2010 Prius Stinks.

Cold engine running a rich mixture through a cold catalytic converter. Virtually all petrol cars do it. Once warmed up after a 2 minutes or 500 yards it'll have gone. Totally normal.

Is the smell a metallic smell?

 

how long has this been happening? the only odors i recall being mentioned here are rubber vent tubes in the hybrid battery case, and a fouled hvac system. don't recall any outside smells. but as gc^ says, if you're talking about the exhaust pipe, that shouldn't be a new smell.

 

Are you doing the maintenance or someone else? If the latter, I'm just thinking: maybe they used some cleaner on the vent system, and it's lingering, or reacted with some materials?

Also, have you had a look under the hood? Stupid question, I know: but something like forgetting to put the oil filler cap back on can raise a stink. Don't ask how I know.

 

good call GC!

 

I only noticed mine doing it the other day when I had started the car and was waiting for Mrs Cabbie to finish her pre shopping check list.

It was below freezing and I had the windows down for some reason, possibly to try and get rid of the damp air inside the car. It was dripping on the inside because of the sudden change in outside temperature over the last few days The speedo display was all misted up on the inside and almost unreadable and there was dew on the dashboard and thick, frozen ice on the inside of the glass. It's that sort of cold damp weather that kills Citroens and why I buy Japanese I'm amazed the computers work in that sort of damp.

 

If the "awful smell" smells like rotten eggs, it could be your catalytic convert needing to be replaced.

 

I had a bad chemical smell with my old Camry. Turned out to be a plastic bag glued to my exhaust and outgasses every time it was hot.

 

is there anything that might make a chlorine type smell?

 

I recall a situation long ago when catalytic converters first showed up on cars. A curious mixture of winter de-icing salt (sodium chloride), some water, and the extreme heat of a hot cat can create some interesting chemistry. There may have been some galvanic reactions in among all that too. A brief whiff of chlorine was produced.

 

No Injuries After Toyota Prius Plunges Into Pool in Mill Valley: Police | NBC Bay Area

 

you'd think he could have figured that out himself.

 

Had a 2010 scion xd I traded for my prius had the same engine , noticed that it had a chemical smell from the exhaust when it was cold. Sold Toyota's 69 through 79 and have owned over 25 since never smelled this smell before my Wife's 2010 Corolla [same engine] also has that same exhaust smell , put a rag on the tailpipe when You smell that smell then smell it ser if the rag has that smell.

 

catalytic converter?

 

As per my post - the 2nd one

I'm surprised the OP has noticed this seeing as cats have been on cars for decades.