Smells in the new 2025 LC250 - 1958 trim

[TrailWhale]

I get the musty smell from condensation in the AC. It’s only present if I turn off the AC during AC season. It goes away during colder seasons. Happens on my RAV4 as well.

I’ve accepted this as an unavoidable part of life. I understand that it can be resolved by turning off AC and turning off recirculation for the last 5 minutes of your ride, but ain’t nobody got time for that.

 

[daddyscar]

My son drove it about a 100 miles and he didn't say anything about a burning smell. I drove it about 30 miles in mixed city and highway driving and I didn't smell anything. Still under the first 200 miles and hope whatever needed to burn off, is done.

 

[thesahl]

Has anyone else had issues with smells in the car? Right when I bought this car it had a very bad smell of burnt plastic, which I was told was from the break-in - this lasted for awhilie, especially when I was accelerating. It went away after a couple months.

Now that it's gotten hotter out, I've noticed a new smell - rotting/garbage/tire (if you can imagine that all mixed together). I smell it when I open the doors and sit in the car initially - once I start driving and have the AC on, it kinda goes away after a couple minutes.

I have the 1958 model with the cloth seats, and the wife thinks that it could be from the cloth seats, but I find it hard to believe because nobody else has complained about this. Other option is a dead animal in the engine bay, but I feel like the smell would get more pungent over time and wouldn't go away so fast after I start driving.

I smelled the air coming out of the vents and it smells fine, so I doubt it's something in HVAC.

Brought it into the dealer and they said they can't smell anything; but my whole family has confirmed the smell when initially entering the car after it's been sitting out for awhile in the heat.

Any ideas?

I lit up a Macanudo, and voila! The smell is gone.

 

[DubDub]

... when I changed out my door speakers, there was a small amount of water in the oem speakers.

This didn't get nearly as much attention as it deserved. Holy crap, looks like I'm going in this weekend after this weekend's storms...

 

[42UMOG]

Has anyone else had issues with smells in the car? Right when I bought this car it had a very bad smell of burnt plastic, which I was told was from the break-in - this lasted for awhilie, especially when I was accelerating. It went away after a couple months.

Now that it's gotten hotter out, I've noticed a new smell - rotting/garbage/tire (if you can imagine that all mixed together). I smell it when I open the doors and sit in the car initially - once I start driving and have the AC on, it kinda goes away after a couple minutes.

I have the 1958 model with the cloth seats, and the wife thinks that it could be from the cloth seats, but I find it hard to believe because nobody else has complained about this. Other option is a dead animal in the engine bay, but I feel like the smell would get more pungent over time and wouldn't go away so fast after I start driving.

I smelled the air coming out of the vents and it smells fine, so I doubt it's something in HVAC.

Brought it into the dealer and they said they can't smell anything; but my whole family has confirmed the smell when initially entering the car after it's been sitting out for awhile in the heat.

Any ideas?

Yes. Smells bad when it sits in the hot sun. Bad enough that the family doesn’t want to drive it. We have the Land Cruiser model, so soft tex seats. It smells just like you explain. Winter time no issues. Must be some material they use just off gassing in the cab in the hot sun. This vehicle smells worse than any vehicle I have ever owned. Inside and out.

 

[AlexGates]

This didn't get nearly as much attention as it deserved. Holy crap, looks like I'm going in this weekend after this weekend's storms...

If you replace the door speakers, make sure you pick up some rubber/silicone baffles off AMZ, the ones that are open in the rear.

This isn't a LC flaw, it's quite common with vehicles, which is why doors have the drain slots, which people should clean out every now and then. Sunroofs have drain slots too, which nobody ever cleans out .

 

[DubDub]

If you replace the door speakers, make sure you pick up some rubber/silicone baffles off AMZ, the ones that are open in the rear.

This isn't a LC flaw, it's quite common with vehicles, which is why doors have the drain slots, which people should clean out every now and then. Sunroofs have drain slots too, which nobody ever cleans out .

Well, hell... I haven't played the stereo upgrade game since the days of removing my Alpine head unit and putting it in it's plastic case in my backpack before going into class every morning. But, now that I am going between the wife's Sequoia with the JBL and this... I'm seriously considering it. I've gotta get behind the door card now because I'm the guy who has to see it and touch it.

