Don’t let a Rat or Rabbit eat your Black Friday holiday car sale.
Soy-wrapped electrical components entice hungry rodents to dine on your new car. Meanwhile, the car makers look the other way. Electrical wiring harnesses wrapped in SOY paper have been a known problem for car owners since 2013. 2020 models continue to have the soy-wrapped wiring.
Black Friday car sales include rodent problems.
Why have Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and others continued to use the problematic material? Service managers and corporate PR staff ignore this question. National insurance companies have picked up the tab in some cases. Why are they not howling about this issue? Dealers can charge this as a not warrantied repair. Are insurers raising rates as a result of these claims? As the 2020 models arrive car buyers need to be aware of the problem before they buy one.
Rodents; Rats, mice, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and prairie dogs have been known to lunch on the soy-wrappings.
Car owners plagued with the issue number in the thousands on the NHTSA Safercar.gov and carcomplaints.com websites. A 2017 class-action lawsuit against Toyota on the subject of the soy-wrapped material being a manufacturer defect and fraud because the replacement was not covered under warranty, was dismissed without prejudice.
There have been lawsuits in California and Illinois filed against Honda for the rodent problem. The lawsuits state the part and its wrap are “OEM” genuine Honda parts and should be covered under warranty. As owners of other makes and models have suffered the same fate, some disgruntled vehicle owners wonder why the government has not taken the manufacturers to task under consumer protection laws.
Car makers know and ignore soy-wrap rodent problem.
Rural or city dweller, this problem does not discriminate. Cold weather and warm engines will send those hungry varmints under the hood where your warm engine and wiring will make a great domicile.
Consumers should ask about rodent wiring problems before they buy.
This Black Friday holiday car sales weekend ask the service manager about soy-wrapped wiring in your future car. If the one you want has it, add an addendum to your purchase order. “The dealer will replace the wiring free- unlimited times, when the critters come noshing.”
Known models include the 2016 FORD Edge and F150, 2018 Volvo XC90, Lexus, Toyota, Nissan, Infiniti, Hyundai, KIA, Mazda, Ford, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, and Subaru.
If you have a known rodent problem contact your pest exterminator. Gardeners suggest an old sock filled with mothballs will keep critters away. No auto manufacturer agreed to speak about the problem or their favorite old wive’s tale solution.
Sarah Lee Marks is a consumer car advocate and personal fleet manager. As a volunteer AARP Driver Safety instructor she loves to help mature adults navigate the car buying process. Contact her via email: sarahlee at mycarlady dot com.