Tharr62

I have a '15 rx 350 with only 1700 miles on it, and in the morning when I start the car I get a horrible punch in the face of mold smell! It goes away after about 2 to 3 minutes. But I am concerned that this may be a serious problem in the future.

I know I need to bring it to the dealer, but part of me is worried as I have read a lot on the net on hiw this problem never goes away?

Pretty upset at the moment, and concerned for both my self and my 22month old who rides in the car everyday.

jfelbab

Could just be a blocked discharge allowing water to collect. The dealer should be able to correct, change the filter and disinfect the system.

Yet you do live in one of the hotter and most humid places in the US during the summer months, LOL. Almost daily summer rain coupled with sweltering heat lead to mildew. There are some DIY cleaning/disinfecting aerosol products for the AC system available at auto parts stores that can be pretty effective in controlling this mildew during the summer.

Cruiter

I seriously doubt it's mold. I leave mine in the 'auto' year round and it does a pretty good job of managing the interior climate. From time to time I may adjust the temp but only rarely. How is yours set?

RickC5

I agree with the above, AND if you are not already doing this, be sure to turn off the AC at least 1/2 mile before your destination to allow the iced-up condensation to melt & drain away. This helps dry out the system before you park the car.

I hope your dealer can help you get it cleaned up.

Tharr62

Thanks guys! I am really glad to see the comment that it might not be actual mold! I truly love this new car, and want there to be no issues with mold.

Yesterday, before I pulled into the garage I turned off the AC and let the fan run at the high speed for about 5min. Then, I turned off the car. I noticed no smell this am when I started it, so it did make a difference.

Today, I started turning the "auto" mode off, and just using the "fresh air intake" mode only vs. "recycle air mode". Of course this does not produce as cold of air, but hopefully it will make a difference. Perhaps the best thing would be to use the auto mode / recycle when the car is hot and then soon after it becomes nice and cool, switch over to "fresh air mode".. and then, I guess like mentioned above turn off the AC and just use the fan just before shutting down the car for the night?

Of, course it should be said that I never had to do this on any previous cars.. and is kinda annoying to have to do this every time I drive the car (just being truly honest).. but, of course I will to prevent any issues.

I will see the dealer this next week and see what they say / can do for me also.

Thanks again!

Cruiter

I keep mine on auto year round and only adjust the temp. I never turn if off before shutting down the car. It always is a clean smell without a mold/mildew smell or the humid smell. Five plus years now and still works the same. The drain works, always a puddle underneath.

Tharr62

Thank Jim. Yeah, that is what I was doing.. but it only took a month for the bad smell to start. I am wondering if it relates to the specific weather I have here in Miami? Or, perhaps that I garage the car in a dark place? If they are all manufactured the same, you would think no one would really have an issue then?

KeithPI

This is interesting. I have a 2015 RX as well, got it on June 25. Just this past week one afternoon I started the car and noticed an unpleasant smell, that lasted a few seconds and then was gone. It was the first time I noticed anything except new car smell. I wondered why briefly, but haven't thought about it again until your post.

I would love to know what your dealer tells you when you take it in.

Keith

Tharr62

Thanks for your post. Yes, this is pretty exact to what I experince. I will let you know what happens at the dealer.

vlad_a

Don't make me laugh! It is something I do in my IS300, but thoughtful product planners at Lexus corporate decided an AC button was too much for a Lexus customer.

BTW, our RX started to develop AC smell as well. So, I've more cursing from myself is in order in regards to this horrible oversight.

Had my IS300 for over 11 years. No such issues!

ericsan13

"Dedicated" A/C Button

RX469

iTrader: (1)

Subscribing to learn of his findings.

ohhawk

Have had the same issue this summer with a 2013 RX AWD (15,000 miles). Dealer changed the cabin filter and said they sprayed something into the ventilation system. Said I should be OK.......we'll see. In my opinion it shouldn't be happening with a luxury vehicle.

garygve

What ever happened when you took your car in? I have a 2015 and has the same musty smell.

ohhawk

See my post just a few prior to yours to see how my dealer handled it. I can tell you now having it home for awhile that the odor is significantly less but I can still pick up a bit of it upon start up. Not real noticeable right now but that may be do more to the fact that the A/C has not been running that much with cooler temps now more prevalent in the Midwest.

I won't be surprised if next summer brings a return of this issue. I suspect the dealerships are familiar with this issue. When I explained the odor problem to my service rep they offered a solution quite quickly and didn't look puzzled or surprised by the issue at all.

Never had this problem with a 2007 Lexus I owned......go figure.