Does auto insurance cover rodent damage?

Damage brought on by animals that enter your car may be covered if comprehensive coverage is a part of your auto insurance policy. However, if you don’t have comprehensive auto insurance, you’ll be responsible for paying for the damage out of pocket. 

Keep reading to learn when car insurance covers animal damage, including squirrel damage, and how much the deductible costs. You can compare quotes from multiple companies to find affordable comprehensive insurance that covers animal damage. 

Is animal damage covered by car insurance?

A type of auto insurance coverage known as comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle against damage that can occur when you’re not driving, including fire damage, severe weather, vandalism, theft, falling items, and even animal damage. 

Comprehensive coverage typically requires you to pay a deductible before it covers the remaining portion of the costs. Usually, you get to pick your own car insurance deductible, which is frequently $500 or $1,000. The lower you set it, the higher your monthly auto insurance rates will be, and vice versa.

However, comprehensive insurance doesn’t often cover animals gnawing through the electrical wiring in your car. To find out if your comprehensive insurance covers animal damage, you should review your policy and the specifics of your comprehensive coverage.

While most U.S. states mandate liability insurance, comprehensive protection is optional. For the majority of drivers, comprehensive auto insurance is a wise investment and is frequently bought as part of full coverage insurance.

Typical elements of a full-coverage auto insurance policy are listed in the table below.

Full Coverage Auto Insurance Coverage Options Explained

Full coverage auto insurance refers to a car insurance policy that covers liability, comprehensive, and collision. Collision insurance pays for damage to your car in an accident, regardless of who was at fault.

Which animal-related damages are excluded from comprehensive coverage?

Suppose comprehensive coverage is included in your policy. In that case, it covers damage caused by animals to the exterior and interior of your car. Still, it won’t apply in every scenario. Find out more about when auto insurance covers accidental interior damage.

Most importantly, your auto policy will not provide coverage for any harm caused to your personal belongings inside your automobile by animals or nature. Personal property coverage is instead a part of homeowner, renter, or condo insurance plans. 

However, home insurance policies typically do not provide safeguards for harm caused by animals or pests since it is generally the property owner’s responsibility to avoid such harm. This prohibition would apply to any personal goods in your car.

Is squirrel damage covered by auto insurance?

Having squirrels in your attic can be a pain, but what happens when they get into the hood of your car instead?

Rodents such as squirrels, mice, rats, and others have been known to crawl into parked cars and gnaw on the wiring, rendering the vehicle dangerous or even immobile. In some cases, you may be protected, but decisions will be made case by case.

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How can I tell if my insurance includes comprehensive coverage?

Check your declarations page, a one-page overview of your policy, if you’re unsure whether comprehensive coverage is a component of your auto insurance policy. It lists all of the coverage you have, along with any car insurance deductibles you’ll have to pay. 

Your policy’s declarations page is typically located at the front of the document. You should also be able to find the declarations document on your auto insurance provider’s mobile app or online portal. To get a copy, you can also give your insurance company a call.

The cost of comprehensive coverage for a liability-only insurance plan typically increases by 7% to 11%, though the precise amount you’ll pay is greatly influenced by the type of car you drive, where you live, and your driving record.

How To File A Claim For Animal Damage

The first thing you should do before filing a car insurance claim is to assess the type and severity of the damage. There are numerous ways in which animal damage might manifest itself. Your car’s check engine light can come on, or it might not even start if animals have damaged the electrical wiring.

You should still take your automobile to a reputable technician to check if animals are the source of your problems, even if there are indicators of animals in and around your car, such as droppings or paw prints. 

Inform your insurance provider that your automobile has animal damage and that you intend to make a claim by getting in touch with them online or by phone.

You will need the following: 

• The declarations page and your policy number
• Pictures of the rodent ruin 
• Information concerning the garage where your automobile is kept and the date the damage occurred 

The insurance company will assign you an adjuster who will guide you through what to do next. Save all of the evidence as you go through the claims procedure, including receipts, pictures of the damage, and any other paperwork that may be necessary.

Most likely, your auto insurance company has a list of preferred repair facilities that you should choose. While your insurer may not insist that you use one of their approved repair facilities, doing so might speed up the process and ensure that you receive your full settlement.

