Exhaust Fume Smell Inside My 2007 Toyota 4 Runner

Reader Question Mr. Davis,

Thanks for the really good auto insurance quotes; I am actually interested in the Liberty Mutual plan.

My question is regarding my 2007 Toyota 4Runner. I try to be as specific as possible. On my Toyota I have a tailgate window that I can open all the way. The weather in Florida has been nice this time of year so I have been opening the tailgate window while driving.

I have been noticing a heavy exhaust smell when the window is open (obviously); I’m not really sure if this has been going on since I bought the car or not since I just started opening the window while driving.

I observed my car’s exhaust while idling and there is no smoke what so ever, however upon acceleration while the car is parked, sometimes very rarely I see a little black smoke.

While driving upon heavy acceleration I can smell strong exhaust fumes(when the tailgate window is open) which I don’t think is normal? I bought the car new from Toyota and now it has about 9,600 miles. It is the V6 engine.

I have always used regular grade gas which is recommended. Can the gas grade have something to do with this? If this is normal than Toyota shouldn’t have put a retractable window on their S.U.V. I not sure if this is normal or something I have to have the dealer look at. Also if this is a problem what should I advise them to check. Please help..

Best Regards, Tony M.

Hey Tony, How are ya?

Thanks for getting am auto insurance quote for your Toyota from Comparison Market. Their prices are super competitive.

I am not really sure how to answer your question, but I will say this though.

First off I would not expect to see any visible smoke out the tailpipe of a new Toyota, so there COULD be something going on there…or not. It would not be uncommon to see a whiff of black smoke out the tailpipe after you have mashed the gas pedal a few times sitting at idle

If there really was black smoke visible that could indicate the engine is running too rich, too much unburned fuel is leaving the engine. If this was the case I would expect your fuel mileage to be poor and would probably expect to see a “check engine light” coming on the dash.

Since this vehicle is under warranty, I would take it in at your convenience and have them take a look just to be on the safe side.

I will also say this about driving with the rear window down. You might ask Toyota for their opinion, but my opinion would be that driving with the rear window down will suck in exhaust fumes and outside pollutants, and is probably not recommended by Toyota. Just my guess.

As you drive the exhaust fumes and road dirt and debris swirls behind the vehicle and blows up against the back glass. If you have a rear air deflector bolted to the top rear of the vehicle, it will help divert the air away from the back glass.

You can see vehicles without the rear air deflector on top will have a very dirty dusty rear window. If you do not have a rear air deflector, I would ask Toyota about installing one for you, or buy one from the internet and have a local body shop install it for you, they really do help to keep your back glass cleaner.

Blessings,
Austin Davis