2014 Toyota Tacoma Electrical Problems

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME MY TOYOTA TACOMA HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY RODENTS: THE 1ST TIME (12/15/2015), THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, THE ENGINE AND TRAC OFF WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON, AND THE DAMAGE WAS ABOUT $3,000. THE 2ND TIME (1/09/2021), THE ABS, AIRBAG, TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, AND THE COST OF THE DAMAGE IS NOT YET KNOWN, BUT IT IS LIKELY TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE (5 YEARS LATER). I HAVE HAD 19 PRIOR VEHICLES IN 46 YEARS (8 CHEVROLETS, 2 FORDS, 2 NISSANS, 3 HONDAS, 1 JEEP, 1 PONTIAC, 1 HYUNDAI, AND 1 CHRYSLER), AND I NEVER HAD SUCH SERIOUS RODENT PROBLEMS. RODENT DAMAGE HAS ALSO OCCURRED WITH MY PARENT'S TOYOTAS (WHO HAD MANY OTHER VEHICLE BRANDS IN 70 YEARS), AND OTHER NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR NEWER MODEL TOYOTAS. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT HAVE THESE ISSUES EVER WITH OTHER VEHICLE BRANDS IN THE PAST. ALSO, I HAD A NISSAN FRONTIER AT MY CURRENT ADDRESS IN 2012 AND 2013, AND STILL HAVE A NISSAN ALTIMA AT MY CURRENT ADDRESS, AND RODENTS NEVER CHEWED THE WIRES ON THOSE VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT TOYOTA PUTS SOY IN THEIR WIRING INSULATION, AND RODENTS FIND IT TASTY. THERE IS A RESURRECTED CLASS ACTION IN CALIFORNIA ABOUT TOYOTA'S TASTY WIRES. I ASKED TOYOTA TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT TOYOTA MAINTAINS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEIR WIRING. HOWEVER, THE WIRING DOES CONTAIN SOY, AND RODENTS MOST CERTAINLY TO LIKE TO CHEW ON IT. SO, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME MY 2014 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY RODENTS, DESPITE ME TAKING THE FOLLOWING STEPS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN: (1) PLACE BAG OF MOTH BALLS UNDER THE HOOD. (2) INSTALLED 2 SONIC SOUND DETERRENTS UNDER THE HOOD; (3) INSTALLED 1 LIGHT-FLASHING DETERRENT UNDER THE HOOD; (4) SPRAYED THE WHEEL WELLS AND ENGINE WITH PEPPERMINT SPRAY; (5) INSPECT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REGULARLY FOR SIGNS OF RODENTS;

1

THE DISPLAY ON THE STEREO HEAD UNIT CUTS OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING, THE STEREO STILL WORKS, JUST THE DISPLAY TURNS OFF. THIS DISPLAY IS ALSO USED FOR THE BACK UP CAMERA. SOMETIMES WHEN I PUT MY VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE BACK UP CAMERA IS NOT DISPLAYED AND I AM UNABLE TO SEE WHAT IS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE VEHICLE.

RODENTS ATE WIRING HARNESS IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY, THE TRAC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CANE ON. I RETURNED HOME AND RETRIEVED ERROR CODE P0333 ON MY READER. I TOOK VEHICLE TO DOXON TOYOTA FOR SERVICE / REPAIR. THEY CONFIRMED CODE AND SAID THAT RODENTS HAD CHEWED KNOCK SENSOR WIRE HARNESS. I WAS TOLD THAT TIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN TWO YEARS AND LESS THAN 9000 MILES OF USE. I CONSIDER THAT MAKING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OUT OF MATERIAL THAT IS ATTRACTIVE AND TASTY TO RODENTS A TRACTION AND AIR-BAG SAFETY CONCERN, I.E. SOYBEAN BASED WIRE INSULATION. I HAVE BEEN OPERATING MOTOR VEHICLES SINCE 1963 AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ANT VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED.

