A liquid filter suitable for motor vehicles which includes a filter head (11), a vessel (12) and a filter element (16) disposed within the vessel (12) sealingly separating an inlet (14) from an outlet (15) such that liquid from the inlet must flow through the filter element to reach the outlet. The filter element (16) has guide projections (27, 28) positioning the filter element (16) within the vessel (12). Prior to installation, the filter element (16) is preassembled into the vessel (12) and fixed in position by pushing the filter element (16) into an element guide (29), after which the preassembly is screwed onto the filter head (11). When the vessel (12) is unscrewed from the filter head (11), the filter element (16) slides out of the element guide (29) and moves axially upwardly to free a volume V. Liquid flowing into the vessel (12) from the higher regions of the liquid filter (10) can flow into this volume, thus enabling drip-free replacement of the filter element.