Mouse chews hybrid wiring harness and causes $1166.79 damage

Re: Mouse chews hybrid wiring harness and causes $1166.79 damage

A reasonable risk as long as your finances can comfortably absorb the cost of a comprehensive incident, as tailgunner must now do.

 

The apparent lack of concern by all car manufacturers for designing cars to withstand rodent damage is the root problem. In much of the southwestern/midwestern US pack rat damage is very common. Short of garaging your vehicle in a tight garage (the critters don't need much space at all to get in) your vehicle will be exposed to having wiring and hoses chewed at which can do major damage. In our area pack rats are native wildlife, not invaders, so getting rid of them is essentially not possible. Certainly providing unguarded vent openings is inexcusable - class action material in my opinion. Besides providing rodent proof vent openings, all wires and harnesses as well as vacuum hoses should be protected by metal reinforced mesh since rodents easily chew plastic. This would not require a new technology - just a willingness to acknowledge that rodent damage to vehicles costs millions of dollars. Complain to Toyota! Maybe if enough do they'll finally listen.

 

Has anyone thought of throwing in one of those "glue traps" into each of those spaces right inside the vents? Might help.......

 

I would spray Rataway Fragrance from Rataway.com it will prevent mice, rats. squirrels, rabbits
from nesting and biting wiring in car engines.....Safe around pets and children

 

Good thread. Just happened on my Prius as well. Over $1k to fix the issue at the dealer. They fixed the wire and the cost was all labor. Half the cost was paid by insurance, but should have done it my self to be honest. Felt like the dealer ripped me off. Dealers love cases like this since its the easiest way to rob the customer. Beware.