Auto insurance covers rodent damage only if you carry comprehensive coverage. This part of your policy handles non-collision perils, including animals chewing wires, hoses, or other components. If you have comprehensive, your insurer pays for repairs minus your deductible. However, liability or collision-only plans won’t cover rodent harm, leaving you to pay out of pocket. In fact, roughly 25 percent of comprehensive claims involve rodent damage. Repairs can easily run into thousands of dollars. Protect your car—call us at 773-202-5060.
Should I Be Worried About Rodent Damage to My Car?
Rodents can wreak havoc on your car—and it happens more often than you’d think. Small creatures like mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels seek warmth and shelter, especially in cold weather or when a vehicle sits unused in a garage or near overgrown vegetation. Once inside, they chew on electrical wiring, cables, and hoses. They may even tear up insulation and upholstery to build nests. You might not notice until your car won’t start one morning, or a dashboard warning light appears because a wire has been gnawed through. In worst-case scenarios, nests lodged in the engine compartment or air ducts can clog vital systems and spark engine fires.
That damage isn’t just frustrating; it can be costly. Repairing a chewed wiring harness or replacing damaged engine components can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Roughly one in four comprehensive insurance claims involves rodent damage. If your car parks near dumpsters, barns, or dense shrubbery—or sits idle for long periods—your risk climbs even higher. Given how often these incidents occur and how costly they can be, taking the threat seriously is smart.
What Type of Car Insurance Will Cover Rodent Damage?
Only the comprehensive portion of your car insurance policy covers rodent damage. Comprehensive insurance handles non-accident perils, think theft, vandalism, natural disasters, and animals chewing on your car. Most policies explicitly cover animals of all sizes, so if a rodent chews through wiring or builds a nest under your hood, you’re covered once you pay your deductible. Without comprehensive coverage, liability and collision won’t help, you’d shoulder the repair bills yourself.
Liability insurance covers damage you cause to others. Collision covers accident repairs. Neither applies when rats or squirrels gnaw wires. No crash. No third-party claim. If you carry just liability or collision without comprehensive, you’re on your own if rodents strike your engine bay.
Feel uncertain about your coverage? Look at your policy’s declarations page or call your agent. Unless your lender demands it for a financed or leased car, comprehensive remains optional, but it’s often affordable and can save you thousands.
Remember: you must meet your deductible before your insurer pays anything. If rodent repairs run $1,000 and your deductible is $500, you pay $500; the insurer covers the rest. If the repair bill falls below your deductible, you cover it entirely.
Add a comprehensive layer to secure protection before rodents chew their way in. Check your policy to confirm animal damage is included—most insurers cover it, but terms can differ. If you carry only liability or collision, consider upgrading. A modest premium increase usually beats a hefty out-of-pocket repair.
What Kind of Rodent Damage Will Insurance Actually Cover?
Comprehensive insurance covers direct damage rodents cause to covered parts. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Chewed Wiring
Rodents love to gnaw on electrical wires, which can disable your ignition, lights, or onboard computer. If that happens, comprehensive pays to repair or replace those wires after you meet your deductible. Electrical damage is one of the most common rodent-related claims, and insurers expect to see bite marks and frayed wiring as proof. - Interior or Insulation Damage
A squirrel or rat nesting in your engine bay or ventilation system might shred upholstery, carpet, or foam insulation for bedding. Comprehensive steps in to cover those repairs—everything from cleaning out nests to fixing chewed seats or ductwork. It’s all part of restoring your vehicle to working order. - Engine or Mechanical Damage
When rodents hide under the hood, they often chew hoses, belts, or other critical engine parts. A single mouse nibbling through a coolant hose can lead to fluid leaks or engine overheating. In worst-case scenarios, a nest sparking a fire or wiring shorts can cause catastrophic damage. Comprehensive pays for those repairs (up to policy limits) once you’ve paid your deductible. - Fuel System Damage
Some rodents target fuel lines or connectors around injectors, possibly because newer cars use soy-based insulation. If they gnaw through a fuel line, you could face gas leaks or engine stalling. Comprehensive insurance covers the replacement of fuel-related parts and any secondary damage that follows.
