I just got off the phone with my Dad after he called corporate about the issue. Amusingly, the representative, after pulling the information from the computer, sided with the Dealer, and denied his request of having the repair covered under warranty.

They told him they trust the Dealer's findings as being correct, even though the dealer could not obviously produce a dead mouse to prove it chewed the wiring.

They suggested he take the car to another dealer for a "second opinion" But I am not optimistic at this point.

 

Common sense would say "show me the damage".

If you see obvious teeth mark, you should draw a conclusion.
If you don't see any teeth marks or chew marks, the dealer is lying.

 

Yeah. I hope this is easy to decisively spot. I would think a harness being twisted or pulled due to improper tie wrapping, securing at the factory could cause the wire to look "chewed". It could have also come into contact with a hot surface of the car causing it to fail.

Even if it really was a rodent, I am more inclined to believe it happened at the dealer lot or the manufacturing plant lot and not at my folks parking spot.

Rodents usually get inside cars when they have been sitting for a few days.

My folks car gets used daily since it's their only vehicle.

So, the rodent could have chewed on the cable, but not deep enough to cause the ABS to malfunction. This happened before the car was delivered.

Subsequent use and exposure to the elements caused the wire to ultimately fail six months later.

 

In any case, it's Murphy's law with the dealership.
I would just order a replacement wire online and be done with it. That's just me.

I've seen cars and trucks all around San Diego county where rodents mostly crawl up into the engine bay and mostly leave dropping and snail shells. Even in beach, city, and rural areas. Fine dining area for rodents I guess.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Is this wire easy to install (i.e. DIY)?

 

I see Rodent damage at my dealership a few times a year...
I had two knock sensor wires in September on tacomas as rats cleaned chewed right at the connectors...

 

We have a car in the shop right now, 2nd time in 2 weeks for the same problems. No rear lights, ABS/Trac lights on, engine light on. First time a rat ate it's way into the trunk to get at some food left in the car and ate the rear wire harness on the way. 2nd time it ate right through the same wiring to get into the trunk again.

I've seen fuel lines nibbled and leaking liquid fuel, evaporative emissions hoses with pinhole leaks and chew marks, roof drain hoses chewed and leaking water into the cabin, brake hoses with chew marks on the other sheath, and whole engine harnesses with chew marks all over them and bare wiring. I would not be surprised if a mouse or rat did chew on it, but please be asked to see it. Rodent chew marks are pretty distinctive, you'll be able to tell it easily or post a photo and I'm sure one of us will be able to.

I suggest they make a bucket trap, it's super simple.


tall 5 gallon bucket with lid, cut a 1.5 inch hole in the center of the lid, does not need to be round. Apply peanut butter 2-3 inches from the hole in a circle on the lid and snap it onto the bucket, put the bucket near something the critters will run along or use a wooden scrap as a ramp up to the bucket. Mice fall in and can't get back out nor can they get the bait. Check it often if you want to release them far away from the house alive, check it infrequently if you want to find dead mice.

 

Thanks for the replies, fellas.

I will ask the dealer to show us the damage since I will be going with my Dad next time.

My folks have been living in this condo complex for more than two years now and parked their now departed 2004 RAV4 in the same spot with no issues.

I guess Mice like the special flavoring added to the new Corolla's wires... :wink:

 

It could easily be caused from mice. If it is than it shouldn't be a warranty claim anyway as it would be an insurance claim. It should also be easy to see. The dealer doesn't gain anything from telling you that it's mice when it's not. If it was a warranty they would file the claim & order the parts as it's so cost to them.

 

?geico paid for my customers harness.

 

They park in an open car port ... yes it could be a mouse. Even in a garage, mice can get in.

It's easy to tell when a wire was chewed, or when a wire was stretched/pulled, or burned. I'd definitely ask to look at the wiring, but I doubt they are lying to you.

And asking them to produce the mouse? You're joking right?

My sister had a rat get in the hood compartment of her 2007 Fusion. Caused $600 in damage and the engine wouldn't start so it had to be fixed then and there.

 

My father has had vehicles for 50 years and this is the first time it has happened. However, judging from the replies here, the issue is more common than I had thought.

I wonder if other neighbors have had problems with mice as well. This is a rather nice neighborhood, by the way.

