Musty/mold smell after carwash/rain

[Porpoise Hork]

The issue is that I don't believe there's enough room to get the vent out. The bed has to be removed. I tried to push mine through and it just hits the bed. When I was working on a box I'm pretty sure I tried to remove it to see if I could just seal it up but it goes back a little bit and then stops.

Why did you have to say that....

Maybe I can find a material that will allow air to pass but is hydrophobic. I can design and 3d print a frame to what will click to the vent so the water won't be able to come in contact with the panel.

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[bman]

Hey man, having this same issue. Smell has been driving me insane. Area between cab and bed smells like mildew. I don’t think my rear cab vents are leaking though. Did you get this issue solved? Any tips to combat it? Appreciate it!

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Hey man, having this same issue. Smell has been driving me insane. Area between cab and bed smells like mildew. I don’t think my rear cab vents are leaking though. Did you get this issue solved? Any tips to combat it? Appreciate it!

Hey, Josh. Go ahead and send us a private message with your VIN and the name and location of your Ford dealer, and I’ll look into this concern regarding a smell in your F-150.

 

[bman]

Hey, Josh. Go ahead and send us a private message with your VIN and the name and location of your Ford dealer, and I’ll look into this concern regarding a smell in your F-150.

I PM'd you, thanks!

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Hey man, having this same issue. Smell has been driving me insane. Area between cab and bed smells like mildew. I don’t think my rear cab vents are leaking though. Did you get this issue solved? Any tips to combat it? Appreciate it!

Be sure to check the back wall liner board on the inside of the cab. There are two long plastic tabs that hold it in place. Once you pull them our the panel comes right out. There were two issues for mine. First a small amount of water was leaking in on the top of the vent on the driver's side and was running down to the carpet. I fixed that with some basic silicone. Popped the vent out as far as it would go and ran a bead of silicone along the entire top of the vent and cab wall getting as much past the cab wall as I could. Then pulled the vent back in place and ran a second bead along the seam to seal it up.

The other issue is water seeping past the vent flaps and would splash up on the back wall cover panel when I was driving causing it to get damp and thus the primary cause of the mildew smell. For that I got some aluminum HVAC tape and ran several strips vertically across the vent to block water from splashing onto the cover board.

Since doing those no more mildew smell.

To check your vents for leaking, remove the panel with a trim tool. Only takes about 30 seconds to pull it out. Then run water directly over the vents on each side and watch for leaks. You can also smell the panel board directly in front of the vents when the smell is present in the truck to see if it's that or the carpet under the vent that's gotten wet.

 

[antjeffries]

Be sure to check the back wall liner board on the inside of the cab. There are two long plastic tabs that hold it in place. Once you pull them our the panel comes right out. There were two issues for mine. First a small amount of water was leaking in on the top of the vent on the driver's side and was running down to the carpet. I fixed that with some basic silicone. Popped the vent out as far as it would go and ran a bead of silicone along the entire top of the vent and cab wall getting as much past the cab wall as I could. Then pulled the vent back in place and ran a second bead along the seam to seal it up.

The other issue is water seeping past the vent flaps and would splash up on the back wall cover panel when I was driving causing it to get damp and thus the primary cause of the mildew smell. For that I got some aluminum HVAC tape and ran several strips vertically across the vent to block water from splashing onto the cover board.

Since doing those no more mildew smell.

To check your vents for leaking, remove the panel with a trim tool. Only takes about 30 seconds to pull it out. Then run water directly over the vents on each side and watch for leaks. You can also smell the panel board directly in front of the vents when the smell is present in the truck to see if it's that or the carpet under the vent that's gotten wet.

hey, when you say you put some HVAC tape over the cab vents did you essentially seal them off? Wouldn’t that cause a ton of pressure in the cab? I’m dealing with the same thing of water seeping past and can’t figure out a way to remedy it. I put some hvac tape as a lip basically at the bottom but thinking I may do a pool noodle or something between the bed and cab just to slow down the water/divert it.

thanks.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Not seal them off completely, just to block potential water spray from hitting the rear fiber/foam board. since doing this last year I have ended up replacing the cab vents and removed the HVAC tape. Not only was water splashing past the rubber flaps because they were curled up but also getting past the gasket seal on the edge against the rear cab wall too. Turns out this was the main source of the leaks and not so much the result of the flaps being curled up. When installing the new ones I put a super thick bead of silicone next to the gasket on the vents to stop water from seeping past there as well. Replacing the vents wasn't too much trouble but there's a trick to it. I used the video below and it took a few minutes to get the passenger side back in but since doing so no issues. Even tested it with the hose pouring more water down the back wall than any south Texas thunder storm could manage and bone dry. Granted it smelled like silicone sealant in the truck for a few days, but small price to pay for no more leaks.

