Why You Can and Should Build Rodent Resistance into Vehicle Systems (Download)
An “urban myth” persists that some cars, usually Japanese cars, in the popularly repeated tales, are prone to having their wiring damaged because the insulation is made from a soy derivative and is, therefore, particularly tasty for hungry rodents. Indeed, in Heber, et al. v. Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. et al., Case No. 8:16-cv-01525, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 21 plaintiffs claimed that it was Toyota’s adoption of soy components in wiring that led to their cars being damaged by rodents.
The story is correct in that some types of electrical insulation incorporate soy derivatives. However, a rigorous study, “Assessing Rodent Gnawing of Elastomers Containing Soybean Oil Derivatives,” found no difference between these kinds of wiring and other polymer clad products in terms of their attractiveness to creatures. It concluded: “The inclusion of soybean oil or its derivatives in common elastomers did not affect rodent gnawing.”