I have 2007 Prius with original battery and 245 k miles. I have had the car for about 5 years now. Within the last year it has developed what I can only describe as an old car smell. It's the kind of smell that sticks to clothes. I deep cleaned the car thinking it would help but the smell still there. Where can it be coming from? I am guessing may be the plastics or seat foams are deteriorating and giving off the smell. I would hate to depart with my beloved Prius but the smell is too much for me.
You probably have the rubber vent smell from the hybrid battery. Pretty common. They used these rubber runners inside the battery case that really stink. Some cars get that smell some don't. My car does not. I hear it really smells bad. Go in the backseat on the passenger side in the pillar between the seat and the door is the vent for the battery air intake. Smell that vent see if the smell is coming from the battery case. Or you could be leaking water from the roof area thats pretty common too. Open up the hatch till you get to the spare tire area. Get flashlight see if you have standing water in the 12 volt battery holding well. Then take the spare tire out see if you have signs of standing water in there. Sometimes if the leak is really bad it will get under the rear floor carpet and start a stink. Replaced the cabin filter lately you may have rodents? Don't know where you live. News on battery rubber vent smell | Page 3 | PriusChat
I want to update on this. The smell is gone. The only thing I can think of is I changed my oem 12v battery because it was just completely depleted. So am guessing for the last year and half of its life it was emitting that smell.
