2017 Toyota 4Runner Electrical System Problems

For the 2nd time in 5 weeks, the main wiring harness and knock sensor have been eaten and destroyed by rodents. This has caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, and it's due to the soy based wiring used in the wiring harness. I cannot keep this vehicle outside for any period of time without the threat of the harnesses getting chewed.

TOYOTA ENTUNE (IPHONE APP) WILL NOT PAIR WITH YOUR PHONE OR DISCONNECTS DURING USE BECAUSE APP DOES NOT MAINTAIN THE USER'S LOGIN CREDENTIALS. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE VEHICLE'S ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND PHONE IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT, SOMETIMES THE SYSTEM WON'T WORK WITHOUT THE PHONE'S APP RUNNING AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL - SOMETIMES IT WON'T WORK EVEN WHEN THE APP IS RUNNING. OFTEN, WHEN THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM FAILS TO CONNECT IT STOPS FUNCTIONING AND POPS UP MESSAGES THAT REQUIRE USER INPUT WHILE DRIVING. MANY TIMES THE PHONE APPEARS TO BE CONNECTED UNTIL AFTER YOU START DRIVING AND THEN THE SYSTEM ASKS FOR INPUT (WHICH YOU MUST DO ON YOUR PHONE, NOT THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM'S SCREEN). THE WHOLE POINT OF CONNECTING YOUR PHONE WITH THE VEHICLE'S ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS TO ELIMINATE THE NEED TO USE YOUR PHONE WHILE DRIVING, SO A SEAMLESS CONNECTION WITHOUT UNNECESSARY USER INPUT IS IMPERATIVE TO SAFE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM. THIS IS ADMITTEDLY A RELATIVELY MINOR SAFETY CONCERN, HOWEVER A FIX WOULD BE REMARKABLY EASY TO ACHIEVE AND WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS REDUCING DRIVER DISTRACTION. TOYOTA VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FUNCTIONALITY FOR MANY YEARS (SEE APPLE APP STORE REVIEWS FOR TOYOTA ENTUNE), BUT, DESPITE MULTIPLE REQUESTS, TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY HAS REPEATEDLY IGNORED THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ACROSS MULTIPLE VEHICLES IN THE TOYOTA LINEUP, BUT I AM ONLY FAMILIAR WITH THE IPHONE APP, SO I'M NOT SURE IF IT ALSO EXISTS WITH OTHER PHONES. THE ISSUE HAS OCCURRED CONSISTENTLY SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE A YEAR AGO AND PERSISTS DESPITE KEEPING BOTH PHONE SOFTWARE AND VEHICLE FIRMWARE UPDATED.

CAR STALLED ON THE FREE WAY WHILE DRIVING . THE DASH BOARD HAD A WARNING TO CHECK ENGINE AT DEALER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP (TANSKY SAWMILL, DUBLIN OH). THEY RESET THE CAR AND IT WAS RETURNED TO US. ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP, DIAGNOSTICS DETECTED TWO ERROR CODES REPORTED A) P0A0F, B) P3190 CURRENTLY DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING ON THE FREE WAY

MY CAR WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT AND THE NEXT DAY WHEN I GOT IN TO RUN ERRANDS AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND MY TRAC OFF LIGHT WAS ON. WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE IT WAS VERY SLUGGISH, I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK. THE TRUCK STAYED OVERNIGHT SO THEY COULD DIAGNOSE BUT SHE WAS PRETTY SURE THAT IT WAS RODENTS CHEWING ON THE WIRES BECAUSE IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND AND I DID SOME CHECKING WHILE IT WAS IN SERVICE AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY USE A SOY BASE ON THE WIRING AND THAT RODENTS LOVE IT AND IT'S PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM. THE COST TO FIX WAS $535 AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. WE HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THE SAME PLACE SINCE 2000 AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL VEHICLES THRU OUT THAT TIME AND HAVE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE BEFORE WITH RODENTS.

AFTER LESS THAN 20 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP OF A NEW 2017 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND LESS THAN 600 MILES, THE CAR FAILED TO IDLE, SHOWED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND TRAC OFF LIGHT STAYED LIT. THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE INJECTOR WIRE HAD BEEN CHEWED BY A RODENT. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $516 AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I WAS SURPRISED BY THIS DUE TO THE FACT WE LIVE IN SEATTLE AND MY PREVIOUS CAR HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE EXACT SAME AREA FOR 9 YEARS WITHOUT THIS ISSUE. THIS IS NOT A STORY OF A RARELY DRIVEN CAR PARKED IN A RURAL BARN. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF THIS VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DUE TO THE SOY BASED WIRE INSULATION THAN SEEMS TO ATTACT RODENTS. THIS PROBLEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT ALL SAFETY AND ENGINE FUNCTIONS.