Why does my new 2020 Elantra have such a noxious odor?

Airing it out is all you can do. Buy some boxes of Arm and Hammer and leave the lids open to absorb odors.

Did you have the dealer check the smell? Doesn't sound normal.

Smells like kimchi?

The dealer's Service Manager said it's the typical Hyundai 'new car smell.' He said that it 'could' be coming from the interior materials - plastics, leather, fabric, glues, etc. He said that although the materials used are in accordance with our government regulations, they do emit tiny particles into the air for some time before it settles down (but that's not likely to happen before 5,000 miles). He has offered to run a 5 hour ozone cleaning and a complete cleaning of the interior - with the caveat that the odor could return in a few days. I'm flabbergasted, befuddled and confounded! Great car, but the smell is overwhelming. Since I can't possibly be the only human with this problem, I'd appreciate hearing how others deal with this.

I also have a 2020 Hyundai Elantra and I am dealing with the same smell issue. I’ve had the car for a month and thought it would go away after the first few days but it doesn’t seem to be any less pungent. I have an appointment about the smell for tomorrow and to possibly change the cabin air filters. The smell is difficult to explain but almost smells a bit like mildew. If they end up changing the air filter and it helps I will let you know

I have the same problem with my Elantra. was it solved after you change the cabin filter?

Changing the cabin air filter did not make a difference. Two ozone treatments did not make a difference. Airing the car out helps only briefly, but as soon as the windows are closed, the smell returns. Two independent auto detailers I consulted suspect mold/mildew under the carpet. Another detailer believed that the smell was coming from the leather/'pleather' seats. Both the dealer from whom I bought the car and Hyundai Corp 'Customer Service' have shrugged this problem off, essentially saying this is how the cars are made. My questions remain: Why did the several Elantras I test-drove before purchasing not have any odor? And, if this is just the current new car stink of Korean cars, how long does it take to wear off? If you have any experience in this regard, please do share.

Hello! I am not an Elantra owner, but am a 2020 Hyundai Palisade Limited new owner and have this same issue. It smells like someone took raw garlic juice and sprayed it all over! It is especially pungent when you first open it after sitting up, and even worse if it sits out in the heat of the day. I have no idea what is causing this. I have told the dealership about it several times in past 8 months. They will be taking it in to "evaluate" and most likely clean and ionize it. However, I have read other blogs and they say that ionizing and cleaning do not rid the smell. I am now getting corporate involved. I filed a formal complaint and we will see where that leads.

Hello - I'll be most interested to know the result of your formal complaint with Hyundai Corporate. My dealership and corporate complaints have resulted in 'nothing we can do about it - that's just the way they're made.' Clearly an unsatisfactory response to a consumer problem that causes health problems. Since January, I continue to try remediation with my own efforts. Cleaning the car, parking it outdoors all day with all windows and trunk open, keeping the windows open when parking overnight in my garage, parking in the hot sun with all windows closed, using products that absorb chemical odors, and simply not driving the car at all. These DIY attempts produce a very very tiny degree of temporary improvement for a very very short time before the odor returns in full force. I truly regret buying this car!! Please continue to post your experiences so that we all might benefit from the shared information. Thank you!

I am having the same issue with my 2020 Pallisade. I have to keep the windows down while in the garage. The odor is one of garlic and is strongest when you first open the door. I have tried everything to get rid of it myself and will address it with the dealer soon. Hate to think this is not going away, love the car but sure hate the smell.!

After 2,000 miles, I still leave the windows open at all opportunities, preferably outdoors. I might suggest cleaning all the interior surfaces once a week, and checking this, or similar sites: noodor.com, under the 'Vehicles' tab.

I am having the same problem with my 2019 Tucson. It is a trade-in from my 2017 Sinata which had the same issue. Please let us know if you have any success with your formal complaint. Had anyone else noticed that the smell sticks to your hands and clothing?

I have the same issue with my 2020 Pallisade Ultimate. I love the car but it STINKS. I have to leave the windows down when it is parked in the garage or the smell will be overwhelming when I open the car door in the morning. I thought hot weather might help bake it out, but no - it's worse.

Ok so sorry I own a 2013 Elantra had problem with engine not starting just found out people filed a class action lawsuit, so gonna check that out. Anyways I’m glad I read this about their newer cars(smell) thing before buying new one hopefully the get fix(probably not) before you have to sue. Please us updated.

Omg I have a 2017 Elantra and it stinks bad. I can’t explain the smell

I have a 2020 Santa Fe. It is almost 2 months old. It has been to the dealership (Fitzgerald Hyundai in Gaithersburg, MD) twice. They totally deny that the car smells (of course they also wrote up a service ticket that they checked the mats (which were not in the car, but in a plastic bag in my basement to rule out their being the cause of the smell). I filed a complaint with Hyundai corporate, their last take on that was that they had requested that the dealership purchase a mold detection kit and attempt that. Since my dealership is less than honest, I'm sure that this will turn up negative. I am not happy to be paying $30K for the next 6 years for a car that makes me sick to drive. Has anyone out there gotten a resolution to this through some other means?

