DEBRA'S ANSWER:

(updated 7/16/07)

Several readers have sent me links to a healthy car guide compiled by the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor Michigan. The guide is at www.healthycar.org.

It contains a report on the chemicals of concern in car interiors, AND it allows you to look up many vehicles where you can see what the measurements of chemicals are. They also give a rating for each vehicle for "level of concern" and list best and worst of the different classes of cars (my PT Cruiser was "low concern"). This is a great resource we've been needing for a long time.

Here are some articles written by others about this report:

* http://autos.aol.com/article/general/v2/_a/new-car-smell/20070709103709990001
(you'll have to cut and paste this one, I can't get the link to work, but it's the right URL)
* http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17651756/

Another great website by the Ecology Center on this subject is Toxic at Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars & the Need for Safe Alternatives. It has a wealth of information on the toxicity of car interiors, including a report on finding PBDEs and phtalates in car interiors, Auto Company Chemicals Policies, Other Toxins Inside Vehicles, a chart of PBDEs phtalates found in cars ranked by manufacturer, and about a dozen links to other articles on the subject.

And A case study on identification of airborne organic compounds and time courses of their concentrations in the cabin of a new car for private use gives list of chemicals found and factors affecting their reduction and increase.

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(original answer)

I've faced the same dilemma many times over the past twenty years, so I'll tell you my experience.

Automobile interiors are full of toxic chemicals. That's just a fact of life. A lot of the plastic used is soft vinyl, which is one of the more toxic plastics. Also other plastic synthetic fibers are used for rugs and cloth seat covers.

There are three ways to reduce these toxic exposures:
1) buy an auto air filter
2) choose a car with a less-toxic interior
3) open a sunroof

Using an auto air filter (which plugs into the cigarette lighter) will also reduce exposure to car exhaust. The model I purchased many years ago is still available from E. L. Foust Company. I no longer have or use it, but it was a big help at the time.

Then I bought a very small car (the smaller the car, the less plastic there is to outgas). It was only a two-seater sports car (a Fiat X1/9), so there was a minimum of plastic and it had a removeable top. I actually had those vinyl seat covers removed and replaced with cotton canvas covers. That worked really well. I bought the fabric myself, washed it, and took it to an auto upholstery shop.

I learned something from that car. Because the whole top came off, I could open it up and leave it in the sun, so it outgassed very well. Also, if I drove with the windows up and the top open, I could get a lot of ventilation without getting car exhaust in the side windows.

After that, every car I've had has either been a convertable or has had a sunroof. If it didn't have a sunroof, I installed a pop-up roof, which can either be removed or wedged open (these cost around $300-$400 now). Since pollutants tend to rise, they ventilated out of the car. I would run my car heater on fan only, so I had incoming air that then flowed out through the sunroof.

I've purchased both new cars and used cars. I've found that there is an immense difference in the toxicity of interiors in new cars. Some I couldn't even sit in for one minute, others were fine. So I would encourage you to evaluate them individually. They are not all the same.

Some used cars do have a lot of chemical maintenance product residues, others don't. Again, evaluate each one individually.

The last four cars I bought were (I don't remember back farther than this):
* a Geo Metro (new)
* a Suzuki Swift (new)
* a Honda Del Sol (used)
* a Chrysler PT Cruiser (used)

The car I have now, the PT Cruiser, was just one of those miracles that can happen. We bought it in the summer of 2005. It is a 2001 model. It had only 20,000 miles. It was well maintained, but had no odors from cleaning products.

It has a factory-installed moonroof, and outgassed leather seats. The whole car was outgassed, as it was four years old. We happened to find it just as it had come on the lot as a trade-in, and they hadn't cleaned it yet. We told the dealer NOT to clean it other than vacuuming, and that we wouldn't take it if they used any cleaning products on it. And we got a fantastic deal on the price.

My recommendation would be to concentrate on looking for a used car, more than three years old. At least it will be somewhat outgassed and you will probably be able to find one that doesn't have toxic residues from cleaning.

You may be able to find an auto broker who can help you get a car before it has been cleaned up with toxic chemicals for sale. Dealers get cars from trade-ins and from auctions. You may be able to attend a car auction in your area. These cars are not spiffed up with chemicals at all and you can save a lot of money.

Readers, what are your recommendations about finding less-toxic cars?

Debra :-)