Vrtually any direct damage by rodents falls under comprehensive coverage—unless your policy explicitly excludes it. You do need to file a claim and pay your deductible before insurance kicks in. Take photos of bite marks, nesting material, or chewed components. That evidence helps your claim move smoothly.
(One thing comprehensive auto insurance won’t cover is any personal property the rodents damage inside your car, like if you left a laptop in your vehicle and it got chewed – more on that later. The policy covers the car itself, not the contents.)
Can Rodent Damage Be Considered Neglect by My Insurer?
Suppose an adjuster finds you ignored clear signs of rodents, droppings, chewed bits, and let the problem worsen. In that case, they can deny your claim, comprehensive coverage for sudden losses, not damage that builds over time because you skipped basic upkeep.
For instance, spotting mouse droppings weeks ago and doing nothing makes the resulting damage “preventable,” not accidental. In that case, the insurer can refuse payment. Likewise, leaving a car idle in a barn full of critters, with food inside, counts as neglect. Any indication you knowingly turned your vehicle into a rodent haven jeopardizes your coverage.
Comprehensive also won’t cover pre-existing rodent damage. Buying a used car with chewed wires or nests can’t ensure that it will be protected against past problems. Insurance kicks in only for losses after the policy starts. So be sure to act on minor signs immediately. Clear nests, seal openings, and install traps. That shows you took reasonable steps and preserves your right to file a claim. Always report what happened. If the damage genuinely surprised you, comprehensive coverage should cover it.
Will Filing a Rodent Damage Claim Raise My Insurance Premium?
Comprehensive claims for things like animal damage usually have a minimal effect on your rates. Unlike at-fault accident claims (which can lead to significant surcharges), insurers often see a single comprehensive claim as a no-fault “act of nature” event outside your control. Many insurance companies do not heavily penalize one-off comp claims for incidents like weather damage, hitting a deer, or a squirrel chewing your wires.
On average, a comprehensive claim might increase your premium only around 3–5% (a few percentage points) in the year following the claim. For example, analysis suggests a rodent damage comp claim raises premiums by roughly 4.3% on average – which is relatively small. By comparison, an at-fault collision claim could spike rates 20% or more, so insurers clearly treat these scenarios differently.
However, multiple claims can add up. If you’ve made several claims (even comprehensive ones) in a short period, insurers may start to view you as a higher-risk policyholder, and your rates could climb. In other words, one rodent damage claim won’t break the bank, but if you’re filing comp claims frequently – whether for hail, theft, broken glass, or pests – those could collectively trigger a premium increase over time. Insurance companies look at your overall claims history when setting rates. So while a single incident with a raccoon under the hood is fine, try to avoid making small claims repeatedly (for instance, if the damage cost is only slightly above your deductible, you might choose to pay it yourself to keep your claims record clean).
You shouldn’t be afraid to use your insurance for a legitimate rodent damage repair. That’s what it’s there for. One claim of this nature is unlikely to cause a major rate hike, and some companies don’t increase premiums at all for comprehensive claims.
Does My Car’s Warranty Cover Rodent Damage?
No – manufacturer or extended car warranties almost never cover rodent damage. Warranties are intended to cover defects in materials or workmanship (or in the case of extended service plans, mechanical breakdowns or faulty parts), not external damage from outside influences. Damage caused by animals, rodents, or other pests is generally excluded from warranty coverage as a matter of course.
In practice, if rats chewed through your wires or a squirrel nested in your engine, that is not a manufacturing defect – so the automaker or warranty provider isn’t going to pay for it. The burden falls to you and, if you have it, your insurance. In fact, automakers explicitly disclaim responsibility for environmental and pest damage in their warranty terms. The only possible exception might be if you bought a brand-new car and discovered rodent damage almost immediately – and could somehow prove the damage occurred before you took delivery of the car (for example, a rat got into the car while it was on the dealership lot). In that extremely rare case, a dealer or manufacturer might cover the repairs as a pre-existing issue. But absent that unusual scenario, rodent damage is on you – it’s exactly the kind of thing comprehensive auto insurance is meant to cover, not a warranty.
So, if you have comprehensive car insurance, use it. Additionally, routine maintenance plans or roadside assistance warranties won’t cover this either. And if rodent damage causes secondary issues – say they chew wiring that leads to your engine misfiring – any resulting mechanical issues wouldn’t be warrantied because the root cause was an outside agent.)
