Toyota Highlander expensive problem.

[totegoat]

Somehow wipers got ahold of the main wiring harness. Toyota dealer says the main harness, wiper motor, and wiper wiring will need to be replaced.

Estimate is $8,000.........No evidence of critters chewing on stuff. Vehicle is a 2015 with 17,000 miles. Anyone hear of such a thing?

 

[RhondaHonda]

Somehow wipers got ahold of the main wiring harness. Toyota dealer says the main harness, wiper motor, and wiper wiring will need to be replaced.

Estimate is $8,000.........No evidence of critters chewing on stuff. Vehicle is a 2015 with 17,000 miles. Anyone hear of such a thing?

I’d look again, sounds like critters, and an insurance claim. Or possibly vandalism?

 

[totegoat]

I’d look again, sounds like critters, and an insurance claim. Or possibly vandalism?

There is a cowl covering it, no access for wildlife or vandals.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Toyota dealerships just seem to be finding these kind of expensive repairs that's why I now have a Mazda in my driveway.

 

[MSCH]

Somehow wipers got ahold of the main wiring harness. Toyota dealer says the main harness, wiper motor, and wiper wiring will need to be replaced.

Estimate is $8,000.........No evidence of critters chewing on stuff. Vehicle is a 2015 with 17,000 miles. Anyone hear of such a thing?

you need to find someone who can repair a wiring harness. Dealers dont do that sort of thing,

 

[JTK]

you need to find someone who can repair a wiring harness. Dealers dont do that sort of thing,

Exactly this. You find the broken wires and repair them. All else fails, you do an overlay for the effected wire(s).

Dealer service typically won't repair wiriing. They want to replace harnesses.

 

[02SE]

There is a cowl covering it, no access for wildlife or vandals.

Rodents can get into all sorts of seemingly inaccessible spots.

I'd need to see pics of the damage, as I have a hard time believing the wiper assembly could somehow 'grab' the wiring harness.

 

[dumkid]

My sister had some mice once, they could fit through the box end of a 3/4 inch wrench without even trying. I forget what the smallest hole they fit though was but it was somewhere close to 1/2 inch.

 

[JimPghPA]

A good electronic technician should be able to repair any kind of wiring harness like that. It might take several hours of his time depending on the number of wires, could even be an all day thing if it's a heck of a lot of wires. But still, it wouldn't be super expensive compared to what the dealer wants.

If you were local, i'd take a good look at that for you, and probably fix it for a few hundred.

 

[JonnyRingvald]

Toyota dealerships just seem to be finding these kind of expensive repairs that's why I now have a Mazda in my driveway.

No doubt as awhile back my daughter's 2019 Rav4/60K had a CEL on for a bit and the local dealership charged $90 to tell her it was a coolant bypass valve, which apparently is a VERY common issue for that part/vehicle and let her know the fix was around $765+ tax. A mechanic she knows found the exact part on RA for less than $70 and took him all of 15-20 mins to replace it, reset the CEL, etc. Along with the most recent service they recommended a brake fluid exchange, which does make sense at the age/mileage, but then also recommended a fuel injection system deep clean. Definitely not needed on that particular engine and I told her to avoid that without question.

 

[RooflessVW]

Exactly this. You find the broken wires and repair them. All else fails, you do an overlay for the effected wire(s).

Yep, I wouldn't be even bother replacing wires. Just run new ones outside of the harness with new pins.

 

[RooflessVW]

Could be something as simple as a common ground. They're often ultrasonically welded and sometimes fail.

 

[supton]

I'd want photos. Wiring harnesses are well secured for a reason. Why it'd take 8 years for the problem to show up... methinks, rodents.

Regardless, time for a different place.

 

[JimPghPA]

How hard would it be to actually access the area that the wires are in when the damage is? That would be a big part of the problem. If the access is readily accessible then it wouldn't be super hard to repair them. If it's someplace where it's hard to get to then it's going to take longer to repair. But still nothing impossible.

 

[RhondaHonda]

For $8,000, I’d buy a wet weather only car and drive the Highlander on dry days only before spending it on a wire harness.

 

[AZjeff]

How close are you to Eric O. ?

 

[wag123]

I can almost guarantee you that this was caused by mice. I can also guarantee you that mice can get under the cowl. This has become a huge problem with ALL vehicles manufactured by EVERY auto manufacturer in the last 10+ years. You need to contact your insurance company. My best friend has a Jeep Grand Cherokee that just went through this problem. The repair bill was over $5000 and his insurance paid.

Does Your Car Have Soy Based Wiring? [UPDATED 2023] – How to Prevent Rats from Eating Your Car Wires

www.howtopreventratsfromeatingcarwires.com

The vehicle listing is incomplete. ALL of the auto manufacturers are using soy based wiring insulation as well as other "plastic" components that are manufactured using a variety of biodegradable agricultural organic substances such as soy, corn, sugar cane, recycled wood, castor beans, etc.

 

[Warstud]

In the meantime >>>>>>>

 

[D60]

I'm wondering if there's a cowl on any production vehicle mice couldn't get under? I'd bet it's less than 2% of vehicles on the road.

Has any other shop done work under the cowl?

 

[scrowley]

8 grand for new harness for warranty claims, I guess. Maybe a yacht mechanic could do it?