Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Toyota Over Rats Eating Engine Wiring

Affected owners think Toyota ought to pay for wire damage caused by rats. A judge disagreed.

A federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Toyota claiming rodents damaged vehicle engines by eating the wiring insulation. The suit was filed back in August 2016 and we reported on it only a few months ago. The suit claims the engine wiring insulation is soy-based, rather than petroleum-based, thus making it more appealing for hungry rodents. Automakers, including Toyota, have switched to soy-based wiring for many vehicular products and components because it’s more environmentally friendly.

However, some owners were experiencing serious rodent problems with their Toyotas. For example, one Indiana resident had to pay $1,500 out of pocket to fix the wiring in his 2012 Toyota Tundra. Rats attacked its engine wiring three times. Following this owner’s lawsuit, other Toyota owners came forward with similar problems.They claim Toyota should be the one to pay for the repairs under vehicle warranty. Toyota disagreed. U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford has granted Toyota’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit without leave to amend, and the ruling didn’t stop there in the company’s favor.

The judge also dismissed claims of fraud and consumer protections because the plaintiffs failed to provide “the appropriate level of specificity” with these claims. In total there were 21 plaintiffs. “Considering this considerable variance, it isn't clear that Toyota could have specifically articulated any increased 'risk' to any particular part of Plaintiffs' vehicles because of the soy coated wiring," the judge's order states. Obviously Toyota is thrilled with the ruling. As for the plaintiffs, they’re “disappointed by the court’s ruling and are weighing (their) legal options in an effort to help consumers recoup their losses.” It’s also worth noting Toyota vehicles aren’t the only ones whose engine wiring is a tasty snack for rats.

One 2017 Ford Mustang owner from Michigan claims she needs to put Pine-Sol on the ground around her car every night, as well as other defensive measures against rats of which the costs are adding up. This particular owner was previously stuck with a $600 repair bill after a rat ate through the wires under the hood.

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Do Australians Have Something Against The New Acura NSX?

Well, it does cost twice the price than in the US.

With the exception of the US, the Acura NSX is known and sold as the Honda NSX. Same thing went for the first generation model. Although the new NSX isn’t exactly cheap, plenty of people can still afford its six-figure price tag. But despite lots of anticipation by fans in many countries, demand for the new NSX isn’t exactly high in Australia. According to CarAdvice, just two NSXs have been sold, one in 2016 and one this year. That’s it. So what’s going on here? Is the problem with Australia or the car?

Well, for starters, it costs an insane $420,000 AUD, around $331,000 USD. To compare, the NSX begins at $157,800, literally half the price than 'Down Under. But that alone won’t deter wealthy buyers. Honda Australia explained to CarAdvice that the NSX "wasn’t positioned, nor was it expected, to chase outright volume sales," but rather allowing the automaker "to raise the profile of the brand…through its hybrid technology, performance, exclusivity, and ultimately the type of driving experience that evokes memories of the original NSX, but through a 21st century execution." In addition to the two NSXs already delivered, another three are on the way sometime later this year or early next, depending on production status in the US.

Obviously that’s nice to hear, but CarAdvice did some further digging and discovered that the NSX’s main competitors, such as the Audi R8 V10 Plus and BMW i8, have outsold by fairly big numbers. A total of 21 R8 V10s ($389,325 AUD) and 13 i8s ($303,300 AUD) were sold in 2017. It appears that a combination of a lack of brand awareness and limited production capacity has resulted in a serious lack of NSXs in the land of Oz.

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Here's Proof Porsche Taycan Is Being Benchmarked Against Tesla Model S

Just watch this video.

Last March, when the Porsche Taycan was still being referred to as the Mission E, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume stated that “Tesla is not a benchmark for us.” Well, that’s not exactly accurate. How do we know? Here’s proof, thanks to the folks at Taycan Forum. This recently filmed spy video shows not one, but two Taycan advanced prototypes testing with a Tesla Model S P85D on Italy’s famed Stelvio Pass. No benchmarking, right Oliver?

Can’t say we’re in the least bit surprised, but why did Blume even state that in the first place? The most likely answer is that Porsche wants the Taycan to be seen as a Porsche first and an EV second.

Porsche also probably doesn’t want to admit it’s being forced to benchmark against what many consider to be a California-based startup that has no business being in the car business. Tesla doesn’t play by the so-called industry rules and established brands don’t like that.

Also interesting to point out here is that the Model S in question is not the most powerful trim you can buy today. That would be the P100D, which can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds and has a 315-mile range per charge. The P85D had a 253-mile range a 3.2-second sprint to 60. Shouldn’t Porsche be benchmarking the top trim Model S? It surely is, but these Taycan test mules could themselves be lower trims.

Set to go on sale for 2020, the Taycan will be the first all-electric Porsche; more will come soon. But even if the Taycan initially outperforms the Model S in every major category for all trims, we need to take another factor into account: a major Model S update is planned for some time in 2019 or 2020.

Early reports suggest this update will mainly focus on the interior, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see exterior styling changes as well. Will Porsche’s benchmarking that’s not really benchmarking ultimately pay off? We’ll find out next year.

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