We cannot overlook the damage mice can cause to your car. It’s why we are writing this article. Most times, when mice cause damage to your car, you won’t notice it immediately. These pesky creatures can get into the most obscure nook and crannies of your vehicles to do havoc.

Damage caused by mice can have severe implications like faulty engines or clogged air filters. In the end, you’ll have to pay hundreds of dollars to fix damage caused by mice. This is an unexpected expense that nobody wants to cover.

This leads us to a common question people ask — “Does insurance pay for mice damage on my car”. You will expect that insurance will cover repairs caused by mice to your car. Sometimes, this isn’t the case.

In this article, we’ll answer all your questions on insurance policies covering mice damage to your cars. This way, you can start to create a financial plan to cover the detailing repairs for your car.

How Do Mice Cause Damage to Cars?

Usually, mice do not live in cars. Their natural habitat is among humans. Most of the time, you’ll find mice in dark and warm places like:

• Boxes
• Crawlspaces
• Basements
• Cabinets
• Sheds
• Barns
• Wall Voids

During winter, mice live in warm places. To stay warm, they build nests in car engines.

When mice are building a nest in your car engine, they bring in hair, pet food or anything that seems appealing. Mice do not only build nests in cars, they chew engine wires and leave defects.

There are two reasons why mice chew on engine wires:

• Most engine wires have soy-casing. As such, mice chew on them for nutritional benefits.
• Also, rodents have ever-growing teeth, to trim their teeth, they feed on wood branches. Because mice stay in your car engine in winter, they chew on your engine wires in place of wood branches. When mice chew on engine wires, it can cause sparks, overheating and electrical malfunction in cars.

Since mice chew on engine wires in obscure places, how do you recognize mice damage to your car? First, the “check your engine” light will be on. Secondly, you may have difficulty starting your car. If you notice any of these, check your car’s engine and the odds are high you’ll find mice nests in the engine.

Does an Auto Insurance Policy Cover Mice Damage?

There are insurance policies that cover several damages — both on cars and houses. Commonly, insurance companies adhere to the listed perils in the agreement. It means your insurance company may deny any coverage on damages not initially included.

However, insurance policies on mice damage vary from company to company. It is why we always advise people to read their insurance policies to confirm if it covers mice damage on vehicles.

When there is damage to your car, there is a comprehensive insurance coverage plan. Common examples of damages covered by comprehensive insurance plans include:

• Theft
• Fire
• Vandalism

• Falling objects
• Natural disasters
• Animal damage

As such, if you have a comprehensive insurance plan, it’s like your coverage will cover the cost of car interior detailing due to rat damage. Although, how much they end up paying is another matter entirely.

Under the comprehensive insurance policy, there is an amount you’ve to pay for damage expenses. This amount is known as deductibles.

For instance, your insurance company may require you to pay a $150 deductible for damages caused by rats. If the cost of damages is $500, the insurance company will pay $350 while you pay the rest.

Although, If the cost for damages is lesser than your deductible, you might as well pay for the damages yourself.

Related Article: What is the Pricing for Car Paint Sealant in Vaughan?

How to file an insurance claim for damages caused by mice?

Not every insurance company pays for mice damage to your car. Unless specifically stated, it is best not to assume your insurance company covers mice damage to your car.

However, if your insurance company covers mice damage to your vehicle, here is how to file for a claim.

• Before filing for a claim, always remember to confirm if your insurance company covers mice damages to your car.
• The next important process is damage documentation. In this step, you’ll take photos of the damage caused by mice. Whether it’s interior or engine damage, take clear pictures of the fault.
• Then, send the photos to your insurance company to begin your claim process.

After doing all these, the company will require you to drive to a pre-approved auto repair mechanic. In some cases, they may send a claim adjuster for inspection. If your claim is approved, your insurance company will provide a cheque for the cost of repairs.

In cases where your company rejects your claim, you can contact your attorney or insurance agent.

How to Prevent Mice From Damaging Your Car

Although there are insurance policies that cover mice damage to your car, it’s advisable to take preventive measures. There are several ways to prevent mice from damaging your car.

Park your car elsewhere

It is common to find people parking their cars outside the garage, on grasses and in bushy areas. Parking your vehicle here will only attract more rodents into your vehicle. Once you notice a particular spot attracts rodents, try moving your vehicle.

Rodents are likely to come back to already visited cars. As such, moving your car regularly will avoid a repeat of paying for car detailing due to mice damage. When you frequently move your car, you are most likely to shake off already built nests.

Remove food sources

Food sources don’t only attract mice but other rodents. If you want to prevent mice damage to your car, ensure you regularly clean your car. Also, try removing pet foods around the house or where you park your car.

Mice will not only eat these food materials. They’ll also use these materials to build nests in your car engine. It’s why most cases of mice damage on cars involve particles of food lying around.

Aside from pet food and other food sources, mice tend to use hair particles and dirt to build their nest. To completely avoid mice invasion, clear food particles and dirt around the parking lot. A clean car parking lot will always equal a mice-free vehicle.

Protect your engine

Since the engine is in the most obscure places, mice target car engines the most. Therefore, knowing how to protect your engine against mice damage can save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs.

One common way of protecting your car engine is using rodent tapes on the wires. These special tapes will taste bitter and sour to mice and other critters. So, when you use paper tapes, it will prevent them from eating your wires.

Also, you can use traps or poisonous baits on mice. However, when using traps, it is best to contact your mechanic to properly place them. Equally, when using poisonous baits, you’ve to be careful, most especially if you have pets. Keep your pet away from the car during this period.

Repellents

To prevent mice damage to your car, you can use mice repellents. For car owners, repellents help to disperse rodents in the parking lot. Preferably, using rodent repellents will work best when your car is in a close environment like a garage.

Lock your car properly

Mice have collapsible vertebrae. As such, they can enter the smallest spaces. When you park your car, make sure the doors are fully closed. Even the smallest space in the door will give rodents first-class access to cause mice damage.

Also, cars with wound-down glasses attract mice and allow them to build. A common tip to prevent mice damage on your car is to always wound your glass up after parking.

Related Article: Cost of Paint Protection Film in Vaughan

To Wrap it Up

Mice damage to your car cannot be overlooked as they cause both mild and severe faults to your car. These damages will include electrical malfunction and overheating. In severe cases, there can be fire outbreaks in the car.

Aside from the auto effects of mice damage to your car, mice can also affect your health. For instance, when mice build nests in a car engine they tend to leave droppings all over your engine. So, when you turn on your A/C, urine from mice gets blown into your face.

Fixing mice damage to your car will cost money. It’s why we’ve answered the question of whether or not insurance will cover rodent damage to your vehicle.

When you file your insurance claim, the next step is to work with professional car detailing services to fix the damage. For the best-detailing services, you can check our interior car detailing services. Here at AutoBoss Vaughan, our experts will leave your car looking fresh again. Book an appointment with us today by calling 647-554-2677