I had same burning smell when I was driving home from the dealership. I thought it was due to using the heated seat for the first time. Overall odor is strong but it's getting better. You can buy a USB powered air purifier and leave in your car. Buy one with a carbon filter. Many options in Amazon...

 

1) Take it back and get your $$ back or, get another one. 2) Keep it and wait for the TSB, recall, or campaign to come out.

 

No odd odors so far, just the usual new car odor.

 

My wife just picked up her new 2019 RAV4 Limited AWD this afternoon. Silver Sky Metallic with all available packages and accessories. Tons of electronic options. As senior citizens I'll bet we never figure out how to use all of them. Our dealer located this specific car for us at another dealer so it had 126 miles on it when she picked it up; then drove it 75 miles home so now it has about 200 miles on it but there is no odd smell. Just the new-car smell, nothing over-powering. Although this car is really unremarkable in terms of styling and looks (reminds me of a used Subaru) I think it will serve us well. I followed her home and was a little disappointed that the tail lights and rear turn signal lights seemed very small and not very prominent compared to a lot of other vehicles.

 

I noticed the same burning plastic smell when the transmission hesitated and lurched after a rolling stop. That odor hit me immediately after the transmission hesitated/lurched. This happened with about 50 miles on the odometer. I bought my RAV4 with 7 miles on it and there wasn't any burning odors when it was at the dealership. There is definitely something defective going on. It is not normal for any car to have this type of odor when it's new.

I drove 25 miles around town to find out when my RAV4 emits this burning odor and it happens when the transmission is downshifting after coming to a near stop. If I stepped on the gas at 1-2 mph the transmission would lurch and the burning plastic smell would get stronger. Now I avoid rolling stops and the transmission shifts normally off the line. I'm an electrician and this burning smell reminds me of insulation that is overheating and melting at a very high temperature. Something around the transmission is getting way too hot and causing this material to burn. I'm not a mechanic but I know there has to be something wrong when a burning plastic smell goes off in a split second. I'm going to look under the hood and underneath the engine bay to find out if there is anything that looks charred.

 

Take it back to the dealership to have them look into it. If they can't reproduce it, smell it, or deny there's a problem, call Toyota Care and have them document the issue. Also request that a Toyota Specialist come out and take a look at the vehicle. If you keep having the problem and the dealership/Toyota is not able to remedy it, start thinking about having Toyota replace the vehicle under the lemon law. The representative at Toyota Care should ask you what you're expecting from Toyota, but if they don't, tell them that you are asking that Toyota fix the problem or replace the vehicle. There's a pamphlet that is bundled with the owner's manual and other booklets that describes steps you need to take in these situations.

As for me, I've just started that process and am waiting for an appointment to have a specialist come out to the dealer to examine it and figure out a solution. I have a handful of issues with this vehicle that I am going to document in another thread, but I will say here that I am having issues with the transmission. It "thumps" when coming to a stop (at around 3-4 mph) when the vehicle engine/power train has not yet come up to full operating temperature (before 10-15 mins of driving). I have also noticed hard shifts while driving at higher speeds, and also jerky, whiplash types of effects with "rolling stops", like you're describing, particularly when the vehicle is cold. I haven't noticed any pronounced burning smells when changing speed, although I have recently noticed that the odd "cedar wood" type smell inside the car seems to make itself known after harder acceleration, or after slowing down. Maybe it's the same as what you're experiencing, but in my case it smells different after making its way into the cabin from the engine compartment.

My dealership has been of no real help to me, and in fact the service manager tried telling me that the other two new '19 Ravs that we test drove were doing the same type of hard shift into first gear that my car was doing! They were NOT anywhere close to the same effect. They had a very "slight" sensation sometimes that you could feel when coming to a stop, but you could not hear it. Mine has a very pronounced thump feel and sound. Ridiculous!

BTW, mine is a J-spec (Japanese built). What is yours?

 

Still no odd smells or strange shifting on mine going on 3 months of ownership, although I still have less that 500 miles on it, sounds like Toyota service needs to check it out to me, I have made a couple 30 mile trips tho, no burning smell, hope ya get it and the shift issue fixed, that's a bummer on a new vehicle.

 

Mine had the engine/transmission built in Japan and the other parts from from US and Canada. I still experience the jerky whiplash at 3-4mph like you described but no thumping when downshifting to a stop. I had a 99 Sentra with 150k that would have a harsh thump during downshifting to 1st or 2nd gear ,I know you're talking about. A new car shouldn't be doing that. I did find that giving the transmission 1-2 seconds to find the right gear after a rolling stop (slowing down for speed bumps for example) will prevent it from lurching/ whip lashing. Try doing this - when you're going to do a rolling stop let your foot off the brake so the car slowly creeps forward and then you when you feel it down shifting into the right gear, apply light pressure to the gas pedal to make sure it's in the right gear then you can step on it a little harder to get the acceleration you want without any whiplash. It seems like this transmission is very slow downshifting during low speeds. Like they tuned it for safer driving rather than sporty performance. I do think this transmission is capable of snapping off quicker up and down shifts but they decided not to because then it would be too fast.

