tecman

Published on Feb 3, 2017 Do you have warning lights and costly car repairs? Rodent damage could be the culprit behind your next break down.
A class action lawsuit claims the type of plastic used in new cars could be attracting vermin that eat the wires.
"I never could figure out where the stuff came from until I saw the rat," said Barbara Olm. On more than one occasion a tiny hitch hiker made a meal out of the wiring in Olm’s 2012 Lexus.
The 84-year-old poisoned one rat in her car, but not before the rodent cause more than $400 in damage.
"The mechanic found a ground wire and coolant wire eaten by rats," Olm said. Today Barbara's best defense against the rodents is a loud radio that she places by her parked car. " They don't like country music."
Barbara is not the only one with a rat problem. Rodent damage is a regular occurrence at University Honda in Davis.
"42 years in the business and I have seen it from day one," said University Honda Service manager Mark Campanili. When we met with him there were 2 cars in his shop with rodent damage.
Chewed up insulation is a cheap fix but wiring damage can be costly. "I have seen a couple in the $2000 range," Campanili said, and damage is not covered under warrantee.
University Honda can't explain what’s attracts rodents to vehicles, but attorney Brian Kabateck can.
"The plastic coating around the wires is made of soy," Kabateck said. "I am not a rat expert, but soy must be delicious to rats."
The Los Angeles lawyer recently filed a class action lawsuit against car maker Toyota Motor Company for their use of a soy based eco-friendly wire coating in many 2012 to 2016 model cars. The lawsuit specifically targets the soy based wire coating and not the copper wire inside.
Toyota sent ABC10 this statement regarding the lawsuit:
"While we cannot comment on this litigation, we can say that rodent damage to vehicle wiring occurs across the industry, and the issue is not brand- or model-specific." Victor Vanov Corporate Communications Toyota Motor North America
Kabateck believes Toyota may not be the only car maker using the soy based plastic coating.
"At least Ford and Subaru and other dealers are using a similar product and their owners are reporting similar problems," Kabateck said.
The goal of the class action lawsuit is get Toyota to cover rodent damage in cars with the soy based plastic. Honda is also facing a class action lawsuit. Kabateck says other car manufacturers may see similar lawsuits in the future.
Extermination company Terminex ranks Sacramento as one of the top 10 cities for roof rats. The rodents are not picky when it comes to choosing a nesting spot."The number one advice I can give is to drive your car every day," said Terminex Spokesperson Leo Skattebo.
A car parked for more than 48 hours is like a welcome mat for rodents. Skattebo says your car may be at the most risk in your garage. If rats have moved into the garage, traps are the best way to get rid of them.
“Regular snap traps work great, but If it a high traffic area, say with pet or kid you should use sticky traps," Skattebo said.
Rodent damage may not be covered under warrantee at this time, but some home owner’s insurance will cover some of the damage. Check with your provider.

mmarshall

If I lived in an area where this was happening, I'd also be concerned about rat-droppings/rat-urine (and their associated acidity, when applicable) causing corrosion on other surfaces inside the engine compartment. It could be similar to a leaking battery.

ttsport15

Yes I used to park my Altima in a spot at work that had an overhang was driving home one night and engine light came on the rats got to my wires under hood...this is NYC

JDR76

I've had major problems with rats getting into my garage. Such a pain. I think I've finally made some headway in keeping them out.

ttsport15

Co worker also crushed one in his serpentine belt @ start up

mmarshall

The usual method?

ttsport15

I'd like to watch that battle...They use jack russels in the city our rats would take that kitty out lol

mmarshall

Yeah, Jack Russels don't screw around. They go after rats like they were shot out of a cannon.

Fizzboy7

Had a rat chew on a wire in my A4, which cost $270 to fix. Not much I can do parking in a parking structure at my apartment.

mmarshall

Moth ***** might (?) work. They have strong-smelling naphtha-based compounds in them that are said to repel a number of different animals. You could try jamming them into crevasses and other small openings near the areas where rats usually get in....as long as they don't block needed airflow. After a while, though, the car itself may end up with some of the naphtha odor, if it is carried into the cabin-vents. Still might (?) be worth a try, though, if you get rats on a regular basis.

Fizzboy7

I could never bring myself to moth *****. My grandma used those in her closets, and to this day, everytime I hear the game "hide and seek", I think back to those awful odors! lol

Coleroad

A mouse had chewed wires for my headlight in my bmw. It sat for a couple of weeks after we moved, while getting unpacked. It didn't just short it out. It caught on fire and totaled the the car. I enjoyed that car more than any car I've had.

CleanSC

So the lawsuit is based entirely on "I am not a rat expert, but soy must be delicious to rats."

Gotta love our lawsuit-happy society. I predict this will go nowhere in court. Just another lawfirm money-grab at a company with deep pockets.

Rats have been eating wires in cars since the Model-T. Please.

Hell, I dealt with one last weekend. It was a Jetta parked for a year. Plastic engine cover was littered with rat turds and the underhood insulation was all but gone. They can be tough to deal with. Driving it everyday or having cats around is the best solution.

I don't drive my SC everyday but there are many cats in the neighborhood. Haven't had in issue for over a decade.

mmarshall

That might (?) explain some of the many so-called "electrical failures" plaguing German cars that people like to talk so much about. They may not all be due to engineering or assembly-defects.

CleanSC

While that may be true, a properly designed electrical system would be fused at all major circuits so that any external damage should never create a fire hazard. Especially a simple circuit like a headlight. Dead shorts = blown fuses. That's why they are there.

It just may be other way around, where the car would have caught fire either way, rat or no rat. Who knows?