Benz responds to smell

Mercedes-Benz responded this weekend to reports about foul smells in its cars, admitting that while smells generated by the carpets of the cars have been unpleasant, it wouldn't affect the health of passengers. The statement disputed a report by news portal chinanews.com Saturday.

In addition, Benz said it will change the carpets in its cars in order to eliminate the smell. Some of the C-level cars were produced by Beijing Benz before the first half of 2010, and these cars' carpets may contain butyric acid, which over time can generate a strange smell. Beijing Benz claimed that butyric acid was not a health hazard.

On June 8, about 1,000 Benz C-level drivers protested the bad smell in Shenzhen.