 

[antjeffries]

Not seal them off completely, just to block potential water spray from hitting the rear fiber/foam board. since doing this last year I have ended up replacing the cab vents and removed the HVAC tape. Not only was water splashing past the rubber flaps because they were curled up but also getting past the gasket seal on the edge against the rear cab wall too. Turns out this was the main source of the leaks and not so much the result of the flaps being curled up. When installing the new ones I put a super thick bead of silicone next to the gasket on the vents to stop water from seeping past there as well. Replacing the vents wasn't too much trouble but there's a trick to it. I used the video below and it took a few minutes to get the passenger side back in but since doing so no issues. Even tested it with the hose pouring more water down the back wall than any south Texas thunder storm could manage and bone dry. Granted it smelled like silicone sealant in the truck for a few days, but small price to pay for no more leaks.

Ah interesting okay. Yeah mine isn’t getting around the edges but just seeping past the flaps themselves. They don’t seem curled but still. The truck is new to me but I’ve had it since December and live in the super rainy PNW and seemed fine this whole winter but had a heavy rain in June after a stretch of sun and same last week and just for a couple days after smelled so bad. I saw these videos and may have to give this a try. I tried taping some shop towels over them yesterday but the pressure in the cab was really bad so I removed them.

thanks for the reply I appreciate it. Love the truck just annoying haha. And then approaching fall we’re just gonna start getting rain daily so gotta figure something out.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Me and water leaks go WAAAAAYYY back. I have spent more time than I care to remember chasing down leaks that the dealers completely failed to find/fix.

The way the vent is designed the small amount of water that seeps past the flaps themselves should make its way down to the bottom where it extends out a little further and then drain back out. If the vent frame or damaged, warped or not installed correctly it can prevent this from happening. The dealer replaced them once (and screwed them up in the process) then I have had to replace the vents three times now to finally get a set that doesn't leak.

There are two other main areas that are known to cause leak issues. The thick rubber seal on the rear slider window and passenger side front cowl drain. For the rear slider check the bottom corners of the rubber seal where it attaches to the main window. If you see a gap between the glass and rubber seal especially in the corners it will leak a small amount of water into the back wall and cause the smell. I have had this seal fail on both my 2020 Ranger ans F150 and Ford had to replace the glass to fix it.

The other is the cowl drains, especially the passenger side. They are a piss poor design and get easily clogged up. When the passenger side is stopped up water can back up and leak into the HVAC air inlet getting the cabin filter wet or dripping down onto the passenger side floor board. Check the drains and clear them out with a pipe cleaner, compressed air or wire with a duct tape flag on the end.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/cabin-air-filter-soaking-wet.25300/page-2#post-510094

Other areas of possible leaks on the F150 are the sunroof drains (if equipped) and a small number of 21 F150's had an issue with the windshield leaking due to improper installation.

Once you identify the source(s) of the leaks and fix them treat the carpeting material with a commercial mold mildew killer and preventative. Then re-treat with the preventative every 3 months at least two more times as high humidity could cause a slight musty scent to come back even without a leak.

 

[MrFlowjangles]

I'm experiencing the same problem with my 2021 F-150 Powerboost. This started when my truck was still under warranty. Every time my truck gets wet, it develops a moldy smell.

I've contacted Ford. They initially offered me a 3-year, 36k-mile extended warranty, but then they told me a week later that they couldn't do that. I thought that was brutal.

It blows my mind that so many people are facing this issue, yet Ford isn't taking any action. These trucks were rapidly pushed out during COVID (especially in 2021) and for so many people to experience these leaks and the health risks of mold, Ford has done nothing.

Make sure to do a mold test. Here's what happened when I did the test.

 

[MrFlowjangles]

Hey, Josh. Go ahead and send us a private message with your VIN and the name and location of your Ford dealer, and I’ll look into this concern regarding a smell in your F-150.

How do I send a private message? Did you help this person?

 

[Porpoise Hork]

I'm experiencing the same problem with my 2021 F-150 Powerboost. This started when my truck was still under warranty. Every time my truck gets wet, it develops a moldy smell.

I've contacted Ford. They initially offered me a 3-year, 36k-mile extended warranty, but then they told me a week later that they couldn't do that. I thought that was brutal.

