New Subaru Interior Smell goes away?

fuzzybabybunny

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So my parents like the Subaru Forester but my mom hates the interior car smell. I think it's just new car smell, but my mom hates it, thinks she's breathing in chemicals, and won't buy the car because of it. This smell is *not* the smell coming from the engine. Comparatively, brand new Hondas have no offensive smells to her.

Will the Subaru smell go away, and how long?
 

PhoKingGuy

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Nov 15, 2007
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New car smell? Like a year or so I guess, depending on how clean you are. My GTI still has new car smell in it and its a year and a half old.
 

Eli

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Oct 9, 1999
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Tell her to sit in it for another 5 minutes and it will "go away".

:p
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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She is breathing "chemicals". That's what makes the smell. Every new car has it.
 

Eli

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Oct 9, 1999
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She is breathing "chemicals". That's what makes the smell. Every new car has it.

It seems like there was legislation to lower VOC's in new cars by a certain percentage by a certain year, but I don't know the details. Maybe Subaru is lagging behind? Or she's just sensitive to a certain VOC that is found in that Subaru.
 

sandorski

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Oct 10, 1999
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It seems like there was legislation to lower VOC's in new cars by a certain percentage by a certain year, but I don't know the details. Maybe Subaru is lagging behind? Or she's just sensitive to a certain VOC that is found in that Subaru.

Like I said in the OP, none of the Hondas have it.

ahh ok, that might explain it then. I suppose Subaru may have just lost a Sale then.
 

mb

Lifer
Jun 27, 2004
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Like I said in the OP, none of the Hondas have it.

Everyone that gets in my 2008 Accord still say it has the new car smell. I got it in Jan 08. I can't smell it though.

I read that leaving the windows down helps remove it, but I left mine open while in the garage and drive with them down most of the spring & summer, and apparently it's still there.
 

boardsportsrule

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Jun 19, 2003
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get a fucking car freshener..dur. dont like the smell? cover it up with somthing else. not fucking rocket science.
 

fuzzybabybunny

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get a fucking car freshener..dur. dont like the smell? cover it up with somthing else. not fucking rocket science.

The solution to getting rid of the chemical smell is to add more chemicals. Not going to fly with the parents.
 

amdhunter

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May 19, 2003
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New car smell? Like a year or so I guess, depending on how clean you are. My GTI still has new car smell in it and its a year and a half old.

loooooooooool, my GLi still has that new car smell after 2+ years. Everyone who sits in it says it smells brand new. It must be a VW thing.
 

PhoKingGuy

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Nov 15, 2007
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loooooooooool, my GLi still has that new car smell after 2+ years. Everyone who sits in it says it smells brand new. It must be a VW thing.

My GF complained that the New Beetle (I can't believe I drove that thing for a day) service loaner I had really really strong new car smell. It had like 800 miles on it but didn't smell any different to me than mine when I first got it. I dunno.

I keep my car ridiculously clean though, no food, only water inside, vacuumed once a week, that could be it.
 

snarl

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Oct 10, 1999
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get a fucking car freshener..dur. dont like the smell? cover it up with somthing else. not fucking rocket science.


A little blunt but good advise

I have a 2009 Subaru Forester, don't notice the new care smell anymore, been 6 months or so.
 

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
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My impreza just turned three and it still has the new car smell. Then again I never use it. (About 15k miles in 3 years.)
 

StageLeft

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Sep 29, 2000
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Like I said in the other thread, your parents should be taking a bus and they rarely have that new vehicle smell.
 

amdhunter

Lifer
May 19, 2003
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My impreza just turned three and it still has the new car smell. Then again I never use it. (About 15k miles in 3 years.)

<--- less than 8500 in 2. :)
It sucks to have no social life. I had an OK social life when I bought the damned car.
 

prism

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Oct 23, 2004
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I just got a wicked deal on a 2004 G35 coupe with only 31k on it, still has that great classy leather smell, different than new car smell but I hope it never goes away :)
 

cheesehead

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Aug 11, 2000
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Wait until it warms up a bit, then leave it in a sunny area with the doors open.

(It helps if you have a place you can do this without it being stolen.)
 

fleabag

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Oct 1, 2007
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I wouldn't be getting an SUV for an elderly couple as old people have issues with checking their blind spots and all. An SUV is going to have huge blind spots and they're not going to be able to see behind it nearly as easily as with a car. For what ever reason, old people don't like turning their heads around even though it's completely necessary.
 

Capt Caveman

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Jan 30, 2005
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I wouldn't be getting an SUV for an elderly couple as old people have issues with checking their blind spots and all. An SUV is going to have huge blind spots and they're not going to be able to see behind it nearly as easily as with a car. For what ever reason, old people don't like turning their heads around even though it's completely necessary.

And a Subaru Forester will have very little to no blind spots. Stop regurgitating stuff you've read on the internet b/c it doesn't apply in all cases.

2009 Subaru Forester Road Test Review

The 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited's abundant glass and high seating position yield excellent visibility in all directions.
 
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fleabag

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And a Subaru Forester will have very little to no blind spots. Stop regurgitating stuff you've read on the internet b/c it doesn't apply in all cases.

2009 Subaru Forester Road Test Review
Excellent visibility....for an suv... I'm pretty sure a bicycle has better visibility than that Subaru forester and the Toyota FJ cruiser has better visibility than a Semi-truck.

It's all relative and my examples were extremes to illustrate the point that an SUV still has poor visibility compared to a car.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
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Excellent visibility....for an suv... I'm pretty sure a bicycle has better visibility than that Subaru forester and the Toyota FJ cruiser has better visibility than a Semi-truck.

It's all relative and my examples were extremes to illustrate the point that an SUV still has poor visibility compared to a car.

Don't derail the thread any further. The reviewers comment says nothing about excellent visibility "for a SUV", if you actually read the review you'll find the reviewer discusses the Forester as a cross compact SUV and wagon. If you ever spent any time in a Forester, you would realize that it has large a rear and rear-side windshields providing excellent visibility.

edit - And you'll find every review blast the Toyota FJ cruiser for having horrid rear visibility and large blindspots.
 

fleabag

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Don't derail the thread any further. The reviewers comment says nothing about excellent visibility "for a SUV", if you actually read the review you'll find the reviewer discusses the Forester as a cross compact SUV and wagon. If you ever spent any time in a Forester, you would realize that it has large a rear and rear-side windshields providing excellent visibility.

edit - And you'll find every review blast the Toyota FJ cruiser for having horrid rear visibility and large blindspots.
What, you're saying they need to spell it out for you? That they have to say for an SUV after every statement they make? You remind me of some Highschool english teachers that would say you HAD to say "I think" when making a statement in your paper instead of just making the statement. They obviously felt positively towards the Forester which is why they didn't make such a statement. You're obviously completely unaware of the huge blide spots SUVs have no matter how large the windows are.

blind_spot_chart.gif




Since these are elderly people, the idea of running someone over when they backup because they won't turn their head is a pretty real scenario.

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/116746/article.html

blind.spots.500.jpg