— A Toyota hybrid cable corrosion class action lawsuit alleges Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles are equipped with orange cable connectors that are not adequately protected from the elements.
This allegedly leaves the hybrid cables corroded from snow, rock salt and other road debris.
The Toyota hybrid cable corrosion lawsuit includes the following vehicles.
- 2019-present Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD
- 2019-present Toyota RAV4 Prime AWD
- 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid AWD
- 2021-2022 Toyota Venza Hybrid AWD
- 2021-2022 Lexus NX 350h AWD
- 2022 Lexus NX 450h Plug-in Hybrid AWD
Those Toyota and Lexus models are equipped with hybrid system cables which go from the front of the vehicles to the rear electric motors. But the class action alleges the cables and connectors corrode where the high-voltage wire harnesses connect to the motor generator (MGR) connectors.
Dirt and corrosion accumulates at the MGR connectors which leads to electrical short circuits in the connectors. A Toyota or Lexus driver may hear noise or distortion when playing the radio. The vehicle may also suddenly die while driving.
The Toyota hybrid lawsuit asserts the hybrid system will fail which requires replacement of the cable, causing a repair bill of $4,200 to $7,000. Toyota and Lexus customers are allegedly often stuck with paying for a replacement hybrid cable because it can take years for the cable to corrode.
The plaintiffs claim Toyota tells customers the hybrid cable is covered by the 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, not the Toyota hybrid-related component coverage.
The hybrid component coverage "runs for 8 years or 100,000 miles, to 10 years from date of first use or 150,000 miles whichever comes first."
According to the hybrid cable lawsuit, there is nothing in the owner's manual or warranty booklet informing a Toyota or Lexus customer the wiring harness and MGR connector should be inspected or maintained. And dealers are allegedly not inclined to voluntarily take the time to examine and clean or replace the components.
Toyota allegedly conceals the hybrid cable and wiring harness problems and the safety hazards if the vehicle suddenly shuts down without warning while driving.
Toyota Hybrid Cable Corrosion Tech Tip
The plaintiffs allege Toyota knew about the hybrid cable corrosion because the automaker issued Tech Tip T-TT-0630-20 to dealerships in 2020. The Tech Tip, entitled “Corrosion on MGR Cable,” included 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrids and diagnostic trouble codes P0AA649 or P1C8049:
- "P0AA649-Hybrid/EV Battery Voltage System Isolation Internal Electronic Failure"
- "P1C8049-Hybrid/EV Battery Voltage System Isolation (Rear Motor Area) Internal Electronic Failure"
According to T-TT-0630-20, Toyota vehicles had been experiencing electrical shorts in the MGR connectors due to corrosion.
Toyota also told dealers the hybrid cable corrosion problem was being investigated.
About two years later, Toyota Canada issued a technical service bulletin concerning corrosion of the wiring harnesses of 2019-2020 RAV4 Hybrids.
Toyota Canada said a driver may see a warning light and hear noise or distortion when listening to the radio due to corrosion in the hybrid cable wiring harness at the rear motor generator. Toyota told dealers the problem was caused by dirt and debris inside the connectors.
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid customers in Canada also filed their own hybrid cable corrosion class action lawsuit.
But for U.S. Toyota and Lexus customers, the plaintiffs say there have been no formal technical service bulletins or hybrid cable corrosion recalls.
The hybrid cable corrosion lawsuit was filed by these Toyota and Lexus customers:
- Marc Isenberg / New Jersey / 2019 RAV4 Hybrid LE
- Jason DelliSanti / New Jersey / 2019 RAV4 Hybrid XLE AWD
- Carmel McColgan / New York / 2019 Toyota RAV4 LTD
- Patrick Stack / New York / 2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid LTD AWD
- Peter Schuman / New York / 2021 RAV4 Hybrid Limited
- Steven Kosoff / New York / 2021 RAV4 Prime SE
- Kevin Lim / New York / 2022 Lexus NX 350h
- Hendrick Moy / New York / 2022 RAV4 Prime XSE
- Elnur Aliyev / Pennsylvania / 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XSE
- Barbara Johnson / Maryland / 2022 RAV4 Prime XSE
- Terry Stinson / Tennessee / 2022 Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD
- Patrick Keeley / Idaho / 2021 Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD
- Bob Loftus / Idaho / 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited AWD
The Toyota hybrid cable corrosion class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Isenberg, et al., v. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Nagel Rice, LLP, and Joseph Santoli, Esq.