Mildew Smell in brand new Tacoma

Used a Toyota Tacoma for 20 years (2001 model, made in the USA). It was a "fleet" truck - white, 2WD, standard. We modified with a cap and ladder rack, and used by my father (carpenter) and myself. Best vehicle either of us ever owned. Toyota actually replaced the entire frame one year because that model had a history of rot in the frame - could not believe that Toyota would care enough to do that to a used truck! Talk about customer service! My father had owned every type of truck imaginable, and they were all basically junk. When he finally found a truck he could trust, he never bought another - which is why he had that Tacoma for 20 years. When both my father and the Tacoma died a year ago, I needed another truck. No brainer! Hard to find, but I actually got a "fleet" truck - white, 2WD, access cab with no rear seats (perfect place for tool boxes!). I wanted a standard shift, but these trucks come with automatic - and this was the least expensive Tacoma you could get at $26,372 for a 2021 (cash price). With taxes and extra undercoating, final cost was $30,815.15. My wife talked me out of buying a used Tacoma ("why buy somebody else's problems? Get new and you know what you've got!"), and I had to dig deep into my savings in order to swing the deal. But I paid cash up front and walked out with a new truck. Added Weather Tech mud flaps to protect the exterior, and Weather Tech floor mats for the access cab to protect the interior (the mats that come with the truck for the front driver and passenger sides are rugged and solid). Put on protective seat covers also. Got a ladder rack for the bed, but no cap is required for what I need the truck for. NOW FOR THE BAD PART. I bought the truck at the end of October 2021, and used it locally for hauling to the dump or to my firehouse (next to the dump). By the end of April, I started to get a musty, mildew odor in the truck. I checked the rugs under the floor mats, and they were dry. I cleaned them anyway, and still the odor was bad. Changed out the cabin filter - still an odor. Cleaned out any leaves or debris on the air intakes for the cabin, checked the air coming out of the heater, and the air coming out of the air conditioner (which I really hadn't used yet.) Checked the drain hose for the air conditioner, it wasn't cracked or plugged. Now I'm going crazy - but I got called back to work in the middle of May, and left the area for three months (I was working offshore on a government owned ship). The truck sat unused in my driveway for those three months, started by my wife once a week and washed once a month. I got home last week, and the smell in the truck was horrible. So, I took the truck back to the dealer and requested that they do a total "environmental" check of the truck which I was willing to pay for ($200). The truck has 2400 miles on it. My wife got a call later in the day from the dealer - they pulled back the rug on the drivers side, and found mold underneath. They have to strip out the rug, find the leak, and replace the rug. ALL AT MY EXPENSE. The warranty does not cover leaks. The bill for this will initially be $2000. I expect it will be well north of this number. THIS IS A BRAND NEW TRUCK! I HAVEN"T EVEN CHANGED THE OIL YET! This truck was made in Mexico, by the way. I wanted to talk to the service manager, but he is conveniently away on vacation until next week. This whole experience is completely the opposite of what I expected from Toyota. What the hell is going on? Did Toyota knowingly sell me a flood damaged truck from Mexico? How the heck does water get into the truck cabin with the ridiculous ground clearance that this truck has? Has anybody else had this kind of experience with a Tacoma made in Mexico? I'll find out what is going on here next week when the service manager "gets back from vacation", but I do not have the money for this kind of repair, and will have to live with the problem. The odor would gag a rat. Great way to treat a working man and a veteran.

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
There's a Recall on third brake light because of water leaks.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/finally-a-recall-for-the-third-brake-light-leak.738003/

Dealership should know.
Join Toyota owners .com to search your VIN# for service bulletins, programs and recalls.

 

I'm pretty sure that recall only affects 2016-19 models

 

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