Air Freshener Linked to Car Damage

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - A $3.00 air freshener commonly used in cars could cost thousands of dollars in damage.

Pandie Napatilano got a huge shock when she got into her Ford Explorer and found that something had eaten away parts of the dashboard.

Many of the control buttons were destroyed and the wood veneer was messed up.

Napatilano's car sustained $1,400 in damage, all because of a $3.00 air freshener.

"My heart went through my throat that I could not believe how much damage an air freshener caused," said Napatilano.

The product linked to Napatilano's damage is called Arometrics and it is sold by Valvoline.

The air freshener has scented oil in it and it's supposed to be stuck in the air vents.

The product comes with a warning on the back that says, "This side up or liquid may cause damage to plastics." Once the product is installed, the warning sticker is peeled off and can't be read.

"I'm not in my car 24 hours a day, there's valet people, mechanics. There's whatever, my parents, my children are in the car," said Napatilano.

Napatilano said she suspected that the air freshener leaked after she took her car to a car wash and was accidentally re-installed upside down after the interior was cleaned.

Valvoline would not disclose the name of the chemical used in the air freshener, but it also requires a poison control warning that says "keep out of reach of children and pets" and if ingested to call a physician or poison control center immediately.

The air freshener is made in China.

"I am shocked that an air freshener is out there and it can leak and cause and that extensive damage to the vehicle and I worry about kids, children, dogs anybody in the car that can potentially like that, because if it actually literally ate my dashboard, I can imagine what it does to your insides?" said Napatilano.

After searching the internet, Napatilano found that she wasn't alone. Napatilano said she found other complaints about the Arometrics air freshener.

"If I knew for a $3 air freshener I would have $1,400 worth of damage, I would never have purchased it," said Napatilano.

Valvoline paid $1,400 to cover the cost of damage to Napatilano's car.