Toyota Class Action Says Rats Chew Through Soy-Based Wiring

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Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the soy-based wiring insulation in some of its vehicles attract rodents that chew through the wiring, causing damage to the electrical systems and other operational systems and rendering the vehicles partially or completely inoperable.

Plaintiff Ray Roscoe claims that Toyota was aware of or should have been aware of the fact that the soy-based components in its vehicles would attract rats, squirrels and other types of pests that could cause significant damage. However, Toyota refuses to repair the affected vehicles under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty that is issued with each purchase or lease and/or Toyota’s Extended Warranty “Vehicle Service Agreement” that is available at extra cost, the Toyota class action lawsuit alleges.

“Historically, automobile wiring was coated or covered with a glass, plastic or polymer-based insulation,” Roscoe says in the Toyota class action lawsuit. “However, over the past decade or so, and especially in light of the skyrocketing oil prices in the mid-to-late-2000s, there has been a dramatic downshifting in automotive manufacturing which has spurred automobile manufacturers to explore new materials to decrease cost and make more parts recyclable.”

In response, car makers have shifted from using petroleum-based wire insulation to biodegradable soy-based insulation to save money and purportedly to be more environmentally-friendly.

Roscoe claims that Toyota was not actually motivated by the prospect of “going green” but was instead motivated by cutting costs and boosting profits by using the soy-based insulation.

According to the Toyota class action lawsuit, Toyota’s use of soy insulation in its vehicles has “created a home” under the hood of the vehicle for rodents and other pests, which chew on the insulation and electrical wires. Significant damage can occur even if the pests don’t chew all the way through the wire because mere exposure of the wires can cause a vehicle to become unsafe for use.

“The safety concerns raised by wiring damage and failures in automobile electrical systems are obvious, and Toyota’s continued use of soy-based wiring poses a legitimate threat to the safety of Plaintiff, Class members, prospective purchasers or lessees of Class Vehicles, and other drivers on the road,” the Toyota class action lawsuit says.

Roscoe has filed the Toyota class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and a proposed Class of consumers and entities in Massachusetts who currently own or lease a Class Vehicle with soy-based wiring insulation, or who previously owned or leased a Class Vehicle and incurred out-of-pocket expenses related to the alleged soy-based wiring insulation defect.

The Toyota class action lawsuit names the following vehicles as Class Vehicles:

• 2011-2016 4Runner
• 2013-2016 Avalon
• 2012-2016 Camry Hybrid
• 2009-2016 Camry
• 2014-2016 Corolla
• 2014 FJ Cruiser
• 2009, 2012, 2015 Highlander
• 2009 Matrix
• 2010-2015 Prius
• 2012-2015 Prius C
• 2008-2016 Rav4
• 2014-2-16 Scion TC
• 2012-2015 Sequoia
• 2011-2014 Sienna
• 2014-2015 Tacoma
• 2007-2016 Tundra
• 2010, 2013 Venza Ltd.

The Toyota class action lawsuit asserts claims for breach of warranty, breach of the implied warranty of merchantability, violations of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, and violations of Massachusetts consumer protection laws.

Roscoe is represented by Jeffrey S. Morneau and Andrea S. Harrington of Connor Morneau & Olin LLP.

The Toyota Soy-Based Wiring Class Action Lawsuit is Ray Roscoe v. Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., Case No. 3:17-cv-12332, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.