Burning smell during test drive

Asked by GuruDS9FB2 Mar 25, 2025 at 08:20 PM about the 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT AWD

Question type: General

It smelled like burning rubber or plastic, and only had 30 miles on it.  The
salesman said this was normal because it had been sitting.  But for several
reasons we were not very confident in him.  The smell started about 10
minutes into driving it, and smelled very bad and strong when we parked it
afterwards. Is this normal and will it go away? Or was he making up an
excuse for it?

3 Answers

311,305

Usually that smell will go away after about 10 minutes at freeway speeds at normal operating temperatures. If it doesn’t then take it back and have it checked.

1 people found this helpful.
158,525

Since it's a brand new vehicle you're fully covered by warranty and The Lemon Law. So the risks are very minimal that you'll be stuck with the vehicle if it's problematic. If the smell was accompanied by any unusual noises, such as scraping, grinding, squealing, etc. I'd be concerned. Or if anything looked like a problem on the dash. Like a warning light, gauges not working or showing readings other than normal. I'd believe the salesman in this case. Most likely dust or maybe a label burning off the exhaust system. Jim

1 people found this helpful.

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