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Two plaintiffs from Georgia are seeking compensation for rodent damage to their cars that they blame on Toyota soy wiring.
Plaintiffs Hueduc Tran and Bobby York claim the soy-based wiring insulation in certain Toyota vehicles attracts pests. Rodents and other animals chew through the insulation and into the wires inside, they claim, causing damage to the vehicle’s electrical systems.
The plaintiffs say sometime in the 2000s, environmental concerns and the increasing costs of petroleum products led Toyota to switch from using wiring with traditional petroleum-based insulation to newer products that used an insulation based on soy products.
But the new plant-based Toyota soy wiring is an apparent treat for vermin. Tran and York say the soy-based insulation sets up a “bed and breakfast” for rodents in each affected Toyota vehicle.
Tran says she bought a new Toyota Rav4 in July 2014. This past December, she says, she started having trouble getting the engine to start. Inspection by an authorized Toyota dealer revealed the vehicle’s wiring had been damaged by rodents, she says.
Tran allegedly had to pay out-of-pocket to get the damaged wires replaced – with the same type of wires that originally attracted pests.
York had a similar experience with his Toyota Highlander. After a warning light alerted him to a potential problem with the vehicle’s ABS brake system, an inspection revealed that rodents had chewed through a wiring harness.
The inspector told York that the damage could cause the electronic warning system from failing to alert him in case of a malfunction.
Tran and York are far from the only Toyota owners who have been affected by this alleged Toyota soy wiring problem. Many other owners have lodged complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the same problem.
Excerpts from some of those complaints are quoted in Tran and York’s Toyota soy wiring class action lawsuit. Owners say their dealerships denied warranty coverage of the defect, forcing them to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for repairs.
Owners say they tried using repellent, poison, and storing the vehicle in a closed garage, but nothing seems to prevent further rodent damage. Some complainants mention that their insurance companies and their local Toyota dealership told them they were aware of a large number of claims of rodent-damaged vehicles.
Tran and York’s claims are similar to those in another Toyota soy wiring class action lawsuit brought in a Texas federal court late last fall. The plaintiff in that action says she has had significant problems with rats, squirrels and other pests chewing up the wiring in her 2015 Toyota Avalon.
Tran and York are proposing to represent a plaintiff Class consisting of all persons residing in Georgia who have owned or leased a “class vehicle” with the Toyota soy wiring at issue and who have incurred out-of-pocket expenses as a result of the alleged defect.
The two plaintiffs are seeking an award of damages and injunctive relief, including an order requiring Toyota to repair or replace vehicles affected by the Toyota soy wiring defect and to extend those vehicles warranties. They also seek reimbursement of costs and attorneys’ fees associated with this action.
Representing the plaintiffs is attorney Joseph Coomes of McConnell & Sneed LLC.
The Toyota Soy Wiring Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Hueduc Tran, et al. v. Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., Case No. 1:17-cv-00085, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
UPDATE: This Toyota Soy Wiring Defect class action lawsuit was dismissed at the request of the plaintiff on February 27, 2017.
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36 thoughts onToyota Class Action Says Soy Wiring Invites Rodent Damage to Vehicles
I also have 3 cameys 1998 wich have trouble with squials nesting under car and and 2012 and a 2013 but not trouble with the 2 newer models
We have also had problems, including the glove compartment having a mouse nest and filter needed replaced.
I have a 2007 Prius where the exact same thing happened…
Me too … Prius 2011 what do or can we do now??
I have a 2003 LS430 and vermin chewed the pigtail wiring on my car. I researched causes and how it could be prevented. I learned that coyote urine is a deterrent and found electrical tape that contained the scent of a coyote on Amazon. However, I also learned that vehicle damage caused by vermin is covered under “comprehensive” vehicle insurance. The only con is that insurance will only cover the chewed areas and not for “all” complications the damaged wiring caused.
Yes, the same thing happened to my husbands Toyota. The rodents ate the wiring. Lucky my husband is a mechanic to. It was a very tight job that caused my husband to have to work very hard to repair. If he had taken it in to a shop it would have cost at least $700.00 or more to fix it.
I have 2010 Toyota Corolla and the wires was eaten away besides my air filter. I also found a nest in the glove compartment. This model has the air filter right behind the glove box. Found out about the air filter and glove box when I went for an oil change.
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Anther problem that Toyotas have is that the line from the gas tank is plastic, and not protected. Rodents ate mine, causing $465 in damage.
I had to pay over 600$ out of pocket because mice are the wires in my 2007 Toyota Camry motor
I have a 2012 Chrysler Town & Country that had the same problem. I wonder if it is just Toyota?
I have a dead 2003 Rav 4 in my drive due to rodent damage. They chewed up the hood insulation and built a nest in a headlight with it in addition to damage to the wiring and the line to the fuel pump. Ridiculous!!