I drove my new 2019 Mazda6 back home from dealership. I really like the car. Have driven it now about 150 miles, but still there is an engine burning smell that comes insides the cabin area. I notice it when car comes to a standstill / idle usually (after it has been running on highway).

I called the salesperson, he said its very common issue for people, since the factory as well dealerships use cleaners and stuff but that it will go away soon. I am finding it harder to believe. I get a new car usually every year, though this is my first Mazda.

Could others comment with their experience?

 

New CX-5, same issue. When we first took it out for a test drive we were at a stop light with a large truck in front of us. I said, that truck really stinks and the sales rep indicated it might be my vehicle. Something about anti corrosive coatings applied to the exhaust system at the factory. It's nasty, really smells like a badly tuned diesel in front of you. He indicated it would dissipate after a couple hundred miles. It's worse when you are idling and the vehicle is not moving. You can minimize it by turning off the climate blower motor until you start moving again.

 

In my recent 2020 mazda 3 and my current 2021 mazda 3 i dealt with that smell. I honestly forgot about that being an issue. At some point in both my cars the smell ended up going away. Not sure how long it took.
Part of what i do involves a lot of driving so maybe it wore off quicker than yours do to constant driving.