Brake warning lights !+ABS

[Bluecar]

Perhaps the Yaris ABS issue (rear wheel speed sensor problem) is 'old news' but I'd like to offer my experiences in case some find them helpful.

My car is an '07 Yaris hatchback that has been well exposed to Southwestern Ontario's snow, slush and road salt. My ABS warning lights started coming whenever the roads were slushy, from December 2011. After months of painful negotiation with Toyota Canada and the dealer I had the car repaired in August 2012. Toyota Canada provided the parts - both rear wheel hub and sensor assemblies, and the wiring harnesses - for free, but I had to pay for the dealer's labour - about CDN$524, plus an earlier $73 for the diagnostic check.

Naturally, Toyota Canada declined responsibility for the defect. They told me their contribution was a goodwill gesture because I had had the car fully maintained by Toyota dealers since new. Considering my dealer had originally quoted $1,349 for the repair, I was not going to quibble over this offer.

During my discussions with Toyota, I pointed out:

• Per T-SB-0120-08, Toyota knew of deficiencies with the rear wheel speed sensor connections in 2008. They introduced modified wire harness assemblies with improved sealing midway through the 2008 model year.
• The repair procedure outlined by T-SB-0120-08 involves checking for corrosion on the electrical terminals of both the speed sensor and harness connector; only speed sensors with corroded terminals need to be replaced.
• Toyota should have warned its customers about the sealing problem as soon as they knew about it, so Yaris owners would have had the option to carry out preventative inspections before corrosion could cause expensive damage. My dealer told me that changing only the wiring harnesses (to the improved level) would have cost just $100.

I am certainly not lawyer but I understand 'duty to warn' is well established principle under common law, meaning companies have an obligation to warn those who use their products if they become aware of any problems or defects that are likely to cause damage, i.e. injury or financial loss. If there are any legally-informed people reading this, please weigh in.

And if anyone has a Yaris with ABS ('07 and some '08, see T-SB-0120-08) - you should probably check your wheel speed sensor connections sooner rather than later!