How long does it take softex in $50k 4 Runner to stop smelling like nasty panties?

[Ruby Khan]

Hi,
We bought a brand new TRD Off Road Premium in May 2023.

We have become increasingly aware of the stench that pervades the car's interior.

I guess it is off-gassing from the fake leather softex vinyl seats.

The car stinks like it has been used as a storage unit for sweaty towels.

We use this car as a station wagon for vacations. It has 9000 miles of civilized attire, good-weather highway driving.

There has never been any use of it that would introduce the smell. No sweaty drives back from the ball field, no food spillage, no pets... we have other cars for that stuff.

The only thing that might not be normal is that we don't drive it often, and it is parked outside in the hot desert sunshine with the windows up.

Every time I open the door of this car and get inside, I can't help but think that this is not what a $50,000 car should smell like. It stinks to high heaven.

Is this normal for the Premium trim with the softex rubber?

Is there a deodorant that may help?

Thank you.

 

[Humble Leader]

a couple theories

- the plastics are releasing VOCs from the hot sun. all cars will do this , new cars will probably have a more noticeable impact. this is your best case IMO
- a rodent has died in your HVAC system or blower fan and is decomposing
- you have a water leak somewhere that has turned into mold/mildew and is smelling due to the heat

bullet 2 and 3 would be pretty easy to verify. so my bet is bullet 1. I have noticed that even in my 12 year old 4runner, when it sits for an extended period of time and it's rained or even a few hot days followed by cool nights where the outside of the vehicle gets condensation on it, the inside air can have a bit of a stale smell the next time I get in.

 

[Saker]

I live in Louisiana, land of hot and humid weather.
I have never had my TRDORP smell as you described.
This is the second one with Softex seats and no stank!

Might try some Ozium.

 

[Heavy_GD]

Just to clarify, we've ruled out the nasty panties.

I wouldn't have waited a year to hire a detailer.

 

[ejesauer]

Like Saker, I have never had any unpleasant odor from the softex in our 2023 4Runner and it sits in the Kansas heat/sun all day during the work week. I would look elsewhere for the source of your issue, and that can be very frustrating; like chasing down electrical issues. But, I'm guessing some sort of moisture somewhere as well. If you have a moonroof, perhaps some wetness in the headliner that hasn't become apparent. Or, like I had on another car, some moisture seeping in the firewall that hid under the front passenger carpet in the foam padding. If you park under trees, the pollen, leaves, petals and stamens can get down in the vents along the windshield and plug up drainage and the vegetation will rot. They can also plug up the drain holes in the bottom of the doors and do the same thing inside the doors and get pretty nasty.

If you still can't find it,you might try a Ozone generator. I have used one several times on cars to get rid of smoke odors, senior citizen odor, dog odor, etc. Your car will smell like the Ozone for a while, but it eventually dissipates, and it works. Sometimes it takes more than one treatment. On the plus side, if you have any vermin in the car, it kills them as well. Nylon and rubber don't like Ozone, but it takes a lot more than a small generator can make and over a longer amount of time than a 30-60 minute treatment. However, it won't work if you think it is moisture until you can get it dried out.

 

[fkheath]

I have had two cars with Softex. None of them smell bad. Could be mold in the A/C system: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10172826-9999.pdf

 

[Sonoran_Desert]

Others (and me) have had the odor you are describing. I too wore only the finest attire when driving my 4Runner, no eating, 4Runner almost never saw rain and 100% garaged. Although I too have Softex, I don't think that is the source. I had a wet raincoat smell for first 15 months after buying new in 2017 and then it went away. Every once in a blue moon is comes back very very briefly with no rhyme or reason. I have a very sensitive nose, non smoker and rest assured this will not be a persistent issue that causes you trouble.

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-...ter-car-has-been-sitting.html?highlight=smell

 

[Ruby Khan]

Others (and me) have had the odor you are describing. I too wore only the finest attire when driving my 4Runner, no eating, 4Runner almost never saw rain and 100% garaged. Although I too have Softex, I don't think that is the source. I had a wet raincoat smell for first 15 months after buying new in 2017 and then it went away. Every once in a blue moon is comes back very very briefly with no rhyme or reason. I have a very sensitive nose, non smoker and rest assured this will not be a persistent issue that causes you trouble.

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-...ter-car-has-been-sitting.html?highlight=smell

Hi,
Thank you for sharing your experience.

It is interesting to note that you live in a desert, as do I. I am up in Utah at 4500 feet. The humidity barely registers above too low to measure on our weather station.

Thank you.

 

[Ruby Khan]

I have had two cars with Softex. None of them smell bad. Could be mold in the A/C system: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10172826-9999.pdf

Hi,
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll inspect this further, although people here where I live would "pray for mold" because that would be accompanied by some much-appreciated moisture.

The air that comes out of the HVAC vents smells fresh and clean.

The odor I speak of confronts us when we first open the car doors and get inside. It clears out when we drive with the AC on.

Thank you.

 

[Ruby Khan]

a couple theories

- the plastics are releasing VOCs from the hot sun. all cars will do this , new cars will probably have a more noticeable impact. this is your best case IMO

Hi,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

For what it's worth. We bought a new 20202 Jeep Rubicon in 2020, use it like a desert rat Jeep, and clean the interior once every 2 years, whether it needs it or not.

The interior still smells like leather upholstery, which is of course an odor but not an entirely unpleasant one.


