What Is Odor?
The odour test is the grading, by a trained panel of assessors, of the odour emitted by materials used in the vehicle cabin. It is not a quantity measured by an instrument but a sensory evaluation carried out under standardised conditions; panel competence and the repeatability of conditions therefore determine the reliability of the result.
Purpose of Odor
The purpose is to assess whether the material creates an unpleasant odour in the cabin, and to demonstrate compliance with OEM odour specifications.
Which Products Is Odor Applied To?
- Seat fabric, leather and foam
- Plastic interior-trim parts
- Carpet and insulation materials
- Adhesive and gasket materials
- Rubber parts
In Which Sectors Is Odor Used?
Standards Related to Odor
- VDA 270
- ISO 12219-7
Odor Conditions
- Storage variants
- Variants defined in VDA 270: dry heat, humid heat, and room conditions
- Evaluation scale
- 1 (not perceptible) — 6 (unbearable); half-points may be used
- Panel
- Consists of trained assessors; the result is given as the panel average
Equipment for Odor
- Odour-free glass jars (1 L or 3 L)
- Conditioning oven
- Odour-free assessment room
- Reference specimens
Sample Requirements for Odor
- A specimen of the surface area or weight prescribed by the standard
- The specimen must be packaged odour-free after cutting
- The sampling date must be recorded
- Layer structure must be preserved in composite material
- Multiple jars are prepared for panel assessment
Duration of Odor
Storage duration varies by the chosen variant (commonly 24 hours); assessment is performed the same day.
Odor Procedure
- 1The specimen is placed in the odour-free jar and closed.
- 2It is held under the temperature and humidity conditions of the chosen variant.
- 3The jar is brought to the assessment temperature.
- 4Panel members open the jar one by one and grade the odour.
- 5Assessors score independently of each other.
- 6The panel average is calculated and reported.
Odor Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is defined in the OEM specification; common practice requires that a specified score (e.g. 3.0 or 3.5) not be exceeded. The limit varies according to the material's position in the cabin and its surface area.
Evaluation of Results
The result is the panel average; the spread among individual assessors is also reported. A large spread can indicate that the specimen is not homogeneous, or that conditions were not sufficiently controlled.
Odor Report
- Applied standard and chosen storage variant
- Specimen description, quantity and sampling date
- Storage conditions and duration
- Number of panel members and individual scores
- Panel average
- Comparison with the specification (if available)
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- OEM interior-material specifications
Otomotiv Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Odor test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Automotive testing shows that a component keeps working under conditions representing the loads it will meet over the life of the vehicle. A vehicle is not a single product but an ENVIRONMENT: vibration, temperature cycling, salt water, stone impact, electrical transients and electromagnetic noise are all present at the same time and for years.
What distinguishes this family is that VEHICLE MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS sit on top of the standards. ISO and SAE publications establish the common ground; but Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota and Renault define different severity levels, additional tests and different acceptance criteria in their own specifications. For a component, the phrase "complies with automotive standards" is not sufficient on its own; which manufacturer's specification, and which revision of it, must be answered.
The family carries three separate processes together and they are often confused. Homologation covers the type approvals a vehicle needs to enter traffic and runs under state authority. Supplier approval means passing the vehicle manufacturer's own quality and testing requirements and is a commercial relationship. The third is design verification: the engineering team demonstrating that its own design meets its targets.
At component level the test plan is built around the LOCATION OF USE. A module in the engine bay and a module in the boot do not go through the same temperature and vibration profile; a component inside a door and one in the roof console do not see the same water and dust exposure. The ISO 16750 series is the common framework for this location-based approach.
The shift to electric vehicles has reshaped the field. High-voltage safety, insulation coordination, battery safety, charging interface conformity and the electromagnetic behaviour of high-voltage components have been added to the classical automotive test set. In a quiet vehicle, acoustic and vibration expectations have changed too; sounds once masked by the combustion engine are now audible.
The quality system side cannot be separated from testing in this field. A manufacturer under IATF 16949 presents test results in the PPAP file; measurement system analysis, process capability study and the control plan stand around the test report. A single good result is not enough — the process must be shown to be able to repeat it.
Method groups in this field
Environmental and climatic
Temperature cycling, thermal shock, damp heat, salt spray, dust and water ingress (IP), solar radiation. Severity levels vary with the mounting location.
Mechanical
Sine and random vibration, shock, mechanical loads, fastener torque and durability cycles.
Electrical
Supply voltage variations, transients (ISO 7637), reverse polarity, overvoltage, short circuit and sleep current measurements.
EMC
Component emissions (CISPR 25), radiated and conducted immunity (ISO 11452 series), electrostatic discharge (ISO 10605).
Materials and emissions
Odour, fogging and VOC emissions from interior materials; flammability; UV ageing; coating durability and stone impact.
Functional safety and cyber security
Functional safety evidence under ISO 26262 and cyber security engineering under ISO/SAE 21434; these are tied to regulation through UNECE R155 and R156.
Commonly confused in this field
- An automotive report without a specification reference is not accepted in the supply chain; which OEM specification and revision was applied must be stated.
- Type approval and supplier approval are different processes. A component with E-Mark approval is not thereby considered to have passed the OEM's own acceptance tests.
- A result obtained on a prototype does not carry over to series production; PPAP is done with series production parts.
- On the EMC side, measuring emissions alone is incomplete; immunity is a separate body of work and is more critical in a vehicle.
- On electric vehicle components, high-voltage safety is a distinct competence; classical 12 V test infrastructure is not sufficient.
Which decisions these results support
- Supplier component approval and the PPAP file
- UNECE type approval and E-Mark marking
- Design verification and durability evidence
- Root cause analysis of field complaints and warranty returns
- Assessing the impact of a design or supplier change
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Odor
Isn't the odour test subjective?
It is sensory, but the method is standardised to reduce subjectivity: a trained panel, a defined scale, controlled storage conditions, and independent scoring are used. The result is the panel's average, not one person's.
How should I send the specimen?
It must be sent in odour-free packaging and as quickly as possible. The odour of a plastic bag, tape or label directly distorts the result; the sampling date is also information that must be reported.