DDGator

On Friday my 2018 (leased) GLC would not start. MB Roadside brought it to the local dealer on a flat bed.

Today they called to say--sorry, not covered by warranty. They tell me that some type of rodent ate all the wires in the electrical/fuse box in the front passenger footwell, causing a short of the whole system. The also say the rat chewed a hole in the MB-tex in my rear seat.

I had the electrical work done to the tune of $450. The cost to replace the rear seat covering is $900. I haven't done that yet, but probably will have to since it is a leased car.

Now, I have no idea how a rat got into the car. It is always in a garage and the windows are never down, doors are never left open. While there certainly could be a rat in the garage -- how did it get into the passenger compartment? Dealer says, very vaguely, there are vents, holes, conduits, etc. and it is not inconceivable that a rat could get in (and out apparently), but they couldn't tell me where and didn't act like it was a correctable problem. They claim they see no other damage like chewed ducts, etc.

Has anyone dealt with this before? Are these cars really designed with holes big enough for rats to enter the passenger compartment? I am at a loss as to what to do to prevent this from happening again.

Part of me would like Mercedes to cover or help with this. I feel like this is either poor design, or some freak event that maybe they could help with. Maybe I am being unrealistic, but when your slogan is "the best or nothing," it's hard to feel like I am getting the best of anything.

By the way -- no food of any kind in the car.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. And yes, I have an exterminator coming tomorrow. Thanks.

ygmn

More likely a mouse... and they can get in holes or cracks as small as 1/4"

They get in cars not driven... as they love the insulation on wires and nice place to call home..

Watch them car shows where they get a barn find,,,, which means car full of mice.

DDGator

I hate to thinks of my 2018 Mercedes that gets driven every day as a "barn find," but we should all consider ourselves warned. Apparently there is not a thing you can do about it but keep fixing the damage and try to keep mice or rats out of nature.

ygmn

Get a cat or call exterminator for mouse traps or poison.

Donnymac

FYI....some wire insulation from recent years is manufactured with a Soy additive. The Soy attracts the grain eaters. Toyota and Lexus have this issue. I have seen the damage and paid for repairs.

Not sure if Mercedes wiring is subbed out to companies with similar wiring specs.

DDGator

Mercedes is one of those companies, in fact it appears they were early adopters in this area. I understand the pressure to go more "green," but you have to weigh the integrity and reliability of your cars too... The dealer is talking to MB-USA so we will see what they say about it.

Boraxo

We have a lot of rodent damage in our neighborhood (both houses and cars). My GLS 450 is currently in the shop for the "check engine" light and I was asked about the obvious rodent damage (one chewed into the insulation a while back). They like to chew through the wires which causes all types of problems.

I checked the extended warranty and I don't see an exclusion for rodent damage. However I have read that automakers typically do not cover rodent damage under the warranty. That said, most auto insurers will pay for rodent damage under your comprehensive coverage. So depending on the bill, I may be making a claim. Stay tuned.

DDGator

I went down this road. The warranty excludes (or more likely just doesn't cover) damage from outside forces. Both my homeowners and car insurance agents said no coverage for rodent damage. This is a very frustrating situation.

fun33

Living in Florida, we have an enormous problem with Palm Rats that constantly infiltrate attics and garages. I put four Tomcat 4388404 Rat and Mouse Killer bait traps inside my garage (one in each corner). These are pet-safe design. I also keep all car windows closed and the SL roof in the up position at all times inside the garage. Lived here for 18 years and have not experienced car/rodent problems. The Tomcat bait trap is transparent so you can see if there has been any activity or if the trap needs to be replaced.

DDGator

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I hear that you are saying. I've lived in Florida my whole life and never had a rat problem until last year. Closing up the car is a good idea, but they can still get in. It's crazy. But I really do think that making the wire insulation plant based is part of the problem. It's apparently very attractive to rats.

Sunbeltgolfer11

I live in a remote low density population mountain community. Our house sits in the middle of heavily forested area. Wildlife of all kinds, deer, fox, squirrels, bears and rodents are plentiful. We had a mouse get in the vent system of our SL550 and was building a nest. I heard a strange noise when the a/c fan was running and took it in to be checked. Found the nest and now we don't leave it outside for more than it takes to load and unload when we take it out. Our property is treated by an exterminator and it has helped keep the situation under control, but no way to get rid of them in this environment. There are tons of stories of Mercedes vehicles having wire damage from rodents in our area if the cars sit outside. It must be the best tasting wire coating on the market. I've spoken to the service manager at the dealership we use and he claims there is no possible way to rodent proof any of their cars. Just too many openings large enough for them to access. If you have good comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance it should cover the type of damage described here.

DDGator

I guess all policies are different, but I have the best level of protection that Allstate offers, and they said absolutely no coverage for rodent damage.

Sunbeltgolfer11

That's very surprising.

Boraxo

Reporting back, it does not appear that the rodents got into the engine block so I don't have an immediate issue. But I am going to look into that cayenne pepper spray for the wiring. I'd love to poison them but we have a dog now and I don't need him chewing on dead rats in the yard.

khomer2

Peppermint oil (PO).
Obtain a wooden clothes line pegs. Use old sponges - cut them up into small squares about the width of the pegs. glue 2-3 of them onto the tops of the clothes peg.
Add 2-3 drops of PO to soak the sponge squares.
Clip the pegs to the various hoses / wiring or where ever the problem area(s) are.
Add more drops when needed.
Works like a charm and cheap.



Like my non-engineering dad taught me as a youngster while I watched him do things around town.

El Cid

I had a problem a few years back of mice (?) building a nest on top of the cabin filter in my Toyota pick-up. All kinds of trash on the filter. Also saw trash on top of my E350's engine cover-mostly pecan shells.
I purchased an Under-Hood Animal Repeller for the Toyota and it appears to be working. So I got ones for my other two vehicles. They are battery operated so you have to check them or just replace the 9V battery every year.
Some models come with an on/off button. Since I have a partial hearing loss, I couldn't hear the repeller's beeps, but younger guys could hear it distinctly. So I try to remember to turn them off when taking in for service. I can hear them if I hold them up to my ear.
The one in the Toyota just sits in the glove box so easy to access.
The other two are under the hoods. Found a place where I could use a bolt to hold them in place.
Good luck.

Donnymac

Get a bad *** barn cat or granular Coyote urine(Amazon). Both work.

as.thompson

Coyote urine didn't work for me on my Toyota Tundra when the mice invaded it, I also tried peppermint to no avail.

Donnymac

Toyota and Lexus have it bad. I actually heard there was a class action over it. I saw photos of a live cottontail on top of a motor in a new Lexus SUV. It wouldn't start at all.