Rodent chewed bio-based wiring harness??

First time poster, long-time lurker.
Anyone else with a 4th gen that has had issues with any form of rodent chewing wiring on the underside of their trucks?
Well here's my story...In mid-June, I purchased a 2014 Ram 1500. The vehicle was purchased with the FCA Gold transferable extended warranty. Less than 10 days after taking delivery it was rendered inoperable due to a no-start condition. The vehicle was towed to my selling dealer and was diagnosed as having a chewed rear wiring harness. Dealership denied warranty coverage. Subsequently, I am out of pocket several thousands of dollars for repair, taxi fares, rental vehicle, and missed time at work.
Quick online research of consumer complaints indicates that several manufacturers (FCA included) are using materials that attract rodents and other animals, which are drawn by the content of the wiring harness, and proceed to chew through the insulation and electrical wires.
I have lost total confidence in the ability to enjoy my vehicle. Every time the vehicle is parked I am expected to chase rodents from underneath it? That is not reasonable. Its unacceptable.
The use of bio-based materials in critical vehicle components (i.e. wiring harness) is a manufacturing defect. How can one expect reasonable enjoyment from a vehicle if it can't be parked outside for any length of time for fear of it being destroyed by rodents? The damage caused by external factors is a direct result of the bio-based materials contained in the harness. This is nothing short of a manufacturing defect.
Looking for others who have had a similar experience and any recommendations for preventing future rodent attacks.

Insurance will cover that. Rodents are random. Randomly on my lot ill find a car that has been destroyed the harness by a rat, and for no reason the other 50 cars around it all the same are not affected.

On another note, my local hertz suppliers had 10 focus's all have the fuel pump wiring harness under the back seat chewed up. They didnt go after anything else in the 800 cars they have, just that harness on 10 different cars in 10 different locations on their lot.

I hear ya. If you don't have bad luck you don't have any luck at all as they say.

In this case though, I'm not feeling like its that random. I mean putting food grade material like soy in wiring coating/insulation just seems like an open invitation for problems with rodents. To me its a defect.

Guess I gotta figure out how to prevent it...short of parking my truck in a bubble and not leaving it outside.

agree, this is an ins. issue. just file a claim.

I hate cats, but I guess I'll have to get one and keep it chained up under my truck.

Damn.

I hate cats.....

A chipmunk dined on the top engine harness on my son's Duramax earlier this year, $800 to fix, covered by his auto insurance. The rascal has been eradicated along with his family members who took residence in his out building.

I am in total agreement with, first I've heard of edible car parts. That being said if multiple manufacturers are producing such parts, that makes it the standard.

Since you only had the truck for a couple of weeks, I would take the dealership (not FCA) to small claims court. They sold you a truck that had been gnawed on but only caused problems once it started being driven regularly, at least that would be my claim.

Thanks for alerting me about my edible car, kinda sucks since this is the first auto I've had that is relegated to parking outdoors....

ScottFL said:

Thanks for alerting me about my edible car,.

Click to expand...

Just had to quote that.

Couldn't help it....

The jacket of the wiring use is made of soy beans so it is bio degradable. Yeah, rodents like it.
There was a new story about a woman who purchased a used Durango and then afterwards started having electrical problems. Upon inspection, mice got into the vehicle and chewed up the wiring harness to the point it totaled the vehicle. The woman was screaming that she was ripped off but pictures of the interior of the vehicle showed it was full of garbage, and half eaten food, etc. That attracted the rodents.

Moral is; if you are nasty. Expect problems.