NHTSA Complaint #11100056 — 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA

I EXPERIENCED A BAD SMELL IN THE CABIN, PARTICULARLY WHEN FIRST SWITCHING ON THE IGNITION, WHICH CAUSES THE CABIN AIR FAN TO START RUNNING. I CHECKED THE CABIN AIR FILTER. THERE WERE RAT FECES IN THE PLEATS OF THE FILTER, A SMELL OF RAT URINE, AND THERE WAS FOAM MATERIAL FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. PRESUMABLY THE RATS HAD BEEN CHEWING IT TO MAKE A NEST. THEY HAD ALSO BEEN CHEWING ON THE FILTER MATERIAL. THE LOCAL TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE SAID TOYOTA USA WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. I REMOVED THE COWL AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CABIN AIR INTAKE IS OPEN TO THE SPACE UNDER THE COWL. I FOUND THAT THAT THE TOP OF THE COWL IS DRAINED BY HOLES WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DRIVE SHAFTS GO THROUGH THE COWL. THE WATER COLLECTS IN THE SPACE UNDER THE COWL, WHICH IN TURN IS DRAINED THROUGH LARGE DRAIN HOLES AT BOTH ENDS, DOWN INTO THE FENDERS ABOVE THE WHEEL WELLS, AND TO THE GROUND. I THINK THE RATS WERE GETTING UNDER THE COWL AND INTO THE CABIN AIR INTAKE THROUGH ONE OR MORE OF THESE HOLES. I CLEANED THE BLOWER FAN ASSEMBLY, THE CABIN AIR INTAKE, AND THE INSIDE OF THE COWL, AND REPLACED THE CABIN AIR FILTER. I MADE SCREENS FROM INCH MESH TO KEEP THE RATS OUT OF THE SPACE UNDER THE COWL. I INSTALLED THEM ON BOTH SIDES. I ALSO MADE AND INSTALLED A SCREEN OVER THE CABIN AIR INTAKE TO KEEP RATS OUT IF THEY SOMEHOW GET AROUND THE SIDE SCREENS. I HAVE HAD NO MORE PROBLEMS SO FAR. SINCE RATS CARRY DISEASE, I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE FOR ALL THE OTHER OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. I AM FORWARDING THIS INFORMATION IN THE HOPE THAT YOU CAN PRESSURE TOYOTA USA TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND CORRECT THIS ISSUE FOR ALL OWNERS.