Love That "New Car" Smell? Think Again

That savored 'New Car" smell may become a thing of the past. The smell is caused by VOC's or volitile organic compounds in the plastic, paint, and glue's used to make cars. The fumes leech out and can cause headaches, nausea, and sore throats. Prolonged exposure to these compounds can cause cancer. However, researchers are quick to point out that there is no evidence that the concentrations found in new cars can cause this. Japanese car makers are looking for ways to reduce these compounds.

New-Car Smell Emerges As Auto Safety Issue

TOKYO - Anyone who's pulled away from the dealer's lot in a shiny, new sedan knows the seductive scent of fresh plastic, paint and upholstery that evokes a rush of pride and consumer satisfaction.

But that unmistakable new-car smell may soon be heading the way of the rumble seat: recent research linking it to a toxic cocktail of harmful chemicals is spurring efforts by Japanese automakers to tone down the fumes.

Japanese manufacturers, including Toyota Motor Corp., have become the first to set an industrywide goal of reducing cabin concentrations to within government guidelines. The push could spur similar action by U.S. and European rivals, making interior air quality an emerging auto safety issue.
I love the smell of a new car in the morning.....It smells like Victory

[edit on 10/3/05 by FredT]

I always wondered what new car smell was from.

What about plastics, glues and paints used in other new items? Ever buy a new toy for a child and notice it has a new car like smell sometimes?

I bought a new PC a couple weeks ago and when I took it out of the box it smelled similar. I am sure they use the same types of plastics and glues and paints in those things too.

I guess everything causes cancer nowadays

But it smells nice, right? Just like WD-40 and Petrol.
Mmm yum, that's how I like to start my mornings.

Well!! At last there is something that poverty has saved me from!! Even my last new car was a demo.....they'd already sucked all the 'new' smell away.....sigh.....

Seriously, I had heard that new carpet and panelling, even the chip board that is used in sub flooring and other parts of home construction give off toxic fumes for quite a while. It makes sense that new cars would do the same.

Actually new carpet is one of the worst for releasing VOC's. Especially if you do a whole house in W2W at one time. We redid our rental property with almost 1600 sq feet of carpet and it took 3 weeks of leaving the windows open day and night to get rid of that smell.

I don't consider myself particularly delicate....

But I can't physically tolerate new car smell, new carpet smell, new...electronic goods smell...you know?

I get horrid headaches.

And it's worse with the new car smell. Imagine my utter despair when my then-husband bought one of those "new car smell" air fresheners once his new car had lost it's new car smell.

(still with me? That confused me...)

Though it could've been psychosomatic..I'm not sure exactly how much of the same chemicals go into the air freshener; it's probably just synthetic.

Either way. I hate it

what is that awful chemical smell of the National Geographic magazine's pages?? I seem to recall it smelling like something they use to paint women's nails in beauty salons??

Presumably you can renew that new car smell with a harmless substitute. These Air Fresheners may be far less a problem, however reflexes might be one, the Pavlovian kind.

You can have your cake and eat it too, err smell it too. Whatever, but now Toyota can keep that smell without giving people headaches, after all, it is another kind of conditioned reflex, what goes with the territory as expectations.

[edit on 3-10-2005 by SkipShipman]