Our 2 1/2 year old Sienna suddenly started throwing error codes, and the speedometer gauge went haywire. Long story short…a spider had blocked the A/C condensation drip tube, and the overflow water corroded the ECU-the most expensive electronic part on the vehicle. (Poor design?) Our extended warranty won’t cover it (because “it’s water damage”) and our insurance company denied the claim because it “Happened over time…?” They want $8,000.00 to fix it.
We’re feeling ripped off.
Has this happened to anyone else? What’s our next step? Help!!
Your extended warranty should cover that or your basic car warranty.If not,get the APA on it right away.
Elevate it at Toyota, there should be info in the owners manual.
APA = ???
$8K???
We don’t know where the OP lives. Here in Canada “The Automobile Protection Association” is where most complaints of this genre end up.Don’t know about the U.S advocate there.
Elevated - yes, immediately. Elevated again - done. Toyota is sticking to its story: a spider caused the damage and the extended warranty doesn’t cover that. IMO Toyota is refusing to cover this under warranty because if they did it would set a precedent and open them to widespread damage claims or worse gasp a recall.
So you think this spider thing is widespread and being kept under wraps??
You might as well try to get the spider to pay for it because you’d likely have more luck than getting Toyota to warranty it. It’s not much different than a rat chewing your wiring harness. You wouldn’t expect them to cover that, would you? At this point, I would be looking at the validity of the claim it needs a new ECM due to corrosion. That seems like a bogus diagnosis and I would get a second opinion…
EDIT- Not to mention the $8k cost estimate which seems to be more of a shoot from the hip, hope they go away kind of response…
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Google for a place that rebuilds ECU’s. Search for Toyota forums and ask there. Consult a local independent Toyota repair shop and ask them if a used ECU can be installed.
Appeal the decision from your insurance carrier at the State insurance board. Base your appeal on the “over time” statement. The spider could build web/nest in one day and the ECU could have been ruined at the first water backup. It is common to cover rodent damage such as destruction of a wiring harness, which may not have happened in one day. (I have more than 30 years of Property and Casualty insurance experience). Don’t threaten, just appeal.
Any way to appeal the insurance claim? And I’d pursue the ECU rebuild, or maybe one from a wrecked car, but you’d need to have a good shop to handle that.
The A/C condenser drip tube opening in my Corolla is so tiny,I am surprised a spider would find its way in there.The opening is about the size of a needle.
Here is the cost of an OEM ECM for the van. Is the OP a typo? No way it should be anywhere near that cost even if their diagnosis is accurate-
You could attempt to have the PCM covered under the Federal Emissions Warranty, which would normally cover a defective PCM to 80,000 miles. Probably won’t work but worth a shot.
if a rodent chews up your wiring in the engine compartment does your comprehensive insurance cover that?
There are at least 9 different ECUs near the HVAC housing and the Powertrain Control Module is not one of them, the OP did not state which ECUs were damaged.
I suspect the repair includes removing the instrument panel, replacing the wiring harness and one or more computers.