It's hard to describe a smell
 

But I JUST bought this car and it smells like burning plastic when I get out of the car. I really hope I don't need a repair 3 days into ownership

Could be worst, could smell like dog crap! :dance:

Crawl under the car and follow the exhaust system from the heads to the tail pipes, it's the only thing hot enough to melt plastic. Insure nothing is loose that can come in contact with the exhaust under driving conditions (wind, suspension travel or did you just pick up a WalMart bag).

The funny thing is, I did drive over a grocery bag and didn't see it come out...but does this actually happen? The smell still exists the next day

Yes ! I hate plastic bags in the roadway. They do stick and stink...bad.

Had this happen to me on a different car years back, the smell hung around for quite awhile if I remember right.

It could last until next week if not longer!! If it is a bag, try and scrape it off while it's cold, it might break off in one chunk. If not, take a drive to heat it up and use a paint scraper.

I had the Boxster out for a little exercise and on the way home I was sitting in the left turn lane waiting for the light to change, when a black plastic bag blew across the road and stopped in front of the car.

I made the wife get out and pick it up before the light changed !

They also can block your radiators.

She got out and picked it up?? If I do that, I might end up walking home and sleeping on the couch for a week :o

My car used to give me that smell, it turned out to be oil (RMS leak) on the exhaust system.

I drove over a plastic grocery bag last week and by the time that I got home (15 mins), it had completely melted onto the muffler and tailpipe and it looked like I was dragging a tail of melted silly string.

I let it cool and the plastic was hard as a rock and very difficult to remove. I broke most of it off in chunks and then scraped the rest off. What a mess!

i drove over a plastic bag earlier last year and the smell lasted for 6 months or so though some of the smell for the last month might have just been me expecting the smell.

it can also occur after a RMS, clutch, and IMS bearing replacement ... its slowly fading.

Thread from the dead! I had this happen to me last night; a distinctive plastic burning smell coming from under the car. I checked this morning and sure enough, found the remains of some heavy duty plastic melted to the rear portion of the exhaust. Thank you!