A Dead Rodent Saga - Help

[surfore]

Hi,

2023 Cross Turismo 4 purchased new. 14,000 miles.

We live on the rural San Mateo coast. I started to notice a familiar and unwelcome smell in my car about three weeks ago. I thought it might have been the garbage cans because I forgot to put it out and it was getting ripe in the garage. Nope. My kids, two daughter, were saying “it’s you dad.” Nope. In the trunk there was a roll of toilet paper that was partially converted into confetti. Definitely a dead rodent somewher. I couldn’t locate it. I had a service appointment two days away so I informed them that I believed there’s something dead in there somewhere. It really stunk. .


Monday Morning: Good morning. My technician believes a rodent may have died inside the car but in order to try and locate it, we would need to begin removing all of the interior trim, carpets and panels. In terms of cost, since this is not a warrantable concern, the cost would be $2400.00 (cost includes removal and installation of all parts).

Monday Afternoon: My technician was able to track down the dead rat. It was wedged in the body weld on the rear drivers side. We found maggots had eaten most of it. We are in the process of removing it from the vehicle. I would highly suggest to perform a complete detail for the car. The cost to perform the detail would be $450.00. Would you like to have that performed while we have the vehicle?

Today: We cannot get the rodent out of the body weld of the car. At this point, I would strongly recommend getting in contact with your insurance company because we will need to send the car to the body shop in order from them to take apart the frame of the vehicle to get the rodent out and the repair cost are going to sky rocket in the the tens of thousands of dollars in order to do that.

WHAT? How in the wild wild world of sports is that a real solution?

Sponsored

 

[r553]

I had two rodent intrusions in my 2020 4S. The car was parked outside both times. Thankfully they built their nests on top of the front inverter. I glued a sticky trap to the top of the inverter and caught the second rodent. I then sold my third car and now park the 4S in the garage. The photo shows the first visitation before I put the sticky trap in place.

 

[Torv]

Hi,

2023 Cross Turismo 4 purchased new. 14,000 miles.

We live on the rural San Mateo coast. I started to notice a familiar and unwelcome smell in my car about three weeks ago. I thought it might have been the garbage cans because I forgot to put it out and it was getting ripe in the garage. Nope. My kids, two daughter, were saying “it’s you dad.” Nope. In the trunk there was a roll of toilet paper that was partially converted into confetti. Definitely a dead rodent somewher. I couldn’t locate it. I had a service appointment two days away so I informed them that I believed there’s something dead in there somewhere. It really stunk. .


Monday Morning: Good morning. My technician believes a rodent may have died inside the car but in order to try and locate it, we would need to begin removing all of the interior trim, carpets and panels. In terms of cost, since this is not a warrantable concern, the cost would be $2400.00 (cost includes removal and installation of all parts).

Monday Afternoon: My technician was able to track down the dead rat. It was wedged in the body weld on the rear drivers side. We found maggots had eaten most of it. We are in the process of removing it from the vehicle. I would highly suggest to perform a complete detail for the car. The cost to perform the detail would be $450.00. Would you like to have that performed while we have the vehicle?

Today: We cannot get the rodent out of the body weld of the car. At this point, I would strongly recommend getting in contact with your insurance company because we will need to send the car to the body shop in order from them to take apart the frame of the vehicle to get the rodent out and the repair cost are going to sky rocket in the the tens of thousands of dollars in order to do that.

WHAT? How in the wild wild world of sports is that a real solution?

Holy shit!!!!

 

[Tighlines]

Yeah, that really sucks.
I had a similar issue in a truck of mine where rodents did thousands of dollars of damage to the wiring. Insurance took care of everything. Hopefully your insurance will as well.
Good luck!

 

[DerekS]

What a nightmare story.

At this point I'd just leave it in there, it will eventually dry out and stop smelling. The damage done to the car by cutting it apart and reassembling would be unacceptable to me.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I’d try a paintless dent guy. They have tools that may be able to spear it.

