Why is there a mildew smell in car during rain?
The trunk seals were damaged and rain was leaking into my car (Chevy Prizm). I noticed the odd smell first. Then, there was condensation on the inside of the windows sometimes. None of the floors felt wet. The problem was lower than the floor carpet and floor mats, it just wasn’t high enough to be felt. While driving, the water worked it’s way forward from the trunk, through the backseat, and under the front seats. I never noticed any wetness, pooling, or anything. I never heard water splashing. It puzzled me for weeks, but then my father fussed at me to take it into the dealership. I don’t know how they figured it out, but they did. They completely ripped out all my car’s innards to dry out the pools of water under the carpet. They also installed very tiny drains in the tire well of my trunk. I’ve had no further problems and the smell is gone. It was sad seeing my car innards spread around a garage, though. Luckily, this happened inside of the warranty period.
