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Yup, the filter is part of the pump assembly - you have to get access to the tank first, remove the cover plate, and pull up the whole assembly. Then you have to pull that apart to get at the fuel filter inside, as it is just ahead of the fuel pump. There is a coarse outer pickup "sock" that gets the big chunks, the fuel filter gets the finer stuff.
Unless you know there was some foreign material poured into the gas tank - then there should be no reason to suspect a bad filter. The fuel system is a returnless design, so the pump assembly only filters the gas needed, there is no constant fuel recirculation like before. From what I've read about the workings, the filter is also self flushing - so the chance of it getting clogged up is pretty remote.
But if you've filled up with really suspect gas or accidentally filled up with diesel fuel - that should be clean for the life of the car. Even guys with 200K+ miles on the 1ZZ-FE are still running the original fuel filter. I'm at 153K on my 2002 Corolla and 110K on the 2003 Matrix - both running the original fuel filters. Zero problems with fuel to date.
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2002 Corolla S, 1.8L 1ZZ-FE VVT-i
2003 Matrix XRS, 1.8L 2ZZ-GE, VVTL-i (RIP)
2009 Matrix XRS, 2.4L 2AZ-FE VVT-i
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Linear Mode