It blows my mind that so many people are facing this issue, yet Ford isn't taking any action. These trucks were rapidly pushed out during COVID (especially in 2021) and for so many people to experience these leaks and the health risks of mold, Ford has done nothing.

Make sure to do a mold test. Here's what happened when I did the test.

Despite the dealer replacing the back glass, the rear cab vents (and I replaced them again after the dealer screwed them up installing them) and cleaning the cowl drains every 2-3 months mine still starts to develop a mild musty scent after it's been raining for a few days when it's been a few months since I last treated it. Granted the smell goes away very quickly, usually within 5-10 minutes running the AC or driving with the windows open for a couple minutes but still annoying. Clearly this is due to mold spores still being present in the carpeting that Ford refused to replace and directed the dealer to clean instead... Shit gives me PTSD every time it rains now....

I have had the carpet professionally steam cleaned as well as checked every sq.in of carpeting in search of evidence of water leaks and have none found, so it has to be the high humidity building up enough to get the mildew to start growing again. When it does I end up treating it with a 10 minute cycle from my ozone generator then let it sit closed up for about 30 min and then air out for the rest of the day. I follow that up with a mold/mildew inhibitor treatment in the areas that have gotten wet before ad this usually resolves it for 4-6 months then have to do it again.

How do I send a private message? Did you help this person?

The Ford account is no longer active on here. Not that they ever really did anything to begin with in the first place. If you DM'ed them they would open a customer care case and contact the servicing dealership on your behalf. That's about it.

 

[kb3421]

I have the same issue as well. Every time it rains, the inside of my truck smells like cat urine. '21 PB Lariat

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Several spots to check to see where the source of the leak is. I have had leaks develop in each of the following areas. As I have said in other posts, I'm cursed when it comes to water leaks and vehicles...

Cowl drain on passenger side clogged - causes water to leak in to HVAC and passenger floor.
Check to see if the cabin filter is damp or wet spot on carpet. If present, clear the drain slots under the cowl in the engine bay. This one is a pain because you cannot get to the debris from the top so you have to use a pipe cleaner and compressed air to clear the drain notches from inside the engine bay.


Shortly after it rains open the back doors and take a deep sniff at the corners of the back window. If the leak is in this area you will smell the mildew from the top of the rear wall carpet panel. If you smell mildew then it's likely one of these next two things.

Rear slider gasket failed - causes water to seep past usually underneath the slider tracks on one side or another and gets the top of the rear carpet wall, and the foam filler in the back wall damp.
Look to see if the thick rubber gasket has a gap in the corners where it should be bonded to the main glass. If there is a gap the glass needs to be replaced or use silicone sealant to fill the gap up to reseal it.

Cab vents not sealing against cab wall - causes water to leak down to carpet behind the rear seat. Have to pull out the back carpet wall board to access these. Takes 30 seconds for non B&O to pull the two retaining tabs out and then pull out the carpet wall. One or both of the rear cab vents is letting water past and will need to be replaced. Kind of a pain in the butt but do-able at home. Just be careful reinstalling them to not mess them up.

You can also have a friend use a water hose on the back glass and vents as you look inside watching for leaks at the window or cab vents.

Last thing, not often but it can leak here too.

Plastic weather seal inside door panel not sealing correctly or door drains clogged- Causes water to seep past and to floor by kick panel trim.
Get a plastic wedge to create a gap between the window and outer door skin, use a water hose and let it run on the window for a minute or two then look at the bottom of the door card for signs of water dripping down the from the bottom of the plastic door card. If you see water trickling down pull the door card off and use one of those flat roller wheels like they use for sound deadening mat or your hand and press the plastic and sealant hard against the door to seal it back up. Or clean the door drains.


If all of the above prove to not be the source then next step is to test each seal area one at as time with a few gallons of water. Apply water on the drivers door/window seals then wait 30-45 letting the truck bake then take a smell. Repeat on the passenger side, then rear window seal, and then rear brake light lastly windshield. You may need to tape the windshield off with painter's tape when doing the doors. This way you can isolate each section until you find the leak. I had to do this on my 2020 Ranger. It took me better part of a Saturday but I was able to locate two leaks this way that the dealer couldn't find.

 

[kb3421]

Can you please send over a message with your VIN and the name/location of your local Ford dealer? I would like to take a closer look into your F-150's odor issue.

I have the same issue. I'd like someone from Ford to reach out.

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