If rodents have been getting frequenting your car, it could not only be detrimental to your car itself, but also to your wallet. There are a few factors they will ultimately determine what the out of pocket cost will be for you.
The most important determinant will be what type of insurance you have on your car. Some insurance plans have coverage for rodent damage and some don’t. If you lease a car or still owe a decent amount in your car loans, then you most likely have Comprehensive Coverage, which would cover rodent damage. See article Will My Car Insurance Cover Rodent Damage for more information.
Another important determinant of cost would be your ability to be able to fix the issue yourself. How knowledgeable are you with cars? When paying any mechanic to fix something on your car, that majority of the bill you pay is for labor, not the car parts. So if you can cut your costs to just the costs of the parts then it won’t be too expensive to fix. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people don’t have this specific type of knowledge (including me) so paying a professional is the only option.
When going through a mechanic, you should expect to pay the deductible (if you have Comprehensive Coverage) which should be at most $500. The repairs from rodent damage typically require a decent amount of labor since the mechanic will need to take the car apart to fix any wire damage. If you don’t have Comprehensive Coverage on your insurance (and I really hope that isn’t the case!) the sky can be the limit as far as repair costs. My Hyundai Sonata bill totaled to over $9k in damage. To be honest, I was surprised the insurance company didn’t consider it totaled.
In addition, if you lease a car, you will be required to use factory made parts versus third party parts, so that will add some additional costs. Though, you are probably already at the deductible with the labor so this may be a mute point.
I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any questions/comments, please drop a note below.
Thank you!!
-Rat King Dave
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I’m a mechanic. I repaired a few cars after rodents. The number one thing I can add here is if you don’t clean and disinfect the area, clean the sent of them being there. It’s like a flashing hotel sign for them. They smell that one of them has been there before and must think if it was safe for my brother must be safe fore me. This is a proven fact. So make sure whoever is doing the repair . To not only removes all signs of them but to disinfect it afterwards
Hi Robert! So sorry for the delay in my response. I took a break from my duties as Rat King but back in the action now! This is a great point and gives me inspiration to cover this topic more. You are certainly right that if the car still maintains the scent from the previous infestation that it will certainly attract more rodents to that destination. Rodents pick up on other rodents urine and interpret that is a safe place to go. Thanks again for your comment! RKD
I have just had two cars attacked too 🙁 Seems they are after the wheel speed sensors and backup sensor wiring as the primary targets. This happened over a few short days. 2017 Explorer is at the Ford dealer currently getting repaired as it needed safety recall work done anyway. $1500 quote for rodent damage my comprehensive deductible is thankfully only $250.
So I was driving my daughters 2012 Ford Escape instead and just today she has the same warning lights showing now as mine just did. ABS, Traction Control, Wheel Speed Sensors. I do suspect mice as I have had them get into other some other cars and build nests inside the heater boxes (Sebring, Windstar). I found a nest in the explorer and blew it out with compressed air a few months ago and thought I was good, but I guess they came back.
Is is possible squirrels and not mice might be the culprits after the exposed wiring at the wheels and backup sensors? Anyone ever heard of that instead of mice. Reason I ask is I can see a squirrel nesting in a hole in a tree from my office window. I didn’t know if they might be attracted to wiring too.
So I will use some enclosed snap traps around the cars in addition to several poison bait stations I have around the house. How about chemical odor sprays, anything good to spray around the wheels? Going to adjust our parking area and thinking to get some outdoor barn cats too.
Expensive week 🙁
Chris C.
Leesburg, VA
Hi Chris! AGH! I’m so sorry for the delay in my response and that you had to deal with two car attacks! I took a leave of absence from this website, but now I am back and in action.
Thank you for sharing your incidents. As it’s been a long time I hope that you have been able to figure this out, but here are some pointers. All types of Rodents love car engine compartments – Mice, Rats, Squirrels and even Rabbits (believe it or not, I also found a rabbit under my hood one morning, ugh). To key in on squirrels, in order to determine if there is a squirrel in your engine compartment you will typically also see a lot of nuts, twigs and leaves. Squirrels use car engine compartments as one of their “middens” which doubles as a shelter and a storage. Squirrels usually have multiple middens and rotate to each through out the year. Also squirrel poops are about the same size as a rat, but they have rounded ends, and not pointy like a rats.
With regards using compressed air to clean up a car engine, I would highly recommend against that. The main way that people contract disease from rodent droppings is by kicking up the dust on the droppings and inhaling it. This is why it is recommended to not vacuum up rodent droppings. Before moving any rodent droppings you need to disinfect it first with a solution that is 1 part bleach and 9 parts water. Spay diligently and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
In regards to using bait stations and traps, that sounds good, and for a deterrent spray, I suggest Grandpa Gus’s Double-Potent Rodent Repellent Spray. You can spray directly into the engine compartment and also do a ring around the car as well. For the outdoor barn cats, that is an excellent idea. Cats do a great job at controlling a rodent population and I am always a fan of introducing natural predators. Hope this helps and sorry again for the delay in my response. Happy to answer any more questions for you. Thank you! RKD
Hi,
Where is the best place to get my car repaired from rat damage? My insurance company sent me to Body Shop and now I’m skeptical. Should I just take it to my mechanic instead?
