NHTSA Complaint #10390507 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

DEAR SIR OR MADAM, A FEW DAYS AGO I FOUND ABUNDANT EVIDENCE OF MICE ACTIVITY IN THE CABIN OF MY 16 MONTH OLD TOYOTA PRIUS. AFTER SOME INTERNET RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH PRIUS MODEL CARS AND OTHER TOYOTA MODELS. THE PRESENCE OF RODENTS IN THE ENGINE AREA IS OF COURSE UNAVODIABLE BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HEAR ABOUT THE CAR DESIGN ALLOW MICE TO EASILY MOVE INTO THE CABIN. THIS OBVIOUSLY HAS SEVERE CONSEQUENCES: I ALREADY HAVE TO REPLACE THE AIR FILTER AND THE PADDING BEHIND THE GLOVES COMPARTMENT AND I AM NOT SURE IF ANY OTHER PARTS HAVE BEEN CHEWED AWAY. MORE IMPORTANTLY THIS IS CERTAINLY A HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE TO GET THE CAR DETAILED AND THE AIR SYSTEM FLUSHED TO AVOID TOXIC CONTAMINATION FROM MOUSE EXCREMENTS, AND THIS ENDANGERS ME EVERY TIME I DRIVE: A MOUSE CRAWLING IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR WHILE I AM DRIVING IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! IT APPEARS THAT THE PLACING OF SCREENS IN AS FEW AS 4 PARTS OF THE AIR SYSTEM WOULD STOP THE MOUSE ACCESS TO THE CABIN, BUT TOYOTA, BOTH MY LOCAL DEALER AND THE NATIONAL SERVICE CENTER, CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING THE CAN OR WILL DO, AND THAT, DESPITE THE ABUNDANT EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY, THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE IN ALL CARS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE POSTED ONLINE ABOUT MICE AND RODENTS IN THEIR PRIUS CARS. A FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR, AND I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT NEITHER THE LOCAL DEALER NOR THE TOYOTA CORPORATE SERVICES ARE WILLING TO HELO ME SOLVE THIS SITUATION AND PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I THINK THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DESIGN DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND TOYOTA SHOULD DESIGN A SCREE PART TO COVER THE VENTS WHERE NECESSARY TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. *TR