Mechanical/rubber smell inside the passenger compartment of a new X5
 

I just picked up my brand new 2010 X5 3.0i last week and I'm completelly happy with it but for one issue. The truck has already 350 miles on it, but the engine and the mufflers still produce a pretty strong mechanical/oil/burnt rubber smell, which permeates my garage to an unusual degree. I generally have a new car every 3 years and I haven't remember any of them smelling so bad. The garage now smells pretty much like a tire store/auto repair shop. Worst of all, the smell goes inside the X5 to a certain degree even if I set the air circulation to the closed interior circuit. So, instead of a pleasant scent of a new car (the one I had in my 335i), I'm having this weird burnt plastic/rubber/oil smell. Anyone experienced the same problem? Should I get concerned or will it go away by the end of the brake in period. BTW, I'm driving the X5 pretty gently and follow the break-in procedures to the letter.

Mine smelt nice and new until ...
 

I had to get the fuel pump fixed - which kept it in the shop for a few days .. I suspect they had many start / stops and runs in the workshop ..and the fumes worked their way into the leather and interior and stuck around ... luckily it went away after a week and I left windows down when I get to effectively 'air out' the car ..

now not suggesting that your's has sat in workshop ... but who knows what happens pre-delivery?!

I read somewhere that you should let ALL new cars esp with leather 'breathe' for a few months as lots of chemicals etc are being released from materials .. so in summary perhaps let your car breath a bit for a week or so and see if it makes a difference ....sounds weird but give it a go

if no joy then take back to dealer (in fact you may want to raise it with them now just in case the one week airing experiment doesnt work and you need to take it back for checks ...my fear was that fumes were leaking through engine bay into either aircon unit or through firewall somehow ...luckily that wasnt the case ..but in your case keep this in mind (perhaps that would be worse case scenario)

lets face it ..nobody wants a smelly car ..especially a BM:yikes:

Cosmoline on the engine, stamping oil on the heat shields, lubricants used to form the exhaust bends, new rubber always gives off a smell.

You should try a new Viper. The smell of burning plastic and adhesives along the rocker panels is un believable for the first 1000 miles.

Thanks guys. I'll give it another week or so. I did call my SA and he said that I can bring the car in anytime for a quick check up. What puzzles me the most is that my previous BMW -- 335i -- did not smell like that at all!

I bet your 335i was delivered from overseas and had more time to offgas after the date of manufacture compared to your X5.

It's normal, it's just oil etc burning off the engine.