A Minnesota man who purchased a brand new Toyota Tundra from Walser Toyota says he discovered the truck was infested with rats that chewed through wiring components a day after he brought it home.
Ron Knudson, a 57-year-old disabled Navy veteran from Eagle Lake, said he visited the Bloomington dealership at the end of April.
The first vehicle he bought from Walser — a lower-trim Toyota Tundra — was exchanged a few days later after he discovered it did not include certain features he believed it had. He then paid the dealership an additional $8,000 to move into a higher-end Toyota Tundra Limited with the features he wanted.
“That new truck I brought home was infested with rats,” said Knudson, who paid $68,000 for the upgraded vehicle.
Knudson said he first noticed debris and insulation underneath the truck after parking it in his garage overnight, initially dismissing it as dirt falling from the vehicle. But the next morning, he noticed more debris on the ground, including what he described as a “dark blue ball.”
Knudson said he opened the hood and discovered rubber debris, insulation from the firewall, a hole in the back of the firewall, and rodent feces throughout the engine compartment.
According to Knudson, a rat had chewed through a rubber gasket connected to the truck’s wiring harness.
“The rat was making a nest in the firewall of the truck,” Knudson said.
Knudson claims he later discovered a “large black rat” in the garage. He said he and his wife eventually chased the rat out of the garage, believing the problem had been resolved. But when he returned the next day, Knudson said he noticed fresh debris on the ground once again.
After reopening the hood, he said he discovered fresh rat feces and additional chewed material inside the engine compartment, leading him to believe at least one more rat was still inside the truck.
“So, we didn’t have one rat. We had two rats in that truck, probably a family,” Knudson said.
As for Toyota, a class-action lawsuit alleged rodents, such as rats and mice, chewed through soy-based wiring used in Toyota vehicles. However, the case ultimately did not result in class-wide settlements or payouts for owners, according to reports.
No history of rodents in garage
Knudson said his 14-year-old garage has never had a rodent problem despite housing multiple vehicles over the years.
He said he believes the infestation was already present when he brought the truck home because signs of damage appeared immediately and no other vehicles stored in his garage have experienced similar issues.
“I contacted Walser after finding out what was going on with my truck and they told me to bring it back,” Knudson said.
Walser Toyota provided Knudson a loaner vehicle that sat in the same garage for days without any signs of rodents or damage, he said.
He said he also placed a piece of meat on the garage floor for several days to determine whether any rats remained in the area, but it was never touched.
According to Knudson, that confirmed his belief that the rodents had arrived with the truck and left when the vehicle was removed from his garage.
Dispute over replacement and repairs
Knudson said tensions escalated after the dealership told him he would not receive a replacement truck because he had already used his one “free turn-in” when he upgraded from the first Tundra he purchased.
He said he simply wanted the new truck he paid for — not one that had to be dismantled and rewired days after purchase.
According to Knudson, Walser initially told him the truck would be repaired at no cost. He said he requested photographs documenting the tear-down and repair process because of concerns about the vehicle’s wiring system being dismantled and reassembled.
Days later, however, Knudson said he received a text message from a dealership employee urging him to file an insurance claim instead.
“I get a text message stating upon further inspection, it would be in your best interest to open up an insurance claim to make sure that the repairs are done properly,” Knudson said.
Knudson disputes the dealership’s claim that it conducted a “further inspection” of the truck, alleging the Toyota app connected to the vehicle showed the truck had not been started, moved or accessed after it was parked behind the dealership.
“That truck has not been moved, touched, done anything since they took it out of the service bay,” Knudson said. “So, you tell me when they did another inspection on it. They did not.”
Knudson claims Walser Toyota recommended he file an insurance claim with State Farm only after learning his deductible was just $100 — an amount he said the dealership later offered to cover in a text message provided to Alpha News that stated: “We’d also be happy to assist with your deductible to help move the process forward for you.”
Knudson said State Farm told him that Walser Toyota’s offer to cover his $100 deductible reinforced the idea that the infestation was present before the truck arrived at his home.
According to Knudson, the truck is now at a Toyota dealership in Mankato after State Farm informed him that Walser Toyota had been “black flagged” by the insurance company over a history of repair estimate disputes and that it would not pay for repair work performed there.
Fishing trip for elderly veterans at risk
Knudson, who lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident, volunteers his time at Fishing With Vets, a nonprofit organization that takes veterans on free fishing trips.
He said the situation with Walser Toyota is especially frustrating because he needed the new truck he purchased to tow a boat for a May 31 fishing trip to South Dakota with two elderly veterans.
Knudson said he told Walser Toyota that he would contact his Veterans Service Officer and file a complaint with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office over the ordeal — something he claims a dealership employee dismissed.
“He says, ‘Well, you know, we aren’t scared of the attorney general, so you can go to whoever you want,’” Knudson alleges a Walser dealership employee told him.
“They don’t want to be known as the dealership that sold a truck to a customer with a rat,” Knudson said. “I guess they’d rather be known as a dealership that doesn’t take care of their customers.”
Walser parent company faces separate criminal case
Walser Automotive Group, the parent company of Walser Toyota, is also currently facing a criminal case in Minnesota.
The company has been accused of taking part in an alleged scheme as prosecutors say it avoided paying more than $350,000 in Minnesota motor vehicle sales taxes between March 2020 and August 2023, according to reports.
Alpha News made multiple inquiries to Walser Toyota seeking comment on Knudson’s claims but did not receive a response.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