Do your own research (and plenty of it) online regarding toxic chemical odors in cars. Also research odor removing products (noodor.com and others) to find non-toxic products that you might want to try. Keep the car outdoors with the windows and trunk open whenever possible if the weather is dry with low humidity. Clean the entire inside of the car frequently and regularly with neutral products - no added fragrances - to remove the build up of noxious nano particles that outgas from the plastics, adhesives, colorants, etc. A weak solution of white vinegar in water might possibly be ok. This has been my protocol for the 6 months that I've owned by 2020 Elantra. The odor has reduced 'slightly' but is far from gone. The dealer and Hyundai were both useless and aggravating. You can check if your state has a lemon law, or return/refund protection. If it's not too late, you might be able to return the car, or trade it in for something else. Will be interested to know how it develops for you. Good luck!

My brand new 2020 Hyundai Kona has a stale smell whenever I first get in. Once I drive for a while with the windows open or the AC on, the smell dissipates. I have baking soda in the car and ,so far, that doesn't help. Taking it to the dealer for service this week. Hoping they can find something in the way of a leak or clogged drain.

I am a 2018 Elantra owner and have been dealing with this odor problem for a while. I was told the cause is from driving with the a.c on and keeping it on up until you turn the car off. When you do this, water sits on the drain pain instead of draining and eventually causes mildew and the terrible odors. In order to solve this issue, your gunna need a can of a.c coil cleaner which is sprayed into the drain where you usually see water dripping from when the a.c is running. Typically you will probably need to do this once a year. Hope this helps

same here i have a 2020 Tucson ultimate and in the winter is ok but as soon as warm weather comes it smells just like all the post that i read so far , has anyone got any better answers from Hyundai ? any one got it fix? let us know thanks

No fix for me. Sean at Hyundai Corporate Consumer Care became unhelpful and downright rude after 6 weeks of no resolution and closed my case—told me it was the dealerships problem. Fitzgerald Hyundai plays the CYA card and tells me they smell nothing unusual. After a month they ordered a mild test kit but I’ve already determined that they won’t find mold and they want me to leave the car for at least a day to leave the kit in the car for 60 minutes to collect an air sampling at my inconvenience and expense for a rental. Since no one has ever resolved this issue I just gave up. As far as I’ve been able to determine, Lemon Law resolution doesn’t apply to this issue as it doesn’t affect anything mechanical/electrical. Car in the sun, windows down every day for two weeks did nothing. 4 bags of activated charcoal was no help. Febreeze air fresheners don’t work either. Until Hyundai admits they have a problem and recognizes the hundreds of people experiencing this issue posting in various forums and calling Consumer Care we are SOL. If I live long enough after breathing these toxic fumes to afford to trade this car in It won’t be for another Hyundai.

Car and Driver recently had a post about the smell problem with the Hyundai Palisade. Some of the article was incorrect as my interior was black, not light, and the problem is not limited to the headrests but the entire interior. We removed the headrests and brought them into the house. The house smelled after a few hours and the interior still smelled awful too. ( acrid garlic smell). My dealership was totally unconcerned and very unresponsive to me. Corporate at least told me they have heard about this issue but since I traded in the car at 5 months, 5000 miles, I do not know if they would have been any help or not. I suspect they all know about this but since it is not all the Hyundai’s they choose to deny any remediation. Hopefully they will be forced to remedy this and at a much greater cost and inconvenience for them then it would have been to service the few with this issue. One can only hope.... Driving a lovely Ford Explorer that smells wonderful (like nothing) and I like much better overall. Good Luck

I have a 2020 Elantra and it smells awful.........been like this for almost 10 months. They have replaced a filter and put the car on an air purifier for 24 hours. I have used charcoal bags to help the smell, air freshners, etc. It still smells like a moldy musky swamp. The smell makes me sick, sticks to my clothes and then I stink after being in it. Frustrated. I don't want to keep paying for a stinky car!

There is a product that I have used to eliminate odors with simply amazing results. It is called "Odor Gone" and comes in a spray bottle. I have very high confidence that this will work, but from talking to the owner/manufacturer and from my own experiences. You would spray it in the car on the fabrics and surfaces and it will neutralize the odor. Also, you can just keep a small spray bottle in the car and spray the air and the odor will disappear. It is from a small company in southern New Jersey and I think the location is Paulsboro. They contract with many industrial odor situations to supply the solution to their problems. Wish you well.

Old thread but just wondering if this odor ever went away for the owners that posted about it 2-3 years ago. We bought a new 2024 Hyundai Elantra a few weeks ago. Didn't notice any strong smell during the test drive, but after a day of sitting in the sun in our driveway, there was/is a strong smell coming from the headliner (very sure of that, not mildew, not a/c vent and so on) that pervades the entire interior of the car - smells like adhesives, plastics etc. Took it back to the dealer and he acted like he can't smell anything other than the typical new car smell. Clearly they don't want to acknowledge a problem they can't fix. I opened a complaint with Hyundai Customer Care, got an initial call back but still waiting a few days now for the follow up from a case manager who is supposed to be assigned to my issue.