[InTheUS]

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.

 

[WEG]

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.”

 

[WEG]

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.

 

[WEG]

Wow. Did my post kill this thread?

Anybody else with information about the smell issue?

 

[Doug Walton]

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.

 

[InTheUS]

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.

 

[InTheUS]

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!

 

[jger]

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.

So I just bought a new LE AWD Rav4 and am suffering from the smell inside. I think I may have made big mistake in buying this vehicle. The smell was very overpowering to me when I first got in for a test drive. It did not smell like your typical new car smell - there was something different and decidedly more noxious about it. I'm not even sure how to describe it, except it reminds me a bit of cedar aroma. It sort of produces a sensation of itchiness inside my nose.

My wife along with the salesman just said it smelled like a new car to them so I ended up ignoring it, expecting it to diminish sufficiently fairly quickly. So we bought the car and started driving home. The odor did diminish somewhat, but I had the windows down slightly and the fan on with the heat set to medium. In spite of that, by the time we had driven about 35 to 40 minutes, both my wife and I were experiencing a slight headache. When I stopped after driving for about an hour, I popped the hood and was greeted by a smell similar to burning plastic on the driver's side of the engine compartment.

I drove to work this morning with all of the windows a few inches down, and still noticed a slight smell. This was after letting the car idle for about 15 minutes the night before with the heat on full blast. I also let it idle this morning with the heat on full blast before leaving for work.

At this point I regret buying this specific vehicle. I should have told them to give me a call when they get another LE AWD Mag Grey in stock. I test drove a different LE, FWD a few nights earlier and I did not notice a noxious smell. As it is, I experienced brain fog all day Monday after driving the vehicle to and from work. Just last night, I did a 15 minute drive around the neighborhood and had the really noxious odor reappear in the cabin. I also noticed a brief burning plastic smell when I opened the engine compartment.

I did call the dealership right after I got home from the purchase and spoke to the salesman. He said that the '19 Ravs that he has been in have had a stronger smell than the previous generations and said he thought it would go away soon, but that I could bring it in to have it inspected if I wanted. I told him I would see what the next day or two was like, but I decided to also call Toyota Care today. They opened a case, but said that the way things work, I need to have the dealership try to remedy the issue first.

I am not looking forward to having to deal with this - this is one of those things that the service department is likely to say "we don't notice anything unusual" and I'll end up with a vehicle that is making me sick.

Any thoughts? Anybody else experience something similar?

 

[csun]

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)

 

[dbkelly]

So I just bought a new LE AWD Rav4 and am suffering from the smell inside. I think I may have made big mistake in buying this vehicle. The smell was very overpowering to me when I first got in for a test drive. It did not smell like your typical new car smell - there was something different and decidedly more noxious about it. I'm not even sure how to describe it, except it reminds me a bit of cedar aroma. It sort of produces a sensation of itchiness inside my nose.

My wife along with the salesman just said it smelled like a new car to them so I ended up ignoring it, expecting it to diminish sufficiently fairly quickly. So we bought the car and started driving home. The odor did diminish somewhat, but I had the windows down slightly and the fan on with the heat set to medium. In spite of that, by the time we had driven about 35 to 40 minutes, both my wife and I were experiencing a slight headache. When I stopped after driving for about an hour, I popped the hood and was greeted by a smell similar to burning plastic on the driver's side of the engine compartment.

I drove to work this morning with all of the windows a few inches down, and still noticed a slight smell. This was after letting the car idle for about 15 minutes the night before with the heat on full blast. I also let it idle this morning with the heat on full blast before leaving for work.

At this point I regret buying this specific vehicle. I should have told them to give me a call when they get another LE AWD Mag Grey in stock. I test drove a different LE, FWD a few nights earlier and I did not notice a noxious smell. As it is, I experienced brain fog all day Monday after driving the vehicle to and from work. Just last night, I did a 15 minute drive around the neighborhood and had the really noxious odor reappear in the cabin. I also noticed a brief burning plastic smell when I opened the engine compartment.

I did call the dealership right after I got home from the purchase and spoke to the salesman. He said that the '19 Ravs that he has been in have had a stronger smell than the previous generations and said he thought it would go away soon, but that I could bring it in to have it inspected if I wanted. I told him I would see what the next day or two was like, but I decided to also call Toyota Care today. They opened a case, but said that the way things work, I need to have the dealership try to remedy the issue first.

I am not looking forward to having to deal with this - this is one of those things that the service department is likely to say "we don't notice anything unusual" and I'll end up with a vehicle that is making me sick.

Any thoughts? Anybody else experience something similar?

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

 

[concerned consumer]

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?

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

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.