Front end harness eaten by rodents

[Golddance]

Hi Gang-- Been loving my Tesla for just over a year. The other day, I couldn't turn the car on. Many error messages.

Car had to be towed to the dealer. Just got the estimate--$1400 to replace front end harness!

The technician states the wire got chewed by rodents. Has this happened to anyone else? If not, be aware. I'll be finding out more about this situation.

 

[derekmw]

Yes, many people have had issues from wries being eaten to nests inside the car (I remember one in the glove box). If you search there are others who had to place traps in their car to capture the little guys.

I should add though, this isn't something unique to Teslas. You can find plenty of posts online for other car makes as well.

 

[KenC]

When auto manufacturers changed wire casings to soy-based, there was a rash of rodent damage, since they liked to chew on the soy casings. I don't know if they changed it since then. Also, electrical things attract rodents, because often they are warmer, in cold weather.

 

[Gasaraki]

Why suddenly these few days are we getting rodent questions? Is it because it getting colder outside?

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Do NOT just pay for this.

First, it's a not-a-fault comprehensive claim with seemingly no impact on your insurance rates. So make the claim on your insurance; that's what it's for....

Second, please ask the SC to DOCUMENT THE DAMAGE, with pics, for said insurance claim.

Third, ask your SC to wrap the new harness with this, designed by Honda to keep their tasty wiring safe from hungry rodents (otherwise, what's to keep them from coming back for more?):

Honda's Chili-Flavored Wire Wrap Could Save Your Car From a Rodent Invasion

 

[XLR82XS]

@Golddance is the car parked outside in evenings/overnight?

 

[neurocutie]

car garage, cold weather so rodents seek the inside warmth as well... (as compared with summer time)
have placed multiple traps in garage, traps are successful in getting the rodents. will require continued setting of the traps...

 

[MexiCanuck]

I saw evidence of mice in my Prius v a few winters ago. (I couldn’t figure out why my wife was shredding the Kleenex she put in the glove box.)

I did several things.

1. I put mouse traps in the front and back of the car.
2. I put Tom Cat mouse killer baited containers in the front and back of the car.
3. For several weeks, I parked the car in various places each night. Sometime in different places in the parking ares at my house; sometimes in various places on the street. (I had read that rodents are very habitual, so they will go back to a car that is always parked in the same place.)

I never caught a mouse. I never saw any of the poison having been eaten. But after several weeks of parking in various places, I was able to return to parking in one place.

 

[cdswm3]

Do NOT just pay for this.

First, it's a not-a-fault comprehensive claim with seemingly no impact on your insurance rates. So make the claim on your insurance; that's what it's for....

Second, please ask the SC to DOCUMENT THE DAMAGE, with pics, for said insurance claim.

Third, ask your SC to wrap the new harness with this, designed by Honda to keep their tasty wiring safe from hungry rodents (otherwise, what's to keep them from coming back for more?):

Honda's Chili-Flavored Wire Wrap Could Save Your Car From a Rodent Invasion

But what is you have Mexican mice? They may prefer the Chili Flavor. HAHAHA