# 2002 Toyota Highlander stinks like fish

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-highlander-stinks-like-fish/156521>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** toyota, highlander\
**Created:** [January 14, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-highlander-stinks-like-fish/156521 "2020-01-14T19:48:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![EmmaRhodes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d26b3c/32.png) [@EmmaRhodes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EmmaRhodes)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-highlander-stinks-like-fish/156521/1 "2020-01-14T19:48:36Z")

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My car stinks like fish whenever I turn my heat or ac on.

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**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-highlander-stinks-like-fish/156521/2 "2020-01-15T02:35:12Z")

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Any grumpy old men around

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 3:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-highlander-stinks-like-fish/156521/3 "2020-01-15T03:24:19Z")

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Ask you shop to make sure the AC drain port is flowing freely. You may have mold spores growing in the vent system. Shops have chemical treatments which can sometimes help without needing to disassemble the dashboard. If you have a cabin filter good idea to replace that of course.

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**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-highlander-stinks-like-fish/156521/4 "2020-01-15T03:28:26Z")

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The heater core may be leaking coolant, does the windshield fog up?

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**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-highlander-stinks-like-fish/156521/5 "2020-01-15T18:06:07Z")

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My first thought too. That movies made me homesick for Minnesota.