We also have a 2017 Ford Transit passenger Wagon that we bought new in 2017 and have used as a camping rig in all sorts of bad weather. It sits parked in the sun for weeks, or months, without being opened or closed, and it smells reasonably fresh when we ready it for another trip.

Finally, we still have a 2003 Honda Element purchased new in 2003 that we now use as a townie beater car. It catered to 4 different dogs, who were often wet from swimming in a creek. We also contributed lots of sweat, occasional food spillage, etc.

The dogs have all passed.

That car smells a bit like an old car, with maybe a hint of dog, but nothing particularly egregious.


This 4Runner is downright nasty-smelling. It's pungent and sour.

My wife, I, and occasional guests play "What is that smell?" when we get in the car.

Suggestions include dead shrimp, rotten eggs, etc.

I hope it goes away in 2025.

Thank you.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

 

[Nikko]

We have a smell in our 2021 TRDP that is the Softex for sure. It's gotten better with time, but it really helped to leave the windows open at night in the garage.

Kids seem to care more than we do. Guessing their young noses just work better ...

 

[trainman605]

When I was in high school the smell of nasty panties was the smell of success, but my new TRD Off Road does not smell like that, if it did it would bring back old memories. We all know some people's smeller is much more sensitive than others, too bad for them.

 

[NorthPark]

I don't remember mine smelling that bad at all, not nearly enough to warrant leaving the windows cracked or anything.

Also if you want some real nasty chemicals you should see how they process actual leather.

 

[Ruby Khan]

Hi,
Judging from the varied experiences and anecdotes described here, I suspect the intensity of the odor is related to the extreme heat and intense UV my car encounters.

I used to live in the southeast with 100% humidity and 100-degree air, but those conditions are not as intense as we now experience on the southwest desert plateau.

The UV is extra wicked compared to what we felt near sea level on the coastal Southeast plains.

It does not help that Toyota offers any color interior as long as it's black.

We protect the car with a full set of Weathertech Window shades, but the interior still gets scorching hot in the summer sun.

I'm looking forward to the smell burning off.

Thank you.

 

[ejesauer]

Hi,
Judging from the varied experiences and anecdotes described here, I suspect the intensity of the odor is related to the extreme heat and intense UV my car encounters.

I used to live in the southeast with 100% humidity and 100-degree air, but those conditions are not as intense as we now experience on the southwest desert plateau.

The UV is extra wicked compared to what we felt near sea level on the coastal Southeast plains.

It does not help that Toyota offers any color interior as long as it's black.

We protect the car with a full set of Weathertech Window shades, but the interior still gets scorching hot in the summer sun.

I'm looking forward to the smell burning off.

Thank you.

Does it help at all if you leave the windows cracked? You are probably right on the extreme heat causing the off gassing. On the possibly good side, maybe that will help it go through that process faster. I'm also curious, do you notice any film or schmutz on the inside of the windshield from vapors/off gassing?

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Got my wife a May 2023 ORP with the Softex. Was not a fan of the Softex, but it was impossible to get an ORP with cloth seats.

TBH there is a smell, but it is not stinky and definitely not overwhelming. If it did smell like stinky panties, I might find myself drinking alone and smoking a cigar in the truck at night, savoring the conquest.

The car has been spending most of its time in Montana and sitting out because my wife fears backing out of the narrow 7’9” wide garage doors. She has already broken a driver’s side mirror, plus dented the left front fender and broken the clips on the left side of the front bumper shell on the 2014. Why is it that women can drive it in straight, never really moving the steering wheel, yet feel the need to go bat shit crazy with the steering wheel while backing out, all the while using just the back-up camera and never using the side view mirrors?

 

[Ruby Khan]

Does it help at all if you leave the windows cracked?

I guess it would. It seems to air out when we drive it and accumulate when we park it for a while.

I should try a very small air gap between the windows. We have all kinds of critters living nearby, so we can't leave too much of a gap. Plus, we have dust storms that come up, and I would not want to forget the windows were down.

...do you notice any film or schmutz on the inside of the windshield from vapors/off gassing?

Hi,
I can't say I have noticed anything on the windows I would attribute to off-gassing, although a fresh car wash or detail only lasts a few hours or even minutes where I live.

Dust is in the air, and water evaporates faster than you chamois it off.

We wash and wax not to make the car look good but rather to ensure that it remains possible to wash and wax it.

Thank you.

 

[Humble Leader]

I guess it would. It seems to air out when we drive it and accumulate when we park it for a while.

I should try a very small air gap with the windows. We have all kinda critters living nearby so can't give leave to much of a gap, plus we have dust storms that come up and I would not want to forget the windows were down.





Hi,
I can't say I have noticed anything on the windows I would attribute to off gassing, although a fresh car wash or detail only lasts a few hours or even minutes where I live.

Dust is in the air, and water evaporates faster than you chamois it off.

We wash and wax not to make the car look good but rather to make sure it remains possible to wash and wax the car.

Thank you.

did your 4runner come with new rubber floor mats? if it did, try removing from the vehicle and leaving them out in the sun. then see if the vehicle smells the next day

 

[Ruby Khan]

did your 4runner come with new rubber floor mats? if it did, try removing from the vehicle and leaving them out in the sun. then see if the vehicle smells the next day

Hi,
Thank you for this suggestion. Yes it came with rubber mats as well as a package of carpet lined mats.

We put the carpet-lined mats in the garage as the rubber seemed suitable for our local habitat.

This will be an easy experiment.

We depart on vacation in the Ford Van tomorrow, so we will return to this subject in a few days.

Thank you!