Nests in Engine

Animals occasionally look for a comfortable place to snuggle up or even reside. In the winter, it’s not unusual for stray cats to curl up in wheel wells and birds to find their way under car hoods to make nests. 

Before getting into your car, always check both areas, even in the summer. A nest can seriously harm your engine and lead to major mechanical problems. The majority of the time, this is protected by auto insurance, though engine damage can be costly and challenging to cover.

Removing Bats

Although you probably wouldn’t consider a bat to be vermin, many insurance providers do, and they will exclude bat damage and removal from coverage. This will ultimately depend on the language of your particular policy, so read yours closely and shop around for companies that offer the type of animal coverage you need.

How to Stop Rodents from Gnawing on Your Car’s Wires

Although your auto insurance may assist with the cost of fixing your car after it has been harmed by vermin, it is ideal to stop the damage from happening in the first place or from happening again. 

Here are some methods that could shield the wiring in your car from rats, squirrels, and other pesky critters.

• Park your car elsewhere. If at all feasible, keep it in your garage, where rodents and mice will have a difficult time getting inside. Be careful to plug any holes you detect in the garage walls. If parking inside is not an option, search for a location away from grass and other potential hiding places for varmints.
• Eliminate food sources. Since food is the primary source of insect attraction, keeping it away from your car may help. Don’t place pet food or other edible goods where rats, squirrels, or mice could access them, and make sure your trash cans are properly secured.
• Repel or capture the rodents. Use traps or sonic repelling equipment to try and catch or disperse the rats. Your car should be parked in an enclosed space for this technique to operate optimally.
• Use chemical deterrents such as “rodent tape.” Wrapping the wires in the hot tape has proven effective for some folks with rat problems in keeping rodents away from their cars. Rodents don’t enjoy bitter or sour things, and such sprays can also be effective.
• Move your vehicle frequently. Long-parked vehicles are more likely to be invaded by animals. Driving your car every day, or even just once a week, may deter both rodents and car thieves.

Chewed car wires by rodents can result in expensive, time-consuming vehicle issues, such as fuel sensor and headlight malfunctions. Let’s examine some of the most important questions surrounding this problem in order to comprehend the effects of rodents gnawing on car wiring.

Why do rodents eat the wiring on cars?

Rodents enjoy chewing on the wiring in cars, trucks, and RVs for no apparent reason. One popular idea contends that the animals believe they are chewing on wood because the wires resemble branches. Rodent teeth also develop continuously, much like our fingernails, and they must wear them down, which is why all rats chew.

A different hypothesis holds that since auto manufacturers recently converted to soy-based wire casings, the animals are consuming them for their nutritional benefits. However, a class-action lawsuit against Toyota asserting that the soy-based wiring causes the problem was dismissed in 2018, indicating that rodent damage may not always be the result of soy-based wiring.

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What about animal hit-and-run accidents?

Unfortunately, animals often cross the street during the day or jump into the road. While little animals like squirrels may have no impact at all on your car, larger creatures like deer and bears have the potential to total it. Find out if hitting a deer will increase your car insurance rates.

Your auto insurance will probably cover the costs of the damage and any injuries you or your passengers may receive if you unintentionally hit an animal while driving. 

Be sure to stop and conduct an investigation from a safe distance if you do hit an animal on the road. Call the appropriate authorities if the animal is still alive.

If it’s dead, you should have someone clean it up, particularly if it’s big and blocking the path of other cars. If your car sustains any kind of damage from a collision with an animal, halt right away in case there are hidden dangers.

The Bottom Line on Auto Insurance That Covers Animal Damage

Animals can seriously harm your car, both inside and out. Your comprehensive insurance policy frequently covers animal damage. It’s crucial to understand what your policy covers and what it does not because some policies have certain limitations.

Comprehensive insurance pays for damage to your car caused by mishaps like fires and falling objects that don’t involve collisions but will provide coverage for certain kinds of animal damages. 

The majority of animal-related damages will not be covered by your motor insurance policy if comprehensive coverage is not included. One exception is that certain damages, including those caused if you hit an animal on the road, could be covered under collision insurance instead.

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