- Crows are little geniuses with a mean streak, I swear. Had one yank my antenna clean off once—insurance didn’t care, just told me it was “wear and tear.”
- Deer hit? Yeah, that’s the only time my insurance actually came through too. Everything else is apparently “my problem.”
- Mice in the air filter is a classic. I had squirrels stash acorns in my engine bay one winter. Mechanic laughed, insurance agent didn’t.
- Honestly, feels like unless an animal physically totals your car, you’re stuck with the bill.
- Pro tip: Dryer sheets in the engine bay. Smells weird but keeps the critters out (most of the time).
- At this point, I’m just waiting for raccoons to start hotwiring cars. Wouldn’t even be surprised...
Raccoons hotwiring cars... honestly, wouldn’t put it past them at this point. But I’ve gotta push back a bit on the idea that insurance never covers animal damage unless it’s a total loss. If you’ve got comprehensive coverage, most policies actually do cover stuff like chewed wires or busted windshields from critters—just not always the little cosmetic things.
“Had one yank my antenna clean off once—insurance didn’t care, just told me it was ‘wear and tear.’”
That’s rough, but antennas and trim pieces are tricky. A lot of adjusters chalk those up to maintenance unless there’s clear evidence of animal damage (like claw marks or feathers stuck in the grill). It’s not always fair, but it’s how they keep rates down for everyone else.
I’ve seen claims paid out for mice nests frying electrical systems and even for bees building hives in door panels. It really comes down to documentation and how persistent you are with your claim. Not saying it’s perfect, but sometimes it’s worth pushing back if you think they’re brushing you off too quick.
It really comes down to documentation and how persistent you are with your claim.
That’s the truth. I once had squirrels chew through my cabin filter and leave a stash of acorns in the blower motor—insurance actually covered it after I sent pics of the mess. Ever notice how adjusters get real interested when there’s actual rodent poop in the shot? Not exactly my favorite photo shoot, but hey, it worked.
Anyone else ever get pushback for “wear and tear” when it was obviously animal damage? Sometimes I wonder if they just hope we’ll give up.
Had a raccoon rip up the wiring under my hood once. Adjuster tried to say it looked like “age-related cracking” until I pointed out the muddy paw prints and some fur stuck in the engine bay. Suddenly, it was a whole different story. I swear, if you don’t have proof, they’ll try to pin it on anything but animals. Gotta love those “creative” explanations...
That’s classic—insurance adjusters can be more creative than the raccoons themselves. I had a similar run-in, except it was a squirrel, and apparently “rodent mischief” wasn’t in their vocabulary until I produced a chewed acorn from my air filter. Sometimes you need to be your own detective.
