A Michigan woman took to TikTok days ago to detail a holiday nightmare after squirrels turned her 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer into an all-you-can-eat buffet.

User @cocogreven shared the frustrating experience that left her without a car for nearly two weeks and facing a voided warranty. In her video, she explains how what started as a simple transmission issue turned into a costly lesson about modern automotive manufacturing.

“So I have my car back and I haven’t yet told you guys what was wrong,” she begins, describing how her two-year-old Chevy Trailblazer suddenly wouldn’t shift into reverse on July 4, ruining the holiday. After the check engine light came on and the reverse button started blinking, she knew she was in trouble, @cocogreven says.

Her AAC-certified father initially suspected a sensor issue and searched under the hood for chewed wires. When they called the dealership, they received devastating news. The shop said, “If rodents have any deal in this whole situation then basically the warranty is going to be null and void,” according to @cocogreven.

Insurers warn that manufacturers’ warranties do not cover rodent damage, although contrary to the dealership’s “null and void” claim, other elements of the manufacturer’s warranty may still be in force. It just may not cover the rodent damage.

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After a weeklong wait at the dealership, the diagnosis confirmed their worst fears—rodent damage. But it wasn’t the small chewed wires her father had been looking for.

“I want to see a picture,” her father demanded before paying out of pocket. The photo revealed extensive damage to a large component that protects wiring harnesses.

“It was like a big round thing that like goes over like cords. They chew the [expletive] through the entire thing to the point where there was nothing left,” @cocogreven said.

The damage to the larger part led them to the shocking conclusion that the problem wasn’t mice, but an oversized gang of neighborhood squirrels.

“The squirrels by my house are like huge. Like they’re not like little cute ones. They’re like massive big [expletives],” she explains.

Why Squirrels Love Modern Cars

It turns out that the problem is an unintended consequence of eco-friendly manufacturing choices. Modern wiring harnesses often contain soy-based materials, which cuts down on toxic landfill, but makes them irresistible to our furry friends.

Although it came as a surprise to @cocogreven, this is a noted problem with soy-based wiring. As commenter Michael Ray noted, “The wiring harness is made out of soy bean oil. Google the problem because a lot of people have this problem.”

Commenter Hagler1978 shared their own rodent-related disaster. “We spent $2k on a 2024 Toyota Sequoia wiring harness damage,” they said. “No warranty coverage for rodent damage. Ordered all kinds of peppermint oils and spray weekly.”

@cocogreven perfectly summed up the absurdity: “It’s literally edible arrangements in my hood.”

The Ongoing Battle

While the repair cost under $200, and left @cocogreven “out of a car for almost two weeks,” the critters persisted.

Within an hour of parking outside again, she said, another squirrel was back under the hood looking for lunch. Even moving to garage parking didn’t solve the issue—it just shifted the problem to her father’s new Jeep Cherokee.

Viewers offered various solutions in the comments. “Dryer sheets, they hate them for some reason,” suggested user John Guerriero957. Others recommended peppermint oil spray, but @cocogreven worried, “isn’t that going to cause like a freaking fire?”

That’s not totally off-base, as peppermint oil is flammable, but there are no reports of it catching fire when wiped on in small amounts or hung in the engine cavity in a fragrant bag. On the other hand, it’s not clear how durable it is as a deterrent, with some sources saying that it loses effectiveness quickly and needs frequent reapplication.

Experts, meanwhile, suggest parking in a sealed garage, ensuring that your car and garage don’t contain food waste or nesting materials, and even experimenting with products like Honda’s rodent-repellent tape, which is treated with capsaicin, the same substance you find in chilis and (in much higher doses) pepper spray.

However @cocogreven’s family reached for an all-American solution to their July 4 blues. “The only way to do this is to get rid of the squirrels,” she concluded, confirming in comments that her father “took his BB gun out for a test run.”

Motor1 has contacted @cocogreven via TikTok direct message for comment. We’ll update this if she responds.

 
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