The cost to repair damages or replace any damaged components which are caused by animals chewing your car’s wires or creating nests around sensitive compartments like engines or air conditioning systems generally falls under the comprehensive coverage of your car’s insurance policy.
Rodents are prevalent and are likely to hide inside your vehicle like a car, truck, RV, etc. They often tend to make a nest by chewing on the electrical wires which leaves the car inoperable. Unfortunately most of the time, the repair cost can be up to thousands of dollars. This is where Comprehensive Insurance Coverage comes to your rescue. This insurance covers all such damages except for collision.
However-
- Hail damage
- Vandalism &
- Falling debris; also falls under the comprehensive insurance coverage.
Key Note
But it is important to note that, not all companies cover rodent damages within their comprehensive coverage policy. Therefore, it is always wise to thoroughly understand the language of the policy and verify all the little details beforehand to ensure no future regrets.
In case of a lease or loan, your lender might always include comprehensive coverage as a mandatory contract agreement. But if it is your personal vehicle, then you need to check whether your auto insurance policy includes comprehensive coverage and most likely it won’t be included. In order to add comprehensive coverage to your insurance policy, you will have to pay an extra amount which can range from 7% to 11% for a basic liability-only insurance plan. But it also depends on some factors such as –
- the model of your car
- your driving history etc.
Here, it is important to remember that, only the amount of the cost that will surpass your deductible will be covered. Anything less than the deductible shall not be covered by the insurance company. For example, if the total cost for repairing the damage is $500 and the deductible is $600, the insurance company will not take the liability for that cost. Rather you will have to pay the whole amount by yourself. But in case the deductible was less than $500, then you would have your expenses covered.
Even If you are not covered this time as you don’t have comprehensive coverage, do consider adding this policy since rodent damages are not very rare and can occur anytime soon.
How to Find out if a Rodent has Caused Damage?
There are some direct indications that imply a rodent has caused damage. Such as –
- ‘Check engine’ light going on even though your vehicle is well maintained.
- Rodent droppings found around the engine and car’s wires.
- Specific damage which will indicate the attempt of making a nest etc.
It’s a wise decision to go look for a mechanic instead of spending hours trying to locate the source of damage. Often, a simple wire replacement is all you need for the repairing job to be done.
Preventive Measures
It is massively significant that you don’t just rely on insurance coverage, rather take preventative steps to decrease the probability of rodent attacks as much as possible. Some of these measures may include –
Choosing parking location wisely:
You would never want your vehicle to be parked at a rodent-prone location. So make sure the location is not around food sources. Also, if the place is not sufficiently lit, then it might well be a paradise for rodents. Parking your vehicle indoors can also be a solution to keep rodents away.
Maintaining Cleanliness:
We often leave our food wrappers and little leftovers inside the vehicle which is a big reason to attract rodents. Most of these creatures depend on smelling things and you need a repellent inside and around your vehicle to avoid such troubles.
Not parking on the same spot:
Like most animals, rodents are more likely to build up a habit of returning to the same spot. They tend to make nests in the location they’ve visited more than once. Therefore, moving your vehicle to a different parking spot and switching it may be a good way to prevent them from making it their home.
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