RODENT CHEWD MY WIRING

Hey guys my wife the other day hopped in the Runner, and as she started driving all the lights on the dash came on. She said the Runner also stared shaking. We live 2 blocks away from a Toyota so I told her to drive there, and tell them what's going on. Diagnostic showed cylinder 3 and 4 were miss firing. After further inspection they noticed some wires were chewed. They determined a rodent chewed the wires. Cost to fix $3600. Warranty doesn't cover rodent problems. We've only had the Runner for literally 2 weeks. Not even 300 miles on it. They're telling me we're not the only ones that its happened to. They tried feeding me some BS about us having more wild fires this year than usual that caused more rodents to come into the city. The closest wild fire we had was about 20 miles away. Also we live in an apartment complex with more than 100 cars. To me its hard to believe our Runner was the lucky chosen one. I've talked to the complex manager she's willing to provide paperwork that says we do not have rodents anywhere on the premises.

-If anyone has had this problem with a 2021 or 2020 could you please comment your year, how many miles you Runner had, and the state you live in. I'm trying to get a list going to present to them. Cause I have read that its Toyota that keeps using Soy based wiring which rodents apparently like.

 

My buddy's 19' ORP had rodents chew his harness right at the injectors. Insurance paid for it in the end. $4000 is the total if I remember right. This dates back to the 2nd gen Tacomas...2005 at least for soy based engine harnesses. Toyota knows it happens but don't really care.

 

It’s not a warranty problem unfortunately. The wires have soy base that rodents like to eat. Call your insurance. That’s the most you can do. This is a common problem.

 

Get it fixed and buy a bunch of this.

https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/4019-2317.html

 

I had a rodent problem on my 18 Tacoma because it’s parked outside; 4R is in the garage. No wires chewed but a whole of rodent droppings on the battery and engine heat shield. I sprayed some peppermint essential oils with water from a spray bottle and never had this problem again.

 

My 2019 had the same issue. 300 miles on the odo, taking a trip to Colorado. My check engine light & trac off light came on, and the truck ran horribly. Fortunately, when I restarted it after shutting it off, the problem went away. I was able to make it to a dealership in the town we were going to, and got it fixed. They repaired the wires on one injector, and I was on my way. Hasn't done it since, but I got some rodent repellant spray.

I know for a fact my wiring was chewed when my 4R was in route from either Japan or the US port to my dealer. I hadn't had it long enough for them to do it after I bought it. Plus, the little mouse droppings were pretty old. Proving that, however, was a different story.

Sorry you had to experience this OP. Dealers should pop off the engine cover and check for this as a dealer prep item.

 

That is a pretty common problem and I have fought them for years with mothballs,bear spray,work lights,lights on timers,rat traps for pack rats,mouse traps,cussing,finally have had fair success with peppermint oil spray.Good luck!

 

@PdxRunner when I had a sensor go bad, the dealership thought it might be a rat trim through the wire period the first thing they did to check was look in the cabin filter located in the glove box compartment. If you look in the grooves in the filter, you'll find rat poop.

They found some in mine even though it was determined rats weren't the cause. Rat damage is covered by your auto insurance, but I think the dealership has to give you a form or something saying that was the issue..at least that's what was explained to me.

 

Can anyone recommend a specific product that has helped repel these stupid rodents? I spend so much time in the woods. It seems like some preventative measures are a good idea.

 

See post #4.

 

Thank you. I should have specified that I'm more interested in the spray repellents people mentioned.

 

Took mine in for its 15k service and the techs noticed the cabin air filter had been chewed. They inspected the engine bay, cleaned and disinfected the evap. coil, and replaced the filter. No other damage and no sign of the little bugger. Mine sits in the garage so I purchased one of those plug in sonic repelling units from Amazon and haven’t seen any sign of them the vehicle yet.

 

For anyone looking to buy, I highly recommend checking the wiring before you write the big check at the dealership. It is my understanding that many of these issues happen in transport, so catching it before you buy is the one opportunity to get Toyota to do something about it.

 

I have a 2021 and had the same thing happen with 167 miles on the odometer. My wife went to back out of my driveway and the 4Runner started shaking and lit up like a Christmas Tree. I had it towed to the dealership where they said 2 injector harnesses were replaced. $700 later and it's good as new. I immediately ordered the ultrasonic repeller with flashing light off Amazon, and went to Lowes to get some Tomcat Rodent Repellent (made with essential oils). I spray the engine compartment, fenders, and under the edges of the vehicle after I drive through rain, or every couple weeks just to make sure this doesn't happen again. It's been about 2 months and I don't see squirrels hanging around my vehicle, so hopefully it's working. The spray was $10, so even if I had to buy a new can every month at $10 a can, it's worth the piece of mind. Whatever spray you use, just make sure that it is really shaken up well, and you are constantly shaking it to ensure the oils stay mixed.

As a side note, if you have a Costco membership and your dealer is a participating dealer, you can save 15% off parts and service. That saved me about $100 on my injector repair, so it's definitely something to keep in mind.

 

This is what I got:

$25 Exterminators Choice - Rodent Defense Spray for Cars and Trucks - Non-Toxic Deterrent for Pest Control - Repels Mice and Rats - Vehicle Protection - Safe for Kids and Pets (32 Ounce)…

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01DTBOV06/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I probably should give the engine bay another application about now...

 

I wish I would’ve thought of that when I purchased it. I always check under the hood with older cars when I purchase. But I didn’t think I had to on a brand spanking new car.

 

But yea my insurance is taking care of it. I’m just trying to be a Karen and see if I can at least get my warranty I purchased for free.

 

What I use for the 4Runner and Tacoma

$35 Grandpa Gus's Mouse Repellent Spray, Peppermint & Cinnamon Oil Formula, Repels Mice & Rats from Nesting, Chewing in Homes/RV, Boat/Car, Storage & Wiring, 8 fl oz (2 Bottles)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SGZ6SHR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Just went through this ordeal with my 2017, unfortunately I wasn’t aware of the wiring issue (hadn’t been chewed through completely) until I hit a rough patch on the highway and something went bang and then got all rice krispy sounding. Transmission grenaded itself, the main shaft in the trans bound up and broke in 2 places, the bind was so severe it trashed the t-case and torque converter, and also caused a momentary blip in the engine that was enough to spin the crank. Had it towed to a shop (not Toyota) and they found a rats nest with a bunch of crispy fried baby rats in it on top of the trans built around the trans harness and a second nest at the back of the engine between the firewall and engine near the main harness pass through. Total damage assessment was engine rebuild, new trans, new case and new main harness and trans harness. Shop wanted $17k for parts and labor. I said fuck that and sold it to a guy with a wrecked T4R who just needs and good chassis and body to put his driveline in.

 

I'm a claims adjuster and we've had more than usual rodent chewing wire claims. I think this is because due to Covid lots of people are not driving nearly as much and leaving their cars stationary. This makes it easier for rodents to move in and tear up your car. Unfortunately it's not covered by warranty, but it would be a not at fault comp claim on your insurance. Just my two cents on the situation.

 

Try getting something like

$28 Loraffe Rodent Car Repeller Ultra Sonic Animal Under Hood Repellent Battery Powered Rodent Strobe Light Keep Rat Mice Away from Car Engine Vehicle Protection

this. It uses fluctuating hf sound to keep rats away.