 

I was asking about final assembly which is on driver's door pillar, but component assembly is interesting too. Where do you get that info?

As far as transmission shifting issues with "rolling stop" (at either low or slightly higher speeds) type scenarios go, I'm really only experiencing that now when the vehicle hasn't really warmed up yet.

It was really bad during the first week or two of ownership, no matter the temperature, but has improved greatly as I've put more miles on it. I could definitely try work around the problem and usually avoid the whiplash, but obviously, a driver should not have to do this. Plus, there are times you are actually busy driving and it just is unavoidable.

 

Final assembly point was in aichi japan, the percentage of where the parts came from were on the window sticker but I think they remove that when they deliver the vehicle. Yeah the owner shouldn't have to drive a certain way to avoid glitches in the vehicles operation I agree with you, it's like I have to be careful the way I drive or I'm going to mess up the transmission

 

We've had our 2019 Adventure for about a week and hadn't noticed any smell until today. This morning while driving to work, I noticed a smell similar to what has already been described. The smell is really bad when the heat is directed to the floor. When changing to any other vent/defrost setting, the smell seems to almost completely go away. For those who have experienced this smell, can you confirm that its worse when the blower is directed to the floor or any other specific blower setting? This smell occurs even when the vehicle is not moving and is parked. The smell is not affected whether or not the recirculated air is on or off. Hopefully another case and/or more information provides more direction to Toyota to help resolve this issue.

 

The smell is really bad when the heat is directed to the floor. When changing to any other vent/defrost setting, the smell seems to almost completely go away. For those who have experienced this smell, can you confirm that its worse when the blower is directed to the floor or any other specific blower setting? This smell occurs even when the vehicle is not moving and is parked. The smell is not affected whether or not the recirculated air is on or off. Hopefully another case and/or more information provides more direction to Toyota to help resolve this issue.

My ventilation was set to come out the dashboard when I got the burning plastic smell. I also noticed it after I had parked & turned off the engine, I could smell it from a couple feet away. Today I drove about 40 miles with the ventilation blowing down and I did notice an odor that was a bit more toasty but not like burning plastic. I haven't got the smell since 50 miles on the odometer I now have around 300 miles. I think it has to do with the transmission and if you're driving on the highway or in the city

 

Experiencing the same problem with the transmission jerking coming to a stop and hesitation on a rolling stop. Was told it would go away but I'm at 1500 miles and problem still persists. I opened a case with Corp Toyota and you should call to. The more complaints the better, maybe they will release a tsb.

 

I'm going to open a case as well. I think the transmission has problems with city driving. Transmission hesitates finding the right gear & then it lurches after a rolling stop. Mine doesn't have jerky or harsh down shifts yet. I tried manual shift mode when I was at a stoplight and it was in 4th gear, which is strange because any car will downshift into first gear when it stops completely. Also noticed that when the brake hold is on, my RAV4 will take off with a lot more torque for some reason. It's an electronically controlled transmission, Toyota can tune it to fix these problems. I don't understand why they put a 8spat and have it shift so erratically. I think they're trying to make accelerate slow on purpose, if the transmission was tuned correctly the 2019 RAV4 would be really sporty

 

Didn't you state on previous post that you're having a jerk when coming to a stop? That's what I'm having.

 

I experienced the same noxious smell you described and recently solved the mystery in my case.
It seems the 2019 Rav4 is designed such that windshield washer fluid drains and vapor is absorbed through the air intake of the cabin HVAC system. The noxious smell in my case was Supertech De-icer windshield washer fluid from Walmart. This winterized version has an extremely high content of methanol (65%) which is highly toxic in vapor form. It also contains ethylene glycol which is also toxic. I looked up the MSDS on the washer fluid and it has a hazard rating of 3. I also found a study that has been done on the issue: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2005.00411.x

Needless to say, the resolution is simple... find a safer winterized windshield washer fluid. I have since stopped using the Walmart brand and experience the noxious smell no more. I attached a picture of the Walmart brand that was causing my problem.

 

The odor you had in your vehicle was not the same as in my vehicle. Mine had (up until the other day) the standard washer fluid AND the odor is nothing like what washer fluid smells like. This odor reminds me of what cedar wood smells like, but it isn't the same. It also shows up only when the vehicle is running. It appears to be coming from the ventilation system and is activated when the heat is set to medium up to high. Or it is coming from the engine compartment once the engine gets hot and may be related to the burning plastic smell and lingering odor.

