Rats chewing through car wiring, causing thousands in damages

Rats chewing through car wiring

Rodents are chewing through soy-based car wiring, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

A disturbing problem is happening under the hood of cars. Rodents are chewing through the wiring and causing thousands of dollars in damages.

A likely cause is the material used to make those wires. Mechanics say many car manufacturers have shifted to using a soy-based material for the wiring, which smells like food to rodents.

Cesar Vargas says this has happened to his 2023 Toyota Corolla twice in the past month.

"I see all these wires, they went in. Now it was a buffet. All types of wires were chewed up. I take my car in the following day. Now they tell me it’s $6,000 worth of wiring," Vargas said.

The first time it happened, the damage cost $5,000, which his insurance covered.

He’s concerned about the soy-based material.

"Basically, for a critter, it’s dinner on a plate for them," Vargas said.

Mechanic David Griffin of Claremont Auto Care says he sees cars with rodent-related damage four to five times a week.

"They’ll chew on that wiring and there’s something in that wiring that they like. It attracts them and makes them just eat more," Griffin said.

He said there has been an increase in this problem over the past five years.

"They could also chew into fuel lines. If it’s a rubber brake line, they could start trying to chew at rubber brake lines. They’ll chew through anything if they have enough time," Griffin said.

There are products online, like rodent repellent tape and mint-scented sprays, that might deter rats and squirrels.