Will Homeowners Insurance Cover Rodent Damage to My Car?
Even though it might seem logical that your homeowners insurance could cover damage that happens on your property (like a mouse from your garage damaging your car), in reality auto damage is excluded from homeowners policies. Home insurance covers your dwelling, personal property, and liability for certain perils, but cars are specifically not covered by homeowners insurance – they need their own auto insurance policies. A standard homeowners policy won’t pay for damage to a vehicle, whether that damage is from a falling tree, a flood, or rodents, because vehicles are a separate insurable asset.
Additionally, rodent or pest damage is generally excluded from homeowners coverage altogether as a “maintenance” issue. Insurance companies expect homeowners to take preventative measures against infestations; rodent damage is usually considered preventable or at least not sudden/accidental in the way a covered peril (fire, storm, theft, etc.) would be. So even if the rodent somehow damaged something in your home, homeowners insurance often wouldn’t cover that either, let alone damage to a car.
How Can I Prevent Rodent Damage to My Vehicle?
While insurance can cover rodent damage, preventing it from happening in the first place is even better. Cars, especially when parked for long periods or overnight, can be enticing to rodents. Here are some effective steps to keep pests out of your vehicle:
- Park in a Garage or Secure Location: If possible, keep your car in a closed garage. A well-sealed garage greatly reduces the chances of rodents getting to your car. Plug any holes or gaps in garage walls or doors with steel wool or metal mesh so mice can’t squeeze in. If you must park outside, avoid areas near trash bins, woodpiles, or tall grass – these are rodent habitats.
- Eliminate Food Sources: Never leave food or edible garbage in your car, even wrappers or crumbs. Pests are attracted to food and even the smell can lure them. Clean out your car’s interior regularly, vacuum up crumbs, and keep the area around your car free of spilled birdseed, pet food, or trash. A clean, scent-free car is much less interesting to a hungry rodent.
- Use Rodent Deterrents: Consider repellents and deterrent products. For instance, some mechanics recommend special rodent-resistant tape for wiring (infused with spicy capsaicin) to deter chewing. You can also use strong scents that rodents hate – placing peppermint oil-soaked cotton balls or mothballs in the engine compartment (remove before driving) has been tried by many, though remember to refresh them regularly. Ultrasonic pest repellent devices are another option; they emit high-frequency sounds to keep rodents away (mixed results, but might help as an extra layer). Traps around the parking area can also catch critters before they get into the car.
- Seal Entry Points in the Vehicle: Rodents can squeeze through incredibly small openings (holes as small as a dime for mice). Inspect your car’s wheel wells, vents, and undercarriage for any large gaps. You might use fine wire mesh to cover air intake openings or cabin air filter inlets where rodents often enter. Ensure your windshield cowl (the vented area between hood and windshield) is clear and covered. Some car owners even pop the hood open slightly when parked (if safe) to make it less cozy for rodents to nest – a bright, airy engine compartment is less attractive to them.
- Drive the Car Regularly: Don’t let your vehicle sit idle for too long. Take it for a spin every few days if you can. Regular movement and engine heat will discourage rodents from settling in. If you plan to store a vehicle for an extended time, consider investing in a quality car cover that fits tightly – it won’t stop a determined critter but can be a deterrent and also protect the car in other ways. Periodically start the engine and check under the hood while in storage to scare off any squatters.
- Keep the Area Around Your Car Tidy: In garages or storage areas, remove clutter that can serve as nesting material or hiding spots. Cardboard boxes, old clothes, newspapers, or any junk should be off the ground or sealed. If your garage has lots of places for mice to hide, your car is more at risk. Maintain your yard too – trim back overgrown shrubs or grass near where you park, and keep garbage cans tightly lidded. Reducing the local rodent population and habitat will reduce the chance of an invasion.
Taking these preventative measures helps significantly cut down the odds of rodents choosing your car as their next home. It’s a bit of effort, but it can save you from a major headache (and a potentially messy insurance claim) down the road. Remember, once you’ve had a rodent issue, thoroughly clean and disinfect any affected areas of the car – not only for your health and safety, but to remove pheromones that might attract other rodents. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to protecting your vehicle from pesky critters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does liability insurance cover rodent damage to my car?
