Lingering Strong New Car-like Smell Elantra Ltd 2007 15 months old

I have had an interior smell that is something like a new car smell
but unpleasant in my 2007 Elantra Ltd 2007.

The car has black interior with black leather seating. The car is now
15 months old (since I took delivery) but only has 2000 miles on
it.(Yes that is all). The dealer and Hyundia's area service manager
have had it cleaned at least 5 times.

They have replaced filters etc. Recently they used an outside car
cleaner who typically cleans up smelly used cars. This cleaner did not
add air fresheners. After the outside cleaning company work, the
smell seemed to decrease but in a week or more it started to come
back. The car smell is strongest after sitting for a few days all
closed up. Car is in Washing DC area.

The Hyundia area rep thinks it is coming from the seating.He said that
if he replaced the seating it would have the same issues (that goes
along with his position that it is lack of use that causes the smell).

Hyundia rep says smell is because car doesn't get used much. He said
that if I used it more it would go away. I agree that is POSSIBLE but
after a year is it likely???

Does anybody know if this has been reported by others? What did they
say?

Did I get the one car where the leather processing was overdone or the
plastics and carpeting had too much of a chemical ( that is a
rhetorical question not requiring an answer) ?

 

It is called 'out-gassing', chemicals used in adhesives are probably
the culprits. Have you tried cranking the windows about 1/2 inch
all round when you leave it sitting for a loing time?

 

That's the correct name, but after a month it should be gone, not 15.

 

Depends. Outgassing is moving volatile chemicals from a point of high
concentration to a point of low concentration. If he leaves the
windows closed all the time the air changes very very slowly so
outgassing will take much longer. The answer to the problem is air
exchanges. The more they happen the faster the problem goes away. It
would be interesting to know if it also stored in a cool place as that
also prolongs outgassing. If he is in an indoor lockup he would be
better off with the windows all the way down.

Cleaning won't do it as all that does is get off surface
contamination. This is stuff migrating out of the layers not off
them. Ditto deodorizers that cover up other smells. All the dealer
attention is showing is that they are trying very hard to please this
person. I wonder if they sore it with the windows open trying to let
it air out while "cleaning". ;-)