Reasons for Strong Odours in Cars

From a mechanical standpoint, strong car odours often link to the air conditioning system. Bacteria and mould thrive in the evaporator core, especially if the system isn’t used regularly. Musty smells when turning on the AC signal this issue. A quick fix involves running the heater on full blast for 10 minutes to dry the system. For stubborn cases, a professional HVAC cleaning may be needed.

The causes of strong odours in cars primarily include pronounced plastic/rubber smells and air conditioning filter odours. The specific reasons and solutions are as follows:

Pronounced plastic/rubber smells:

Car interiors extensively use materials such as plastics and rubber. Organic solvents and additives within these materials gradually release into the cabin environment during vehicle use. This is one of the main causes of interior odours, particularly in new cars. The solution is to ventilate the car by opening windows.

Air conditioning filter odours:

Prolonged use of the air conditioning filter leads to bacterial decomposition, resulting in mould growth. The solution is to replace the air conditioning filter.