It might be a good idea to get the HOA involved so that they hire a Pest Control company to take care of the problem.

It would be a shame to have this fixed for $300, only to find more chewed wires later....

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

More likely there's some food source near by attracting them. Someone feeding animals (bird feeder, someone feeding stray cats, etc), someone left trash out, someone sets their bags of animal feed out, etc. Check under the hood under the decorative engine covers for feces, odds are you'll find droppings. Set a snap trap baited with peanut butter under the car, odds are you'll snap one.

 

Well, I went to the dealer with my Father today.

I had the vehicle put on a lift for inspection.

It wasn't necessary, since the offending wire harness which goes from the wheel to the ABS system was severed inside the engine compartment.

And yes, it appears to have been chewed off, as seen in the picture I have attached.

We inspected under the large engine protective cover and all is well in there.

Service Manager noticed some tiny marks on battery and hoses. He says these are rodent marks.

The bushes in the carport area have a mice trap tucked underneath, but it looks dirty and appears to not be properly maintained. We contacted the HOA about this issue and hopefully the Pest Control company will take care of it.

In the meantime my Dad bought a few adhesive traps and will put some peanut butter on them and leave them under the car. Hopefully he'll catch a mouse or two!

I also attached a picture of the car when he got it from the dealer back in April.

 

In the meantime my Dad bought a few adhesive traps and will put some peanut butter on them and leave them under the car. Hopefully he'll catch a mouse or two!

 

Oh yea, that's rodent damage for sure.

 

At least the damage was minor. That's a good thing.

 

Yes indeed. We let the dealer take care of it, even though I work with wire harnesses at my job. The repair looks neat and does not show a spliced section.

 

Rats are total assholes with cars. $300 actually isn't that bad at all. Glad you got it fixed.

 

While working on a car today, I saw this:



Those critters like the engine bay like a dining room table. LOL :lol:

 

You also need to determine whether mice are entering the cabin. Check the cabin filter. Remove the engine air filter from the air box and look under the filter.


The damaged wiring is an insurance claim (after the deductible).


I feel your pain. I am dealing with mice in a 2007 Corolla.

 

I worked at a dealership for too many years. A dual dealership service dealership, I saw my share of rodent damage.

The weirdest one I saw was on a late model Pathfinder with the complaint, "Vehicle has no acceleration", and my first thought was the fuel pump was dying. So, I was already to replace the fuel pump but fuel pressure was normal. It also had plenty of spark so I check the timing thinking that it jumped time. Again timing was normal, and advanced normally.

So I thought the only thing left is the air getting to the engine. The top of the air filter was normal but I wanted to see if the filter was covered on the back side.

When I removed the filter, the rodents had made a storage area for kibble dog food. The entire housing was filled with it. I pulled the vehicle over to the clean up area and vacuumed out a good four cups of it. A test drive proved that the problem was solved, normal smooth acceleration.

My conclusion would be to 1) Park in another area, if possible. 2) Coat the wiring with undercoating or foam spray to make the wiring unappetizing. 3) I hope this fix will keep those furry guys from tearing up your vehicle.

 

I just traded a mouse ridden 2007 Corolla. However, after inserting screening into the fresh air intake openings and installing a screen over the a.c. drain line I did achieve 34 days of not finding evidence of mice in the cabin of the car. Just bought a 2015 Corolla and it does appear as if the plastic cowl panels have been redesigned...a little. Still appear to be fairly large openings at both hood hinge - cowl areas. I plan to remove the panels and install screening over the fresh air intake openings in the cowl.


As for "mouse hunting" my method was (a) outdoor cat, (b) peanut butter laced exterior and interior spring traps, and (c) glue board inserted into the cabin filter opening.

 

Make one of these:

 

those can wheel traps don't work so good all the time, I've set them and come back to no mice and no peanut butter.

Just get a deep bucket, put a 1-2 inch hole in the middle of the lid, put peanut butter smeared around the inside between the hole and the rim of the lid, and a plank up to the top. They jump in, can't get the food, and die. Sometimes they'll even eat each other. I don't put water in since it'll freeze in the winter and lacing it with antifreeze can harm animals that eat the carcasses once they're dumped.