I received the following email this week from a woman who wants to take some action to get toxics our of automobile interiors. I’m all for a collective effort on this and would like us all to work together on this. Please post in comments your support for this and any experiences you’ve had with toxic auto interiors, difficulties finding nontoxic cars, and anything else related. Thanks!
Interestingly, as I was looking for an image for this post, I found the image above on an article about stricter regulations on auto interiors in China! The article was published in The Hog Ring a place for auto upholstery professionals to read news, connect and talk shop” Maybe this is a place to start a discussion on this topic.
Question from Maria
Hi Debra,
I sued a Dealership and Mfg. for a brand new car that I bought that made me very ill.
I also filed as the first case with the government. they actually sent an independent inspector out who confirmed the toxins within the car.
I’ve been involved in these issues for approx. 30 years. I am looking for speakers, people that have experienced symptoms, etc. from new cars, any legislation. I would like to submit a proposal to our state to write laws, label cars as we do foods, investigate., witnesses , etc.
Any info., assistance, etc. would be appreciated.
Years ago EPA told me I was 7 years ahead of them in investigating the auto interiors and I was shocked to find out 20 years later that it still was not done.
I am willing to get this moving but need to get enough people to show there is a problem.
Thank you!
I have severe MCS. I recently purchased a used Sienna which, after removing the middle seats, I intend to set up and use as a hotel room so I can travel.
I am working on it the way I worked on my other used car when it came into my life 6 years ago. I have started running ozone in the car for 2 hours inside the closed van, then 2 hours off with doors open and a fan running. It is imperative not to breath the ozone. So I have everything on timers outside the van. I do that through out the day and at night I put large pans of baking soda inside the locked van. In the morning I throw away the baking soda and start the ozoning again. I will do this a few days, then vacuum and wipe down the interior and start the process again.
It took about 3 weeks of this to get my car good for me so I don’t know how long it will take for this van to be good enough for me to sleep in. Good thing I have learned patience through my experiences with MCS ! 🙂
Please add my name also. I desperately need a new electric car so I don’t have to sit at a toxic gas station. I’m so hyper-allergic just being in the vicinity makes me ill.
Hi Maria,
I’m interested in adding my voice to this cause. I get terribly sick in most new cars. We are struggling now because we are moving to a more intense climate and need to buy a 4-wheel drive vehicle….. Looking for options that won’t make me sick.
In 2004 we bought a brand new Kia Sentra. I was so excited, as this was my first new car. At the time I had an hour commute to work. Within a month of owning the car I found I could not drive it. Half way to work I would feel drugged, sleepy. I literally could not stay awake to drive! I never thought it could be chemicals affecting me.
I ended up car pooling with my boss and my husband drove the new Kia for over a year while it to out gas. The car finally was the only thing we could think that was happening to me. I rode, as a passenger, often with my husband driving in the car. Always wanting to sleep.
I had not been diagnosed with MCS yet.
When I started driving the car I would get so tired I would curl up in the back seat; sometimes for hours; until I was able to drive home. While driving I would yawn so much I couldn’t see.
Within 3 years I became disabled with MCS.
How much did the off gassing of this car lead to my diagnosis?
How many people “fall asleep at the wheel” and end up dying in a traffic accident? Or worse dying themselves and killing others?
Needless to say, I will never buy a new car again whether I want to or not. I’d fall asleep during the transaction!
I test drove a Kia for around twenty minutes in 2010 and was sick for two days afterwards…… UGH.
I have been working with Dearlships on this for a while. I have been able to talk them into opening and closing the windows a few times a day. I even got one to do this for a month. They would put in in front of where their office was, bake it for a few hours in the sun, open the windows a few times and then move it back to the lot at night. I also ask them to open the windows for a while before my husband test drove a car before we get there. They have ran fans through it and one put an ionizer for a day. ( my filter did more).
We put it in the sun ( we buy car in summer) and open it a few times a day to let it all escape. I put my Austin Air in it all night long. I wash it down with what ever I can a few times and wash the windows often, that film is VOC’s that are coming off the rest of the car. Unfortunately the cheaper the car the worse the VOC’s are. Leather is better than cloth for me.
We are lucky and have a second vehicle that I drive for about a month. I was able to drive our Buick Envision after 3 weeks after doing the above for short distance. I have been in it for 2 hours. The big test will be this weekend when we have a 100 mile trip to take.
One dealership was happy to hold the car until our lease came up and this last one asked for a $100 deposit.
My grandson was putting something in my car this last week. He said HOW did you get the smell out of this car. I told him what I do as I stated before and he couldn’t believe I got that much of the smell out.
