Most Obnoxious New Car Smell Ever?

First let me say I love my new Leaf, and commend Nissan for introducing such a phenomenal new product.
But the Leaf has the most obnoxious new car smell I've ever smelled.
The odor is truly stifling if the car has been left parked in the sun for several hours with the windows rolled up.
I've had the car 43 days and my standard practice has become to leave the windows down with it in the relatively hot garage while charging at night, so the off gassing odor isn't too bad in the morning as long as you leave the AC on with outside air makeup. But at the end of the work day if parked in the sun you still need to roll all the windows down for 2 or 3 minutes to avoid being completely annoyed by the obnoxious odor.
I do have the car mats, and someone mentioned in an early topic that they had a bad odor.
Is this degree of obnoxious off gas odor because of the recycled material content? If so, I'd suggest Nissan abandon using the recycled materials and go back to using materials that have a less obnoxious odor.
I recognize that all new vehicle materials off gas, and that none of the off gas chemicals are very good for you (as discussed in this topic http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3777). My 2009 Altima with leather seats did have a bit unusual / strange odor for 3 to 6 months when new. But the Leaf off gas odor is just downright obnoxious, and makes you tend to want to cough.
I haven't tried buying an ozone/ionizing air purifier as hill suggested in the referenced topic, but if that's the only way to get rid of the odor I'm going to have to buy one.
Anybody tried having the floor mats dry cleaned, and carpeting cleaned with a professional cleaner?
A new car shouldn't stink this bad.

I love the way the Leaf smells. I hope it never goes away.

It didn't really bother me, but the odor in mine might have had time to dissipate while it sat in Long Beach for a month and a half...

davewill said:

It didn't really bother me, but the odor in mine might have had time to dissipate while it sat in Long Beach for a month and a half...

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Good point. I just need to leave it in out in the sun at every opportunity and take a few minutes to let it off gas before getting in.

:lol: I just got mine and both my son and daughter complained. It doesn't bother me a bit. I just attribute it to the materials they use are quite different. You must have a youthful nose.

I don't notice it anymore. Don't really know when I quit noticing it. So say 6 months absolute max. Probably less than 5 months.

Friend of mine got into the car and immediately took a deep breath. "Ahh... new car smell. I love it." I told him I wasn't a big fan. To me, new car smell is dominated by new leather smell. What I got with the Leaf was new plastic smell... not as good. It's not terrible, but I'll be glad when it's gone.

Yes, I have to admit that the smell of the recycled materials in the seats and elsewhere is, how shall I say, not particularly pleasant.
Fortunately, in three months or so, it is pretty much gone.

TimLee said:

First let me say I love my new Leaf, and commend Nissan for introducing such a phenomenal new product.
But the Leaf has the most obnoxious new car smell I've ever smelled.

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mogur said:

Yes, I have to admit that the smell of the recycled materials in the seats and elsewhere is, how shall I say, not particularly pleasant.
Fortunately, in three months or so, it is pretty much gone.

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+1 agreed. No biggie anymore.

Mine sat in LB for over two months. Must have cleared out most of the smell because I hardly noticed. Seemed much less than other vehicles and was gone in a few days.

Love the smell, LOL

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My old Subaru Forester now has old car smell...I'll take the LEAF smell over that any day. :lol:

BTW, I have the Wet Okole covers sitting outside on a covered balcony, airing out; will install 'em this weekend. I have a feeling I'll prefer that to that old car smell as well.