Musty/moldy smell in 2017 G80 too?

[NewToGenesis]

I am in the market for a GEnesis and have been looking at the 2015 bc it's in my budget but I literally sat in 5 different ones at 2 different dealerships and ALL of them had the musty smell coming from the AC. the sales guys either say they can't smell it or that the filters just need changed bc it's been sitting on the lot. what a load of BS. they obviously don't read this forum! my wife and I are still recovering from high levels of toxic mold in our house so a musty car would be a very bad thing!

My question is this. . . has anyone had any similar issues with a 2016 or later? I have not seen any threads on the more recent models. there are NUMEROUS threads around the 2015's being really musty. too many. there is a 2017 G80 with extremely low mileage that I have my eye on but just concerned that in time the musty AC will be a problem. any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

[CSULA21]

I have a 2016 that I bought back in July. Now, I rarely run my AC, doesn't matter how hot. Pretty much only when I have passengers will I turn on the AC. Otherwise, I have the windows down. Well, at any rate, my best friend has mentioned a musty smell (and that was with 2 others in the car; which they couldn't notice), but I've only been able to notice it on 2 occasions; went away after a few mins. Had the car serviced and had them check the air filters, which they said were fine. So, who knows?

 

[glennk]

No musty odor in my used 2015. I replaced the cabin filter right after purchase and only use recirc when passing dusty areas. Otherwise, I always keep it on fresh air.

I would ask the salesman to replace the cabin filter and take a new drive. If that doesn't resolve it, then its your choice if you want to sanitize the system or walk away from the car.

 

[Mark_888]

On the 2015 for sure, there is some place in the system where condensation is collecting and not able to drain, which can cause mold and/or fungus to grow. Changing the cabin filter helps, but does not completely solve the problem. Spraying disinfectant into the system seems to help, but again is a temporary fix.

Whether or not they have completely fixed it yet, is not known for sure, and if they have fixed the problem, it is not known what model year it was first fixed. I would check out if the 2018 models have that problem.

 

[glennk]

I wonder if the system needs a secondary drain...

 

[MikeyTG]

I have had a 2017 G80 since August 2016 in northern NJ, which I keep in a garage when home. I leave the HVAC on auto all the time, rarely drive with the windows down. In summer I leave it in recirc but the CO2 system cycles fresh air on every 15 mins or so. No trace of any smells, I think I am somewhat sensitive to musty odors, which I hate.

 

[Mark_888]

I wonder if the system needs a secondary drain...

They probably need to route the air ducts in such a way that water cannot be trapped inside.

 

[Aquineas]

(Never trust anything car-salespeople say. Never. And any promises, get them in writing)

I'd be very surprised if they'd fixed this with the G80s. Fortunately it has a solution (and I'm a person that had a very bad mildew smell due to the Houston area floods in 2015). After AC filters and things have been changed, do the following:

1. Pick up a couple of cans of https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Lysol-Disinfectant-Spray-Crisp/dp/B000JKH1LM
2. Pull the car outside.
3. Start the engine, turn AC on full blast
4. Open the hood.
5. On the passenger side below the windshield wipers, there is an intake vent. With the car running (and no one in the car), empty that can of Lysol into the vent.
6. Leave it running for a while
7. Open the windows and leave it running for a while still
8. No more mildew smell. It may take a couple of days but it will get rid of most of it.

 

[glennk]

(Never trust anything car-salespeople say. Never. And any promises, get them in writing)

I'd be very surprised if they'd fixed this with the G80s. Fortunately it has a solution (and I'm a person that had a very bad mildew smell due to the Houston area floods in 2015). After AC filters and things have been changed, do the following:

1. Pick up a couple of cans of https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Lysol-Disinfectant-Spray-Crisp/dp/B000JKH1LM
2. Pull the car outside.
3. Start the engine, turn AC on full blast
4. Open the hood.
5. On the passenger side below the windshield wipers, there is an intake vent. With the car running (and no one in the car), empty that can of Lysol into the vent.
6. Leave it running for a while
7. Open the windows and leave it running for a while still
8. No more mildew smell. It may take a couple of days but it will get rid of most of it.

It would be nice if there was a scent free version. My first car had a problem with A/C odors (probably due to being an AVIS rental car with smokers galore) and the prescribed AC Delco product was a horrible orange citrus smell. Took years to get rid of.

 

[whitehurst]

YES! I have this problem on my new 2017 G80 Ultimate. Park in a garage, keep air on auto, generally. Every morning my car has "sweaty"/"musty" smell when I first turn it on. I notice it for maybe 30 seconds and then it goes away, but it is annoying...and embarrassing when I am showing the car off to a friend. =(

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[EdP]

I had my 2015 for 25 months. Changed the cabin filter a couple of times. Never had an odor, rarely have the windows down. New England climate. Just traded it in today for a G80.

 

[cagilber]

I have this issue still on a new 2018 G80, although not yet as bad as my 2015 which had filters replaced, and A/C deodorized, but never fixed the problem.

The weather here is getting a lot cooler and more wet. A few days this week I've noticed the musty smell after starting the car, but it quickly goes away within 30 seconds. I always leave the car on auto mode and have the temperature between 72-76 degrees. The car only seems to use recirculate mode when I remote start in warmer temperatures, but I always switch it off when entering the car.

 

[BARRYW]

Live half of the year in Southern part of DE. Live the other half in Florida. No smell of any kind. As someone stated previously, I leave the HVAC system in Auto mode at all times and the temp is usually set on 74.

 

[Origin_G80]

Dont think Hyundai changed anything for the g80 since my car has the smell as well. Im at 60k miles and the smell is pretty noticeable even with regular air filter changes. Looking for a solution as im posting this.

 

[EdP]

Has anyone checked the condensate drain to see it is clear? Once the mold is in there though, it can be difficult to clear out. I wonder if there is anything you can spray in the air intake to get rid of any mold.

 

[JPR3ST0N]

Where is this drain at... I swear I'm not crying wolf at this point but I do smell something a little musty when the AC is on occasionally. I figured it would be a cabin air filter but I am unsure if that's been changed yet while all the other stuff has been worked on in my G80.

 

[EdP]

I don't know exactly as I've not looked for it. Usually, it is on the right side under the evaporator coil. Sometimes they get blocked up from road dirt that splashes on it.

 

[TruShotta]

I'm having the same smell in my 2018 G80 Sport. Issue first occurred a couple days after having my first oil change done. Hvac is always in auto and I never had this issue with any Sonata that I've had over the years. I'm guessing maybe everything was good from the factory and something could've gotten loose during the service, or it could just be a coincidence.

 

[G-169766]

I am in the market for a GEnesis and have been looking at the 2015 bc it's in my budget but I literally sat in 5 different ones at 2 different dealerships and ALL of them had the musty smell coming from the AC. the sales guys either say they can't smell it or that the filters just need changed bc it's been sitting on the lot. what a load of BS. they obviously don't read this forum! my wife and I are still recovering from high levels of toxic mold in our house so a musty car would be a very bad thing!

My question is this. . . has anyone had any similar issues with a 2016 or later? I have not seen any threads on the more recent models. there are NUMEROUS threads around the 2015's being really musty. too many. there is a 2017 G80 with extremely low mileage that I have my eye on but just concerned that in time the musty AC will be a problem. any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

My 2018 Genesis G80 Sport had the musty issue after owning it for about a year. The dealer ended up replacing the evaporator box & heater, after other attempts have failed. This seems to be the only fix.