The "natural" (Soy based) foam used in the seats and kick panels of most cars today has a rather unique smell to it. I noticed that small when I picked up my new 09 TCH, had just come off the delivery truck the day before so the dealer didnt have a chance to air it out like they usually do

 

Last year I ended up with a dead rat in my car. Talk about an "odd odor".

I cleaned the area as good as possible, but that smell was enough to gag a maggot on a fence post 2 miles away. I ended up buying a tub of activated charcoal from the aquarium supply store and a few pair of cheap socks from the dollar store. I filled half a dozen socks with granulated, activated charcoal and tied a knot in the top. One under each seat, a couple up under the dash, and one placed right on top of the cabin air filter. It was amazingly effective.

A couple weeks later I pulled them all back out and threw them away. Smells were gone. Not covered up with a spray, but gone for good.

 

My Camry had an odd "barnyard" smell also. The wife figured out the problem after one trip with me. She said I couldn't have beans for dinner every night.......

 

Try switching to broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Bell Peppers, beer, and Taco Bell. She'll beg you to go back to the beans.

 

For what it's worth, I've got a 2009 Camry Hybrid that I took into the dealer today for the floor mat recall and a similar odor problem. They confirmed the problem and said there was a service bulletin regarding this issue and ordered a replacement AC Evaporator unit for the car to solve the problem.

 

You've opened the floodgates on car odor now

We got an aftermarket replacement starter for a previous car: for about the first year there was a very peculiar odor, ever time we started the car, like something burning off on it.

Regarding "new car smell": something a little bizarre I've noticed: if we've been using the broiler pan, when washing it up in the sink, as soon as I hit it's greasy surface with dish wash liquid and start scrubbing, an odor comes up that's a dead ringer for new car smell.

 

my wife notices an odor in my car every time she gets in the front seat. when i leave, so does the odor... must be the car seat me thinks.....