I did know about the sunroof drains though. Anyone who has owned a mid-to-late 2000's GM product with a sunroof SHOULD know all about them IMO.

 

[bluescruiser]

I believe I made a post here (or Reddit) on the same topic. Mine smells like stale cigarette smoke, but it didn’t start until about 6 months in. I put coffee beans in all the cup holders for a few weeks and now it it smells like coffee and cigarettes.

It seems to dissipate (or I get used to it) after a couple of minutes. But it’s fairly noticeable when I get in after it’s sat overnight

 

[Sugarloafer80]

One good joint of King Tut and it will smell fabulous

 

[TurboLC24t]

I had some slight gear oil / exhaust / burt plastic / rubber smell for the first couple hundred miles. If you aren't familiar with the smell of gear oil it smells foul, and you may mistake it for a dead animal or mildew smell. 1200 miles on it now and no odor issues.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

On track, the smell of gear oil means you are in the zone! I'll take gear oil over BO anyday!!!

 

[daddyscar]

Update, after the first week, the burning smell was completely gone. That was the first time I've had a new car do that but apparently something just had to burn off after assembly.

 

[xil3]

Over 10k miles now and still odd smells.

I have had baking soda all over inside the vehicle, in the hopes it absorbs the smell, but no luck.

Like I said, I've owned tons of new vehicles, and never had this issue.

 

[Glimmertwin]

I noticed the smell in our 2022 4Runner after my husband took it over. He put the all weather mat in the cargo area and I told him to remove it. The smell went away.

I’ve now noticed the smell in my 1958. The only thing that came with this base model aside from the red charging cords was an all weather mat for the cargo area. I may pull that one out to see if that’s it.

 

[xil3]

I noticed the smell in our 2022 4Runner after my husband took it over. He put the all weather mat in the cargo area and I told him to remove it. The smell went away.

I’ve now noticed the smell in my 1958. The only thing that came with this base model aside from the red charging cords was an all weather mat for the cargo area. I may pull that one out to see if that’s it.

Let me know if that fixes it for you. I do have the rubber all weather mats.

 

[AlexGates]

Air it out in the sun for a few days and then use a cleaner on it, if it is the offender.

The smell mostly went away when I did a detail clean on my interior, cleaner (I used Pol Star) then a trim coating. I have the Softex seats. It still happens on occasion. I haven't messed with the cargo liner (OEM), I have Husky mats everywhere else. It doesn't really happen for me after rain, it happens if my LC has been sitting for a few days, hot days. We've had low humidity and a dry spell and I still got the occasional smell, so I don't think it is mold/mildew. On the occasions it happens, it isn't as strong, or I'm used to it.

I wonder if the Taco/4R people are complaining about this.

 

[MVP]

When my 1958 was brand new I also had a burnt plastic smell after driving. Now at 6k miles I have no smell. It seems to just be a break in thing.

I have never had any mildew smell.

 

[Texas Tornado]

I had the sour smell for quite a while in mine and figured out the A/C had been running in recirc for months, but I had no idea because the light was not illuminated in the recirc button. After cycling the button a few times the light started working. Now that I have had recirc off for a couple of months, the smell is finally gone.

 

[anthony]

I feel like mostly this thread is people coming in with smells that are not what OP posted about, which is fine, but doesn't really corroborate their issue.

My 2025 LC58 with cloth seats just started having this issue. About 2500 miles on it. Arizona sun bakes it all day and the interior temperature gets to 140. The heat seems to cause a poo-like smell, yes, I said it. Lol.

I also have a 2025 LCLC with the Softex seats but that one is in the garage most of the time. Haven't noticed the smell in there yet but it's also only barely at 1k miles.

The smell has NOTHING to do with driving or water, and everything to do with cabin temperature.

Now, FWIW, I had a 2025 4Runner Premium with the Softex seats and that one after sitting in the sun for a couple days smelled so badly like someone shit themselves in it that I literally traded it back in for my LCLC. Hence the reason I have owned 3 2025 Toyotas this year...

So, all said and done, these new Toyotas stink and I really hope the smell subsides in the next few months.

 

[AlexGates]

The smell has NOTHING to do with driving or water, and everything to do with cabin temperature.

Agree. A good cleaning with Pol Star greatly reduced the smell to where it only happens occasionally and isn't nearly as strong. It is the new, new car smell.