Question from LR
Hi. I’m writing for a friend that is chemically sensitive (I am also) and has also had a masectomy because of breast cancer 3 years ago. She is very environmentally conscious and wants to get a 2009 Prius from the factory. I am very concerned about her exposure to formaldehyde and all the other various chemicals in a new car. She has a tendency for headaches upon exposures. Any advice or information would be much appreciated. Thank You.
Debra’s Answer
I don’t have any data about emissions on the interiors of new Prius cars, but you might try contacting the manufacturer about this.
While I haven’t checked out the interiors of all new hybrids, the interiors of the ones I’ve driven through my local carshare while visiting San Francisco seem to be the usual interiors. I have driven Priuses and also Honda Civic Hybrids. I actually prefer the Honda for driving.
The car manufacturers have their attention on energy efficiency, not nontoxic interiors. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong and you have come across a hybrid car with a nontoxic interior.
My suggestion would be the same for hybrids as for any other car. See Q&A: How Do I Choose a Nontoxic Car? and Q&A: Car air purifiers.
Glad to find this discussion. i am the king of car interior sensitivity. i currently drive a 2003 honda odyssey. basically i can not tolerate almost any new car. used cars from dealers are also problematic. many times i need to drive the car 2 to 3 times for my reaction to kick in. i am looking for situations where i can test the car for several days preferably from an individual seller. i am convinced that all of the dealers use something in the detailing process that just kills my eyes.
i did have success with the 2012 list and bought an acura tsx wagon 2012 i think…rated very low toxins on the list. i had no reaction to the car however i just found it too small and uncomfortable to drive so i sold it.
i too wonder why no update since 2012 and am so mad that the stupid environmentalists worry only about emissions while we are all being poisoned on the inside of the car. some day the link will be made to car interiors and mattresses to serious health problems.
it’s amazing that all the reviews on the toxicity of cars has halted since 2012…wonder what happened?
In 2009I had to sell my then-new prius after driving it 2 hours en route from NYS to FL. I reacted to the huge em field from its battery with my skin breaking out in itchy blisters. We had to abort our trip, return home, sell the car, refuse to buy another toyota, and buy a Honda Fit that had been sitting in the dealer parking lot for a year so its smell was mostly gone & I could tolerate it fine. But the prius disaster not an experience i would recommend to anyone. I read the manual which warned not to touch the battery as it could kill you! who would want such a toxic vehicle? NoI. I don’t know how people tolerate such immense electro-magnetic fields, not to mention driving infants and children around in them. Not so good for their sensitive bods, nor nervous systems.
any updates about non toxic car interiors or ideas where i can get a current listing of least and most toxic car interiors?
The most recent one I could find was 2012 at http://www.healthystuff.org/findings.021512.cars.php
According to some online sources, the Honda Civic rates highest for the least toxic interior. I’ve also had personal experience in 3 friends Hondas, one a Civic, & 2 Honda SUVs. I’m pretty sensitive & seemed to do well in all 3. Some sensitive people prefer leather seats because they don’t absorb smells like fabric seats do. Leather does require some outgassing itself, though. All the best, Dorothy
I wanted to buy a Ford Escape Hybrid and have had a reaction in every on that I got in. The reaction was the worst from the 2011 model, but I still had problems from the 2008s. I don’t know if it was carpet shampoo/car detailing, but I’m really starting to think it is the escape itself. I drive rental cars a lot have not had this kind of trouble. Granted, I go around and sniff several cars before I choose, and I make sure it is 2011 or older and has 30k + miles. Somehow that seems to be the magic combination for me with rental cars … my sensitivities are very bad currently, due to toxic mold exposure – yuck!
I also worry about the electromagnetic field in electric cars. They may save on gasoline but may be even worse on our health than regular cars. With computer systems in all new cars now the electromagnetic field is bad enough.
For sensitive people, not all problems in cars are from the interior materials and hybrids are a problem for some people. I had to sell my beloved 2005 Prius, the interior of which wasn’t a problem even when new. During a long road trip, I had a severe reaction with huge fatigue, brain fog and spasms in my arms. In retrospect, I realized that I had become electrically sensitive after a SmartMeter was installed next door. I couldn’t tolerate the electromagnetic frequency from the huge battery in the Prius. I l didn’t drive the car for two weeks, but on a trial short trip to the grocery store, I felt the familiar pressure in my scull that I usually get with toxic exposures. No electricians nor Toyota service had any suggestions on how to shield it or protect myself.
I was recently shopping for a new car, and drove new Toyota Camry Hybrids, Ford Fusion Hybrids, and the S60 Volvo. Both the new hybrids had a very strong outgas smell, that I really did not like. (I am a little chemically sensitive, working to not get more so!) The Volvo did not smell bad, but instead smelled like I remember the “good” new car smell of cars years ago. I commented to the salesman, and he told me that Volvo uses all non-toxic components. Unfortunately, the mileage was not as good as I wanted, and it is expensive, so I am keeping my 1993 Volvo 850. I think in a few years there will be more selection in high mileage cars, and I would guess as chemical sensitivity is on the rise, they will pay more attention to non-toxic interiors as well.
COMMENT FROM DEBRA:
I went and looked to see if I could find more about the Volvo car interiors, and they have been using less toxic materials for quite a while.
Here are some articles with details:
EiR: Volvo still leads with healthy non-toxic car interiors [note one of the comments says a 2010 Volvo had PVC upholstery. False advertising?
USA Today: Most and least toxic cars? Tests rank 200 models reports “honors to the Honda Civic, because it said the car has no bromine-based flame retardants in interior components, uses PVC-free interior fabrics and interior trim and has low levels of heavy metals and other metal allergens.”
You can read more in the new 2012 HealthyStuff.org Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Cars.