2023 increasing rubber smell in cabin after car has been sitting

[DocHalsey]

Here’s a weird one. I have a rubber/plastic smell in my car that is quite strong and most noticeable when I hop in after it’s been closed up a day or two.

The car has under 3k miles on it and this is different than the usual new car smell.

This is with the engine off. Nothing in cabin air filter. No evidence of rodents in engine bay. No sunroof. Doesn’t seem to vary with HVAC settings. I park outside. I do have rubber mats since day one but don’t think they smelled to begin with. Softex seats.

I’m stumped. I don’t suppose anyone has run I to this?

 

[fkheath]

Here’s a weird one. I have a rubber/plastic smell in my car that is quite strong and most noticeable when I hop in after it’s been closed up a day or two.

The car has under 3k miles on it and this is different than the usual new car smell.

This is with the engine off. Nothing in cabin air filter. No evidence of rodents in engine bay. No sunroof. Doesn’t seem to vary with HVAC settings. I park outside. I do have rubber mats since day one but don’t think they smelled to begin with. Softex seats.

I’m stumped. I don’t suppose anyone has run I to this?

Others (few) have also reported a rubber cement smell. Seem to think it may be from the glue they use in a few places. Can you leave your windows open a bit to air out?

Won't solve the smell when sitting, but you might try an activated carbon cabin air filter; there is an OEM one available for that. Also, online, you can find a baking soda cabin air filter.

 

[Sonoran_Desert]

Toyota removes most of the new car smell from 4Runners. New car plastics and other materials are not healthy to breath and the Japanese, unlike Americans, do not like new car smell. Japanese plants where T4R are manufactured, are especially skilled at removing new car smell.

My new T4R had a very very slight new car smell when I bought new, but just barely. I really missed the new car smell. There was soon no smell at all and I was bummed.

After a period of no smell at all, I started noticing a strange rubber / wet polyester rain coat smell inside the vehicle. It was very obvious. My T4R is garaged with windows shut. I have no pets, never drink or eat or smoke in vehicle and knew the smell was coming from the vehicle's materials. Slowly after about 15 months the rubber/ polyester rain coat smell went away. Now I am back to zero smell. Hopefully your smell will slowly fade like mine did.

 

[kenwilliams0803]

Yup what they said. It's just off gassing and it will eventually go away.

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[lewdog998]

the vehicle "off gassing" is easily countered with personal "off gassing"...best applied when significant other or buddies are in the vehicle with the windows up and locked.

 

[NorthernSailor]

And here the wife and I thought we were just imagining this...good to know.

 

[DocHalsey]

Toyota removes most of the new car smell from 4Runners. New car plastics and other materials are not healthy to breath and the Japanese, unlike Americans, do not like new car smell. Japanese plants where T4R are manufactured, are especially skilled at removing new car smell.

My new T4R had a very very slight new car smell when I bought new, but just barely. I really missed the new car smell. There was soon no smell at all and I was bummed.

After a period of no smell at all, I started noticing a strange rubber / wet polyester rain coat smell inside the vehicle. It was very obvious. My T4R is garaged with windows shut. I have no pets, never drink or eat or smoke in vehicle and knew the smell was coming from the vehicle's materials. Slowly after about 15 months the rubber/ polyester rain coat smell went away. Now I am back to zero smell. Hopefully your smell will slowly fade like mine did.

Thanks for that. I’ll see how it changes over time. A bit strange that the smell appears after not being there at day one. Makes me wonder what is truly causing it. Maybe something in the HVAC system?

 

[DocHalsey]

And here the wife and I thought we were just imagining this...good to know.

Glad it’s not just me losing my mind.

 

[kenwilliams0803]

Thanks for that. I’ll see how it changes over time. A bit strange that the smell appears after not being there at day one. Makes me wonder what is truly causing it. Maybe something in the HVAC system?

It's the chemicals used in manufacture. Think about the glues and such that they use on the interior. They break down over time from heat, UV, etc. That's when you smell them.

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[spartacus]

Rubber mats smell as well.