 

[Slyevo]

Sorry to hear about your predicament -- this is already after paying $2400?

I would just take my favorite cologne and pour it all over the vents and source of the smell; hopefully your kids will think you smell better lol.

 

[Dutchman3270]

I had an unwelcome visitor last year. We kept smelling a pungent broccoli smell in the garage. Took it to the dealer for service and asked them to investigate the smell. $6,500 later (insurance paid )Here are the pics:

 

[r553]

Wow did I get away easy with my rodent visitations.

 

[Boss Hogg]

I had an unwelcome visitor last year. We kept smelling a pungent broccoli smell in the garage. Took it to the dealer for service and asked them to investigate the smell. $6,500 later (insurance paid )Here are the pics:

How did all the rubbish get in there? I can understand a rodent crawling in but the other stuff?

 

[Dutchman3270]

From my garage, all stuff from shelves, he must have been roaming around in the garage

 

[DerekS]

That is terrifying it was that easy to burrow in there.

My garage has traps but now I worry that’s not enough!

 

[PSUEric]

This has been on a number of TV car shows and everyone has had positive experiences

https://mouseblocker.com/

 

[surfore]

Wow. That sucker looked huge and quite the collector. Feels like theres an Over the Hedge or Secret Life of Pets story opportunity.

My unwelcome and smelly squatter is still in there. And the only solution is to take the frame apart. I’ve tried to approach the issue with the dealer as it’s the smell vs extraction (as long as it’s not it effecting anything electrical, mechanical or otherwise). But no.

I was on the phone with Porsche US today about a charging issue with my loaner and the cs agent asked me what was it that I was having done that it would be in the shop for 12 weeks. When I explained it he immediately, and appreciatively, went down the “what if they…” path. He said there’s a ticket the service dept can fill out when they have an oddball case. It goes out to the engineers in Germany to get their perspective and possible solution.

I asked my service advisor about it and he said that PRMS tickets are for warranty concerns where they need technical assistance. “We know what needs to be done here so not sure what good opening a ticket would be.... We need to send the car to the body shop for them to disassemble it to remove the rodent. Either we get your insurance involved so they can cover the cost, or you pay for that to be done at your own expense. Those are the two options.” You’ve been served.

 

[surfore]

When a dealership encounters a problem that is beyond their in-house expertise or requires guidance directly from the manufacturer, they open a PRMS ticket with Porsche AG (Germany).
Common scenarios that might lead to a PRMS ticket include:

• Undiagnosable Issues: When a service center has exhausted standard diagnostic procedures and still cannot pinpoint the root cause of a vehicle malfunction, a PRMS ticket is created to get input from Porsche specialists.
• Complex Electrical or Software Problems: Modern Porsches have intricate electrical systems and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Issues with components like battery packs, sensor malfunctions causing persistent error messages (e.g., "Assistance Systems currently reduced," "PSM failure"), or general electrical glitches that require a deeper software analysis often prompt a PRMS ticket for remote assistance from the factory.
• Unique or Rare Mechanical Failures: For unusual mechanical breakdowns, especially those under warranty or involving new models, the dealership may need factory guidance on specific repair procedures or confirmation on whether a full component replacement is necessary.
• Parts Sourcing Delays or Queries: If a required repair part is unavailable through normal channels (e.g., not in stock in Germany or at the supplier), the dealer might use the PRMS to communicate with the factory regarding sourcing or alternative solutions.
• Warranty Clarifications: Dealers may open a "Warranty PRMS ticket" to address specific questions or obtain approval regarding a repair's coverage under the vehicle's warranty.
• Situations Requiring Factory Direction: The system allows Porsche AG specialists to connect to the vehicle remotely, analyze data, determine the necessary fix, and provide the dealership with specific, often proprietary, directions on how to proceed with the repair.

In essence, the PRMS serves as the official internal communication and technical support channel between the local dealership and the Porsche factory experts for issues that cannot be resolved using standard dealership resources and technical bulletins.

Sponsored