Env,
Very interested in hearing what your dealer says. If it's MOLD, ask him why Crystal RX, who lives in Seattle (what, 50+ inches rainfall?) and I, who live in the arid desert ( 4 inches of rainfall/yr) and both having our cars longer than you, have not got the problem.

 

My '05 330 will be three years old in February and it doesn't have any smells. I don't care where you live, a car that new shouldn't have odors, mold, or any other issues with smell.

Gary

 

This is a known problem in Gulf coastal states , People use A/c all the time in recirculation mode and by the way there is excessive humidity in the air outside. My old Honda dealer confirmed this and said spraying Lysol or other sprays was the only solution if you do not want the bad smell.

People in other places can chime in. So it is just not a Lexus related problem

 

I am not quite familiar with the car. Could some one tell me where the air intake vents are located in the car, so that I can try spraying Lysol disinfectant?

 

I live in Mobile, Alabama we NEVER turn our ac off. In the summer on the gulf coast you have to keep it on inside air. The humidity is too high and its takes too long to get the car cool enough on a hot summer day. Our summers start in the first of May and end in the first of October. WE have to run the ac in the winter because of the humidity and never have a smell it the car and we always keep it on inside air all the time year round.
If you have a smell in the car, take it to the dealer and have them fix the ac drain. Make them fix the car or call the 800 Lexus number and talk to them and tell them there is no way you could give them a good marks on their survey with a new car that stinks

 

Run the AC in Fresh air mode and it will help alot too

 

Here in Hawaii we run the AC 24/7, but I learned from early on to use fresh air mostly. I only switch to rec. if I need extra cold, or if drive through bad air outside. That said, I almost never get that moldy smell. I also shut off the AC compressor and run the fan on high for a few blocks before I get home every once in a while.

As for Lysol, the idea is not to mask the smell with the lysol, but that it kills the bacteria. Within a few minutes or hours the lysol smell will disappear anyway.