No. Liability coverage only pays for damage or injuries you cause to others, and it does not cover any damage to your own car from rodents or other “acts of nature.” If mice chew your wiring or nest in your engine, you’ll need comprehensive coverage to have insurance pay for it – a basic liability-only policy won’t help.
Will collision insurance pay for rodent damage?
No. Collision insurance covers your vehicle when you’re in a crash (regardless of fault) but doesn’t cover non-collision events like animal damage. Rodent damage is handled under comprehensive coverage. If you only carry collision (and not comprehensive), rodent incidents wouldn’t be covered, since there was no accident involved.
If a rodent chews my car’s electrical wires, is that covered by insurance?
Yes – if you have comprehensive insurance, your policy should cover the damage to your car’s electrical system from rodents chewing wires. Chewed-up wiring is a common result of rodent infestations, and comprehensive coverage will pay for the repair (after you pay your deductible). Without comprehensive, though, you’d be on your own for the wiring repair costs.
Will a rodent damage claim make my insurance rates go up?
Usually not in any significant way. Filing a comprehensive claim for rodent damage might result in a very small premium increase (on the order of a few percent) or sometimes no increase at all. Insurers generally don’t penalize one-off incidents that are out of your control. However, multiple claims in a short time could contribute to higher rates eventually. It’s always wise to use insurance when you need it – just don’t file tiny claims repeatedly.
Does my car warranty or maintenance plan cover rodent damage?
No, factory warranties and extended car warranties won’t cover rodent damage. Warranties cover manufacturing defects or mechanical failures, not external damage from things like pests. So if rats ruin your car, you’ll have to rely on insurance (comprehensive coverage) or pay for repairs yourself. The only exception would be if the damage clearly occurred before you bought the car (highly unlikely to be honored). In virtually all cases, rodent damage is an insurance matter, not a warranty matter.
Are personal items in my car covered if rodents destroy them?
Your auto insurance will not cover personal belongings chewed or damaged by rodents. Auto policies cover the vehicle itself (the structure and permanently attached equipment), not the contents. Normally, personal property might fall under your homeowners or renters insurance, but those policies also often exclude damage by rodents or pests as a preventable issue. So, for example, if a mouse shredded a jacket or some papers left in your car, insurance likely won’t reimburse you for those. It’s best to remove any valuable or important items from your car to avoid such losses.
How can I tell if I have rodent damage in my car?
Common signs of rodent activity include finding chewed wires or tubing, nests made of shredded materials under the hood or in the glove compartment, droppings or urine smells, and evidence of food stashes (like acorns or birdseed) in the engine bay. If your car has unexplained electrical issues (e.g. it won’t start, or warning lights pop on suddenly) or poor airflow from vents, a rodent nest or chewing could be the cause. Always investigate promptly if you notice these signs – you may catch the problem early before the damage worsens. A mechanic can confirm rodent damage if you suspect it, and you should act quickly to remove the pests and file an insurance claim (if you have coverage) to repair the damage.
What should I do if rodents have damaged my car?
If you discover rodent damage, take pictures of everything (chewed parts, nests, droppings) for documentation. Then notify your car insurance company if you have comprehensive coverage – let them know you need to file a claim for rodent damage. Typically, an adjuster will guide you through next steps, which may include getting an estimate from a repair shop or having an inspection. Save any damaged parts or receipts (for towing or a rental car, for example) as you go through the process. Importantly, address any remaining infestation: ensure the rodents are removed and entry points sealed so the problem doesn’t recur. Once repairs are approved, your insurer will cover the costs minus your deductible. After fixing the car, implement some of the prevention tips mentioned earlier to avoid a repeat incident.
Sources: Comprehensive Coverage and Rodent Damage; Plymouth Rock Assurance – Rodent Damage Scenarios; Policygenius – Key Takeaways on Rodent Damage; Experian – Car Insurance and Rodent Damage Overview; BrokerLink Insurance – Premium Impact of Rodent Claims; CheapInsurance – Rodent Claims Frequency and Rate Increase; Insure On The Spot – Original Blog (2018).