MDShavano

I have noticed that every time I need to accelerate to go up a hill or pass someone my 2018 Lexus ES350 cabin fills with rotten egg smell exhaust. This also occurred in my 2016 ES350 Lexus. My concern is the safety of inhaling this foul smelling exhaust especially related to benzene vapor exposure. All fuels contain benzene a well known cancer causing culprit especially in relation to lukemia. I have noticed that when this does happen in the cabin that I get a faint dizzy feeling for a brief moment after exposure. Has Toyota or anyone tested the toxicity of this event? Is the foul smell in the cabin normal after excessive acceleration?

Popgun

TechNut

ArmyofOne

rotten egg smell is indicative of plugged catalytic converter(s). Best have it checked out. I know its a new car, but stranger things have happened.

bc6152

I agree with this assessment. Either plugged catalytic converter or some kind of leak. Not normal, especially feeling light headed. Same as Doug, I never experienced this issue with any of my numerous new cars... There should be no odors of any kind inside the car, accelerating or gliding along.

Kijug

FWIW, I'll agree here too. Something is wrong with the catalytic converter--that's where the smell is coming from.

GES

Is the check engine light on? I have had catalytic converter go bad in a prior vehicle, I didn't notice anything, but the check engine light came on.

Poppa

Yep.. back in the day, that rotten egg smell only meant one thing... the catalytic converter was going out.... and that smell... you can't mistake it for anything but a rotten egg.

ToyotaLex

Any updates to this? Sounds like a cat problem. I'm having the same smell currently on a 2015 es350.

Littleguy

I recommend some full throttle acceleration at least once or twice per week to keep those valves clean and shove out anything that shouldn't be there.

ToyotaLex

Thanks man you think that will help? I just find it weird that so many people are having this happen on the newer Lexus cars. My IS F has never had this problem and neither has my dad's RX350.

ESh

Those cars need to be aired out 2-3 times a week. I have the exact smell and it is because I drive it too slowly and the engine doesn’t go beyond 1800 rpm.

It’s because of the driver, the cats are good.

bc6152

Well I'm here to tell you that I don't drive fast and don't even drive - the Lexus - a lot. IMO the speed with which you operate your car has zero to do with a rotten egg smell... Never had it in my 2013 350 and don't have it in my 2019 ES 350 that has 1100 miles on it since December...

Poppa

I've got to agree with bc on this one. I do know that "getting on it " every once in awhile may help to blow em out a bit, but not doing that isn't going to cause a rotten egg smell. I baby my Lexus ( and my 4 Runner ).. Very very few hard accelerations in either vehicle and never had a rotten egg smell.. Lexus is a 2013 and the 4 runner is a 2010.

ToyotaLex

So if you don't accelerate hard you won't smell it. It's only after spirited driving, or even part throttle up to 4500rpm and you will smell it once coming to a stop. It just doesn't make sense that a good number of people are having this problem, I would never call this normal. There are no recalls on cats that I'm aware of. They will warranty them for 8yrs/80k mi though.