I just purchased a 2015 Toyota Corolla from a well known rental company who also has car sales. Although the car does give me a headache when the weather is extremely hot (I’m assuming it was treated with stain resistant chemicals, etc.), I am able to drive it with the windows down a bit and the a/c blasting with very few problems. I tried to find an older used car that was already offgassed , but I had trouble finding a dependable one, so I went with a newer (but not NEW, as I could never be able to tolerate a new car’s chemicals) car from the rental company. It has been an acceptable option for me.
Thanks for sharing this. They actually sent an independent inspector out who confirmed the toxins within the car.
I have a 13 year old Acura TSX that is fully off-gassed with real leather seats. I was hoping to keep the car since it only has 96k miles and is in very good condition from a looks standpoint. However, I have already put $6k into repairs this year, so I would like to purchase something newer.
The Acura loaner cars (TLX, ILX) reeked of VOCs, so those cars are not an option. I also have ES sensitivity, so electric cars and high tech cars are out.
I hope other people will post year/make/models of cars new or used that are safe for MCS /ES people.
I am worn out from the daily research I have to do to find MCS/ES safe products for myself, my husband, the house.
Thank you.
We bought a new Acura RDX in July 2007. It seemed to be the best choice I could make according to this website at the time – http://www.ecocenter.org/sites/default/files/2012_Cars.pdf. (I was diagnosed with MCS.). We brought the car home and I remember how upset I was because I could smell “chemicals” in the interior (cosmetics, etc., from people test driving it and sales people). I did the only thing I could think of – I washed every interior surface with a cotton cloth and soapy water. This worked for me. Even though the “leather” interior is wearing, we love this car and hope it never dies. I do wear a “mold” mask whenever I drive it or ride in it. I have forgotten my mask now and then but I still do not seem to have a problem with the air system. However, I certainly could not guarantee this car would be OK for others who are sensitive. But maybe this information will help.
I tell car rental to save us a car that has not been cleaned inside. This avoids the toxic perfumed cleaner they use. I sniff it out well before renting. I keep windows cracked, and open while driving. Wear a mask in car. All these things make it more tolerable. I would never buy a new car. Way too toxic for me.
I was looking for a new car in 2012 and 2013, when my old 1992 Volvo had some sort of electrical problem that kept draining the battery, and no one could diagnose nor fix it.
I looked at new Toyota Corollas, new Mazdas, and new Hondas. They all had horrible smells – I had to test drive with the windows all the way down! The Mazda was the worst! I figured I had to either get a used car, or another Volvo.
I had really wanted a car that got better mileage than the Volvo. But Volvo uses NO toxics in their interiors – no toxic glues, solvents, or toxic plastics. I can breathe in them! That combined with the safety and quick handling features (saving gas paled to saving my family!), and the fact that I found a white exterior with a gorgeous cognac leather interior, won me over! I have been very happy with my new Volvo.
Hopefully, the toxic smell problem, and better gas mileage, will both be handled when I have to get my next car!
This is great to hear. Can you provide some documentation from Volvo about this?
I’d love to know more details about the brand and model of car that the original questioner purchased so that I can avoid making the same mistake. Thanks!
Last year we rented a car to take a road trip because ours had some problems we couldn’t get fixed in time. The rental car had a HORRIBLE chemical smell, and we were sick throughout the whole trip. We had been planning to buy an electric car when this one bites the dust, but if we do we would need to rent a car for trips to visit family, since the electric charge doesn’t last very long and electric cars are typically too small for family travel. But now I’m afraid to do this because of the toxic fumes in rental cars, and in new cars!
I searched for tests on car interior emissions but the only one I could find is from 2012, and I doubt if any rental agencies have 5 year old cars! ( http://www.ecocenter.org/sites/default/files/2012_Cars.pdf ) My free time is devoted to the vaccine issue and I don’t have the resources to devote to another problem right now, but auto interior emissions is very important!
I just want to note that Larry got a hybrid Prius and we happily drove from Florida to North Carolina with no problems.
So if you want an electric car but need more distance, getting a hybrid might be a solution.
I agree rental cars are horrible.
Went to look at a Chrysler about 17 years ago. My friend and I entered the vehicle on the car lot and we both were so overcome by the high levels of toxic chemicals, that we rapidly exited the vehicle. Obviously, we did not purchase this car. Our throats hurt, I had a severe headache and we essentially felt “poisoned.” We couldn’t believe how anyone could purchase this vehicle without getting severely ill. This was one new toxic vehicle.