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Prius Prime Electrical Harness took $3500+ to replace

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by BudgetDriver, Apr 15, 2017.

  1. BudgetDriver

    BudgetDriver Junior Member

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    I would like to share this and hopefully it won't happen to you guys.

    I had my Prius Prime for about 2.5 months driven less than 1500 miles. When I leave work last night, the engine was vibrating and lack of power, engine light was on too. Battery was low, so, I called Toyota emergency road assistance to have it towed to a dealer (Tow service was free and very good.)

    This morning the dealer service adviser told me that the electrical harness around the fuel injection was badly bitten by rodents or small animals, causing two of the cylinders not functioning. Then comes the price shock of $3500+ as new car warranty doesn't cover rodent damages. The harness itself costed about $1000, the rest is labor. (My auto insurance should cover this case, but I have to put up $1000 deductible. Not sure if this would raise my insurance premium later on)

    I lived in the same house for 14 years, and always parked outside the garage. It didn't happen to my last car (Honda accord) for 14 years, but to the Prime in 2.5 months. It is probably something to do with the Prime. Would it be the more enclosed bottom that allows the rodents to dwell conveniently and preserves heat for a longer time? Some posts on internet suggest putting moth balls and various repellents in the engine compartment. I appreciate if you have any suggestions regarding safe and effective repellent. I definitely can't afford this a second time.
     
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  2. ForestBeekeeper

    ForestBeekeeper Active Member

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    In 2011 during our first vehicle maintenance, they found dog food in our ventilation intake and plugging the air filter. A rodent had been stealing our dog's food and storing it in the car. The dealership service guy told me that they had just dealt with a Prius that was totaled due to rodent damage.

    A lady had brought her Prius in because the tiny spot light that shines on the shift knob had gone out. The light tested fine, the wiring harness was badly eaten. To replace the entire harness was enough to total the car.

    I was told that making the wiring insulation 'green' they had shifted to a soy-based insulation to be less polluting and better for land-fills. But since it is soy it is also rodent food.
     
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  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Bummer!

    It might have been worth asking the dealer to wrap the new harness in rodent tape before installing it. (A lot easier than after!)

    -Chap
     
  4. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    Rodent damage is covered under automotive comprehensive coverage, just like, say, damage from a hail storm. Making a comprehensive claim does not increase your premium. At least, that is how is is under my insurance coverage.
     
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  5. Pdxprimeguy

    Pdxprimeguy Member

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    Buy a bunch of victor snap traps with the yellow trigger plate and baited with peanut butter. You'll catch a ton of mice I live out in the country and I catch mice a lot. Poisons also not a bad idea around the perimeter.
     
  6. civicdriver06

    civicdriver06 Active Member

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    This shouldn't happen to modern cars of today,especially not now we have all this sensitive tech inside them!
    They could easily build them so that rodents can't get inside or get in reach of important parts of the vehicle in the first place!
     
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  7. mr88cet

    mr88cet Senior Member

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    Zikes!

    I had to replace the hose from the washer reservoir to the rear washer of my Gen-2, because it seemed to have been chewed by rodents. Total surprise and mystery to me. Obviously, that was a lot cheaper to replace though...
     
  8. Andyprius1

    Andyprius1 Senior Member

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    If that is true, Toyotas feeding the rats, they are libel. Just prove that it soy based!
     
  9. Andyprius1

    Andyprius1 Senior Member

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    Agree.
     
  10. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    But is the average person willing to pay for that, or the increase labor costs of removing the protection for maintenance and repairs.
     
  11. PT Guy

    PT Guy Senior Member

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    A moth block or a mesh bag with moth balls, replenished as needed, stinks things up, but drives the critters away. Toxic to all living things. Don't breath it. If the smell gets into the car, find a different solution. (I use moth balls to drive river otters away from denning under a garden shed. Works.)
     
  12. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    I wouldn't be at all surprised if the GD EPA had a hand in mandating this.
     
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it's a green car. toyota is looking for ways to recycle everything.
     
  14. Tom_06

    Tom_06 Active Member

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    I'd prefer if the recycling would wait until I was done with the car.

    A friend living out in Pennsylvania farm country has had several cars damaged by rodents chewing wiring harnesses. He had a 2006 Prius for 9 or 10 years parked outside the whole time and the critters never touched that car.
     
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  15. BudgetDriver

    BudgetDriver Junior Member

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    Thank you all for the suggestions and sharing. The picture below shows the major damages:


    PRIUS PRIME 1.JPG

    The dealer said there was no stock for the harness and they had to order and hand made it from Japan. That took extra couple weeks. The damaged harness is shown in following picture - there are many connectors.
    damaged_harness.jpg

    Below is the new installed one

    new_harness_installed.jpg
    After wrapped with rodent tapes:
    wrapped_with_rodent_tape.jpg

    I also wrapped about 15 other connectors that are accessible from top. The rodent tape costed $32 and was from Honda -
    The tape is like electrical tape with some foul smell. In addition, the Prime is now parked in the garage instead of my wife's 2007 Jeep. Hope the Jeep will be OK.
    Insurance did pay for the repair minus the deductible and the incident would not affect my premium.
     
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  16. lextoy

    lextoy Active Member

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    2018, 9500miles.
    Hybrid system malfunction.
    Squirrel made a nest right under the thermos reservoir and chewed wires to the reservoir pump. Dealer offered to repair the wires rather then swap the harness. $400. I opted for that because rewiring the entire harness will ruin the car as far as I'm concerned. They said that would have been 50 hours and required engine removal
     
  17. lextoy

    lextoy Active Member

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    And I park outside, but in a big parking lot, not really close to woods or anything.
     
  18. lextoy

    lextoy Active Member

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  19. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Yikes!! Glad it was repairable!! I'm trying to locate that nest since the Prime (and all Gen 3 and Gen 4) do not have a thermos. Is that the right rear corner of the splash shield? Kind of under the radiator overflow tank?

    Wherever it is, it's a good argument for taking off that splash shield at every oil change. The damage could have been a lot worse if you hadn't caught it when you did. (y)(y)(y)
     
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  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    @BudgetDriver I would hope the extent of damage was more than just this:

    upload_2020-2-26_7-36-25.png

    It would be a sandpounder, to replace the entire wiring harness, if that was all the damage. I suspect there was more damage?

    Edible wiring insulation seems somewhat akin to the runaway bolt and suspension corrosion, due to outlawed coatings (and copious road salt).