A Hyundai Elantra driver thinking she was just “unlucky” learned that her bout of rodent-based experiences had nothing to do with fate. Celeste Caldwell (@celestecaldwell_) blasted the South Korean manufacturer in a TikTok for reaping thousands of dollars in repairs from unknowing customers.
What’s wrong with her Hyundai?
Caldwell shares her “backstory” that led her to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket for something Hyundai should’ve addressed. The TikToker says she parked her new 2023 Hyundai Elantra for around five days in her driveway when she went on a short trip last year. When she came back, she says her air wasn’t working and it was “driving weird.”
At the dealership, Caldwell was told that a rat had eaten through her entire wire assembly under the hood. Caldwell paid $900 out of pocket as it wasn’t covered by warranty, and chalked it up to being unlucky.
But then it happened a second time.
The TikToker left for another trip this year, and this time she was gone for four days. When she came back, all the lights on her dashboard “lit up like a Christmas tree.” She says she towed it 45 minutes to the dealership, where they told her they had to send pictures to Hyundai because underneath the hood was “so demolished.”
“They called me back and let me know a rodent had gotten underneath my hood and destroyed everything,” Caldwell says. “And when I say everything, I mean [expletive] everything.”
“They quoted me $10,000 to fix this car,” Caldwell adds.
Caldwell then calls her dad, who “did some digging” and found out there are class-action lawsuits against Hyundai for this same reason.
“They are manufacturing and producing these cars knowing that soy attracts rodents,” Caldwell states. “They’re not doing anything to fix this. They know it’s happening and they’re OK with that.”
Is this true?
In 2017, Hyundai Motor America was indeed hit with a class-action lawsuit for selling and manufacturing cars with defective soy-based materials that “attract rodents and other animals that chew through the vehicles’ wiring and engine components.”
Just like Caldwell, the plaintiff in that lawsuit alleged that rodents chewed through her Hyundai’s wiring on two separate occasions. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2018, but it appears the problem persists.
In a 2021 post on CarComplaints.com, a user stated rodents chewed through the wire of their 2021 Hyundai Palisade.
“$1700+ in repairs (NOT covered by the warranty), and they want to replace the insulation with the same SOY based insulation that is in there now, and that Hyundai has had lawsuits over,” the user wrote. “I am so DONE with this car! Please reach out if you’ve had this issue, or have joined a lawsuit.”
What should you do to prevent this from happening?
Caldwell says all Hyundai told her was to get a rodent repellent for underneath her car.
“I paid $30,000 for a car, I shouldn’t have to repel rodents because of your manufacturing issues,” Caldwell states. She does clarify that it’s covered under her comprehensive insurance, but she will still have to pay some out of pocket.
Because the issue seems so prevalent, there’s a website specifically dedicated to this. Howtopreventratsfromeatingcarwires.com shared a blog post in 2017 that has since been updated in 2023. In it, they stated that “any car built in the last 10 years” will have soy-based wiring.
@celestecaldwell_ @Hyundai USA do better #hyundai #hyundaielantra ♬ original sound – celestecaldwell_
The writer lists the materials needed to prevent the rats from chewing:
- Tomcat Rat Snap Traps (6 traps per car) – For Rats
- Tomcat Press ‘N Set Mouse Trap (6 traps per car) – For Mice
- Grandpa Gus’s Double-Potent Rodent Repellent Spray (i.e. peppermint and cinnamon oil spray)
- Bright Light (4 Flashlights or 1 Shop Light)
- Optional: Galashield Owl Decoy with Rotating Head
They suggest leaving the hood up at night, placing the traps near the tires, and then spraying the repellent into the engine compartment. The last two steps involve shining a bright light on the tires to deter the rats and placing the owl nearby on the ground to scare away the critters.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Caldwell via TikTok direct message and Hyundai via email.
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