What is causing my car smell?

The seat cushion. They use a chemical additive in the foam.
macoyta65

Hm. I never thought about it but that would make sense macoyta65 if the seat/foam is exposed to extreme heat. .....Perhaps if it's a newer car. Is it a new car Skoolie...and the smell has always been there? Or is it an older car and all of the sudden you have this crayon smell?

I hope you can find and eliminate the cause soon. Better than an awful smell that I had coming through my air vents. You know....that smell when your dog rolls in something dead? After a week of almost passing out from the odor, a family member found a dead bird lodged in one of the fans under the hood. Bleah!

Anyway...good luck. Do let us know what you find out!

It's relativily new and it had the new car smell the first few months maybe that was masking the crayon smell. but when that wore off it started smelling like crayons. If i have a airfreshner in there you can't smell it, so its not very overwelming. just weird.

I confirmed it was the plastic they use from a car dealer. although attemps to draw with my bug has proven unsuccessful.

My VW Bug has that "new car smell" or one friend said crayons and I bought it November 30th, 2000. It is a 2001.
My family is concerned with all the info coming out about plastics...
Check out these links and open your windows!

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990528.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/1418964/Enjoying- the-smell-of-a-new-car-'is-like-glue-sniffing'.html

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/8020stuff.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1719214.stm

My 2001 VW Beetle is disguisting. The smell gets in my clothes and my hair and I get headaches. I feel like I am breathing in carcinogens. I would love to know if anyone who owns a 2001 VW Beetle has the same feelings and experiences and if they have been able to do anything about it. Is there a way to test my car for toxic fumes inside the cab?

I agree with lutherfam... I have a 2000 beetle with only 50K on it. It never smelled until this last year. It is garaged all the time and is an extra car that I drive a few times a month. The smell in it is so strong and chemically. I can't say it smells like crayons, to me it smells like chemicals deteriorating or something. And it also gets in my hair and on my clothes. I don't want to drive it anymore because it makes me smell and gives me a headache. I've tried leaving the windows down in the garage to air it out...no better. Also noted that the panels on the doors are coming unglued and hanging off which makes me wonder if the glue that holds them on is what is deteriorating. I love this car and want to pass it on to my soon to be 16 year old but am afraid it's toxic! Anyone? Help?