Two recent dealer comp vehicles that I drove two weeks ago both had the same smell in the cabin, and the burning plastic smell in the engine compartment. Other 2019 Rav4s that I've driven have not had either smell that I was able to detect.

 

I've been experiencing the same noxious smell you describe since mile 1 and now have over 13K miles on my 2019 Rav4 LE AWD. It has not lessened in intensity when it elusively appears. I thought I had solved the mystery by attributing the fumes to Winterized de-icing windshield washer fluid I had been using, but after a while the strong smell returned. This may sound strange but I have noticed I only experience the smell when parked at my place of employment which is industrial. I have come to the conclusion that some reaction is taking place with the air at this specific location. I have taken trips from Virginia to Florida and have never experienced the smell any other place but at my place of work. Once I could smell the emission coming from my Rav4 when approaching the vehicle sitting in the parking lot. I have driven off-site to a restaurant and the smell completely evaporates upon leaving with the windows down, only to return when I return back to work. My only conclusion at this point is that there is something about the air composition in this specific location that is reacting with something on my Rav4. I'm suspecting the emissions? I will be reporting this to my dealer at my 15k service interval.

 

Update

Confirmed RAV4 is reacting with airstream from odorless industrial exhaust, emitting noxious fumes/odor. Able to recreate simply by moving vehicle in and out of airstream (able to recreate up to 1/4 mile from plant with 12 mph wind). Parked in airstream and had company Emergency Response Technicians verify presence of obnoxious odor and test for toxicity using Eagle 6 gas portable sampler. No toxic gas was detected even though fumes were significant to both technicians. Odor seems ubiquitous when present such that none could pinpoint specific source on vehicle.

 

Confirmed RAV4 is reacting with airstream from odorless industrial exhaust, emitting noxious fumes/odor. Able to recreate simply by moving vehicle in and out of airstream (able to recreate up to 1/4 mile from plant with 12 mph wind). Parked in airstream and had company Emergency Response Technicians verify presence of obnoxious odor and test for toxicity using Eagle 6 gas portable sampler. No toxic gas was detected even though fumes were significant to both technicians. Odor seems ubiquitous when present such that none could pinpoint specific source on vehicle.

No such cause with mine. It would appear no matter where I was.

If I were you though, I'd be worried about the air quality/safety around the plant.

 

Very interesting topic. I was just issued a 2019 RAV4 LE with 1200 miles on the odometer. Will be driving it this week in South Dakota. Will report any odd smells. Right now, smells like “new car.”

 

Oooooh THAT SMELL. Yes, I smell that smell. Driving the Gen 5 like I stole it for 700 miles yesterday. Driving it to the store today. I totally smell it. Strong odor. Smells like a cross between brake pads and electrical. Nasty. Glad this car is a rental. Getting rid of it in two days.

 

Wow. Did my post kill this thread?

Anybody else with information about the smell issue?

 

Nah, life happens, that's all.

I haven't noticed any burning plastic type smells since Feb, early March. I do still notice the odd "cedar wood" smell from the ventilation system on occasion, depending on temp and humidity. Higher humidity weather tends to make it appear at relatively low levels. Also tends to show up if I set the temperature to high. Again, it's not normal new car smell.

 

As I posted previous, I confirmed the source of the odor I experience. I say experience because I now have 30k miles on my Rav4 and the smell is just as re-creatable as when new. The vehicle reacts with a chemical in a specific industrial air stream. I have never been able to determine what is in the particular air stream. I have since downloaded a wind direction app which I monitor for current air direction. I use this as a guide where to park my vehicle out of the air stream. I use my Rav4 much as canaries were used in coal mines, lol. My suspicion is that the industrial air stream contains fluorine.

 

I would think that you have more to worry about than a reaction with, or in your car if fluorine is in the air!

 

I bought a 2021 rav4 in December 2020 and have this same type problem. I thought it was plastic off gassing of a new vehicle, but now have 3000 miles on it and it’s still there. What I am experiencing is more noticeable when the vehicle has sat for over an hour and then turn it on, the smells comes through the vents and is more obviously noticeable; however, i think it is always there, just not as strong once you get going and once the outside air intake mixes with whatever is finding its way into the vents. I plan to bring this up with the dealer service dept on my next visit, but fear that the result will be the same as most others experience: either denial or an acknowledgement with a shrug of the shoulders. I have owned 9 different vehicles in my life. This is the first time I have experienced anything like this...and my first Toyota which I bought as a more “sensible choice” for a “utility vehicle”, having usually bought German or sometimes Japanese luxury brands. just posting this to confirm that such an issue might be more widespread than acknowledged.
Will update once I get feedback from the dealer service dept.