RODENTS CAUSED OVER $3,000 IN DAMAGE BY CHEWING ON CABLES THAT ARE MADE FROM ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING (SOY, RICE HUSKS, WOOD, SUGAR, VANILLA, PEANUT OIL, AND STRAW; REFERENCES: WWW.SYNLUBE.COM/INCREDIBLEEDIBLECAR1.HTM ; WWW.GOOGLE.COM/?GWS_RD=SSL#Q=WHY+DO+RODENTS+EAT+CABLES+ON+CARS+MADE+IN+JAPAN ; GOOGLE: RODENT DAMAGE TOYOTA ). TOYOTA REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGE. MY AUTO INSURANCE SAID IT MIGHT PAY (STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT) FOR THE DAMAGE, BUT THERE IS A $501 DEDUCTIBLE. TOYOTA IS THE WORST OFFENDER OF MAKING EDIBLE VEHICLES. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS IN ADVANCE, I WOULD RESEARCHED TO SEE WHICH VEHICLES HAVE EDIBLE CABLES. I WILL BE SELLING MY 2015 TACOMA ASAP AND FINDING ANOTHER PICK-UP ASAP THAT RODENTS WON'T EAT. MY BROTHER LIVES IN THE MOUNTAINS IN NEW MEXICO WHERE THERE ARE MANY VARMITS, AND THEY NEVER ATE THE WIRING ON HIS OLD CHEVY TAHOE, BUT RODENTS HAVE CHEWED ON THE WIRING OF MY TOYOTA TACOMA, AND MY MOTHER'S TOYOTA 4-RUNNER, AND A FRIENDS NISSAN MARANO. THE PROOF OF TASTY CABLES ATTRACTING RODENTS IS OVERWHELMING. MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, AND THE TRAC OFF LIGHT APPEARED. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY (IN LEWISVILLE, TX) THE NEXT MORNING AT 8:50AM. NUMEROUS CABLES WERE DAMAGED AND MANY PARTS HAD TO BE REMOVED TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE. THE PROBLEM IS, IF THEY REPLACE IT WITH MORE TASTY CABLES, THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY ON THE DRIVEWAY BY THE GARAGE. THERE IS ALREADY A CAR IN THE GARAGE AND SOME TOOLS, AND MY PICK-UP IS TOO LARGE FOR THE GARAGE.

THERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS OCCURRING WITH THIS VEHICLE. ONE IS THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IGNITION SWITCH AT ALL. I WAS AT THE GROCERY STORE FOR HALF AN HOUR TRYING TO TURN ON MY TRUCK AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. NOT EVEN ENOUGH TO TURN A.C/HEAT ETC. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ALREADY. THE OTHER ISSUE THAT SCARES ME IS THE BRAKES. IT STARTED OFF AS A LOUDER THAN USUAL SQUEAKING OF THE BRAKES ONLY WHILE REVERSING. THEN WHEN BRAKING, IT FEELS AS IF THE ABS KICKS IN THEN LET'S GO. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, EVEN IN MY DRIVEWAY GOING LESS THAN 2 MPG. THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS EXTREMELY SOFT WHEN PRESSED AND THE PEDAL NEARLY HITS THE FLOOR. IT'S HAPPENED TWICE WHERE THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE THEY LOCK WHILE I'M DRIVING AND AT TIMES THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP APPROPRIATELY. THE ROAD HAS USUALLY BEEN DRY ON IN THESE CASE. *TR

FIRST 3 WEEKS AGO OR SO MY RADIO SHUT ITSELF OFF THEN ON AGAIN, REPEATED THAT 3 TIME SINCE THEN. SEATBELT CHIME WENT OFF LIKE I JUST STARTED DRIVING AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. DASH TRANSMISSION INDICATOR LIGHT FADED AND RE-LIT. WHILE PARKED AND ENGINE RUNNING TRAC CONTROL OFF LIGHT AND AUTO LSD LIGHT CAME ON. TODAY 6/3/14 THE RADIO TOTALLY RESET BACK TO A DIFFERENT STATION WHEN I TURNED TRUCK ON . *TR