Hi Tawny! I apologize for the delay in my response, and I suspect this issue is long resolve by now (fingers crossed). In regards to choosing a proper company to repair your car there are a few things to consider. If you lease your car then I would suggest just going through a service center through one of the dealerships as they are required to order factory parts, which is what the car will need to have when you turn it back in. As a general note though, I would try and find a place that will not only repair/replace the rodnt damaged parts, but a place that will also clean and sanitize your car’s engine compartment. Once a car has been marked as “safe” by the rodents there is a high likely hood that they will try to come back (even after you get your car repaired). This unfortunately is what happened to me. Anyways, if you own your car, I think your local mechanic would have been fine as well. If you have any further questions, please let me know. I promise I will respond sooner this time! RKD
We live in the mountains and our ’05 Honda CRV was rodent damaged. A chewed harness cost $700, then 4,958.00, then $800. Insurance totaled the car. We paid to have it fixed, but now our car is “salvaged” which is a legal term. Insurance will only cover liability and we can’t even rent a car. We still have to compete with the rat problem (hood up at night, peppermint spray, electronic mouse deterers, wire wrap anti-mouse tape, etc.) A new car is out of the question because new cars also have the soy based insulation. Maybe car buyers should boycott car purchases since the new wiring is cheaper for the manufactures only (but not car buyers hence the suit by Honda and Hyundai car buyers) and minimal plastic pollution. I’m an environmentalism, but this is ridiculous!
Wow Stephen. That’s a tough situation you are in there. I’m sorry to hear. As for new cars, you can always ask a car dealer if the wiring is made with soy products, and if you emphasize that knowing this info is a deal breaker for you, they might be required by law to disclose this to you. Regardless of whether you go new car or older car, it will be very important to keep trying to defend the car from new invasions. Starting first with checking under the hood very often and then implementing the methods you referenced. And since you live in the mountains, have you thought about getting an Owl Box? Would be a nice natural solution to reducing the rodent population in your area. You just put up the box and eventually the owls show up. Here is an article I wrote on Owl boxes: https://www.howtopreventratsfromeatingcarwires.com/2017/05/23/get-owl-box/
Hope this helps, Stephen! Keep me posted on how this is playing out and if I can help with answering any more questions. RKD
Hi Stephen! Oh man, I apologize for the delay in my response. I can sense the frustration in your comment and after 3 incidents I can certainly understand. Ayeyaye.. Yes the car companies should be doing something to help out here, but we are left to fend off for ourselves. I hope that the methodologies discussed here have worked for you. Now that I am back working on this site, I am going to include a new section that recommends having the engine bay professionally cleaned and disinfected. I never realized this is an essential part to eliminate rodents from coming back again for another around. Stay safe out there! RKD
We live in the mountains and our ’05 Honda CRV was rodent damaged. A chewed harness cost $700, then 4,958.00, then $800. Insurance totaled the car. We paid to have it fixed, but now our car is “salvaged” which is a legal term. Insurance will only cover liability and we can’t even rent a car. We still have to compete with the rat problem (hood up at night, peppermint spray, electronic mouse deterers, wire wrap anti-mouse tape, etc.) A new car is out of the question because new cars also have the soy based insulation. Maybe car buyers should boycott car purchases since the new wiring is cheaper for the manufactures only (but not car buyers hence the suit by Honda and Hyundai car buyers) and minimal plastic pollution. I’m an environmentalism, but this is ridiculous!
RKD
Thank you for your insight on the repairs, I had no idea it would cost that much. I work at a military facility and it is common for rodents to eat the wiring. I try not to part where the dirt meets the asphalt to keep them little buggers from attaching my car. I am sure we have comprehensin on our insurance not sure what the dudectable is. (boo hoo)
Rodents ate the wiring on the window washer sensor wire and oil sensor wire on my Passat. My husfand said you have to take the car apart to fix it. I am bummed,
LMY
Hi Linda, I’m sorry for my late reply! Appreciate your comment and hope this information was helpful. The deductible on your insurance should have been $500. I’ve heard of rare cases where it is more than that though. Hopefully your car is fixed by now, but please be sure to keep checking under your hood every few days. Once they strike they are more likely to come back and with cooler weather coming soon, they are going to start looking for alternate shelter. Winters are the worst for these problems. Hope this helps. Any questions that come up, please ask! Thanks! RKD
Can rodent damage be fixed and never happen again
Hi Doreen! Even if you get your car fixed, there will always be a need to be keeping an eye on your engine compartment. Rodents are actually more likely to come back once they have attacked a car previously. This is why you need to have a consistent defense plan in place. Try reviewing the article “The 5 Minute check..”. This will give you some tips. Hope this helps! Thank you! RKD
Hi, thank you for this post. I am facing the same issue. Fortunately I have comprehensive insurance and this case is covered (although I am still nervous until insurance claims the claim).
I was wondering – how it takes to repair a car after this damage? I can’t find any answer to that on the internet. Now I am quite desperate. I haven’t got clue about this problem.
Hi Karolina! Thanks for the comment and great to hear you have comprehensive coverage. The length of time it takes to repair the damage depends on the extent of the damage and whether the repair shop you are going through has the proper parts in stock. For our Honda Civic ($2,400 in Damage), it took about a week and a half for everything to get repaired. For our Hyundai Sonata ($9,000 in Damage), it took about a month and a half, though this was over the winter break and holidays (so not sure if that had any effect). Hope this helps to clarify. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thank you! RKD