 

I bought a 2021 rav4 in December 2020 and have this same type problem. I thought it was plastic off gassing of a new vehicle, but now have 3000 miles on it and it’s still there. What I am experiencing is more noticeable when the vehicle has sat for over an hour and then turn it on, the smells comes through the vents and is more obviously noticeable; however, i think it is always there, just not as strong once you get going and once the outside air intake mixes with whatever is finding its way into the vents. I plan to bring this up with the dealer service dept on my next visit, but fear that the result will be the same as most others experience: either denial or an acknowledgement with a shrug of the shoulders. I have owned 9 different vehicles in my life. This is the first time I have experienced anything like this...and my first Toyota which I bought as a more “sensible choice” for a “utility vehicle”, having usually bought German or sometimes Japanese luxury brands. just posting this to confirm that such an issue might be more widespread than acknowledged.
Will update once I get feedback from the dealer service dept.

Would be interesting to see if all are from the same plant.

C (Cambridge Ontario) (W Woodstock Ontario) J (Japan)

 

l love the new car smell, it will also fog the inside of the glass as it out-gasses.

 

I few months ago I purchased a new Rav4 XLE.
After about 3000 miles I started to detect a very strong mechanical (hot lubricant/grease) smell coming into the cab. The smell makes it difficult to drive without having the sunroof and or the windows down. Several of my family members have also detected the smell. My neice actually would not drive in the car without the windows down because of the strong smell and her infant daughter being in the back seat.
I brought the vehicle to two (2) Toyota dealerships and they both told me they cannot smell anything. One dealership actually even tried to accuse me of spilling something in the car...
My car is meticulously maintained and there is no way I would have ever tried to cover something like that up. I am very disappointed and am currently working on contacting the Atorney Generals office about this matter. This is a safety issue at this point, not to mention having spent $36.000 to have to drive around during the winter months with the windows down
Anyone else have this problem?

 

After about 3000 miles I started to detect a very strong mechanical (hot lubricant/grease) smell coming into the cab. The smell makes it difficult to drive without having the sunroof and or the windows down.

I don't remember ever reading about such a smell in 5th generation RAVs after several years on RAV4World and this forum. Have you examined your engine and engine compartment for any oil or fluid leaks? Are there any drips on the pavement where you park? Use a strong flashlight and peer all around the engine bay especially at the front of the engine (passengers side). Look at all the hoses and try to see the plastic splash guard/skid plate under the engine if there are spills on it. Look behind the engine to see if any leaks from the valve cover are getting on the silver heat shield over the exhaust headers.You can remove the access panel underneath and see if there is an oil leak from the oil filter or drain plug and feel inside the splash guard for any other fluid leaks. Sometimes things rattle and vibrate loose and cause leaks. Other times rodents gnaw on hoses and cause leaks. Defective O rings or gaskets on oil filters sometimes leak. I have read posts where one 5th gen RAV had a bad rear main seal on the crankshaft and it leaked oil out the seam between the engine and trans.

 

I have an issue I hope someone can help. I purchased a low-mileage 2020 RAV4 TRD in June 2023. When I purchased it, the interior actually smelled like new. The last week or so, however, I have noticed the interior has a very strong "plastic" smell. It doesn't smell like burning plastic, just plastic itself. It gets so strong I'm afraid of getting asphyxiated while driving so I drive with the windows down a bit and the sunroof open. It's been very hot the past couple of weeks so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it? I'm taking it to the dealership next week to have it checked but was wondering if anyone else has had this. Thanks!

 

Are you driving all the time with the A/C "recirculate" button turned on? That might be your issue. If recirculate is on the fan and A/C just recycle the old stale cabin air. Turn the button off so the A/C gets fresh air intake from the louvres in front of the windshield, below the wipers. Also you might need a new cabin air filter. The charcoal ones are best.

 

I have had a 2019 RAV4 hybrid since it was new, and every winter get the smell of exhaust in the car when the heater is on. At first I thought it was dust burning off, but never goes away. Have had the car at dealer and they tell me they can’t find the problem, and accuse me of having it on re-circulate, but I don’t. I have not known what to do. I forget about it in the summer; don’t smell it with air conditioner on. Have no idea what to do. I suspect it could eventually cause health problems. I don’t see any good solutions on this thread, but if anyone has ideas, please let me know.

 

Have you ever changed the cabin air filter? The heater blows through it before the hot air comes out the vents.

 

I now made another appointment at the Toyota dealer. Finally they are saying it might be a leak in the exhaust system into the heating system vents, since I don't smell it when the air conditioner is on; they said then the air goes through the condenser and filter so would be filtered more. I hope being the hybrid it isn't more complicated. I really can't stand the exhaust smell anymore, so if they minimize and don't fix it finally, I will do what someone else said and contact further up in Toyota. I think I am breathing toxic air in the cold season while in my car. Today was warm and no smell; had air conditioner on.

 

Do you run the AC with fresh air or recirculating air position? If recirculating, try fresh air position and see if you notice the exhaust smell.