and the filter is easy to replace but a bit pricey. It should be replaced every 30K miles. The dealer parts department wanted $35 for one but I ended up buying it at Advance Auto parts for $26. The owners maunual explains how to access the filter. Hope this helps.