Many Los Angeles drivers find out they have rats the expensive way: the car won't start, or a row of warning lights comes on, and the mechanic finds chewed wires and a nest under the hood. It's common here because the main local rat, the roof rat, lives in the trees, palms and ivy around homes, and a parked car is right next to it.
Why rats go for cars
- Shelter and warmth. An engine bay is dry, enclosed and stays warm after a drive, a good place to rest or nest.
- Gnawing. Rodents gnaw constantly to keep their teeth worn down, and wires, hoses and insulation are within easy reach.
- Food nearby. Fruit trees, pet food, bird seed and trash cans near the driveway bring rats close to the car in the first place.
- Cars that sit. A car that's parked for days at a time gives rats a quiet spot that nobody disturbs.
Signs rats have been in your car
- Warning lights or electrical faults that appear suddenly, such as a check engine light, a dead sensor or a stuck gauge.
- Droppings on top of the engine, the battery or the air filter box.
- Nesting material under the hood or in the air filter housing: shredded insulation, leaves, paper or bits of fruit.
- Chewed wires, hoses or the hood liner.
- A burnt or musty smell from the vents, or from the engine after a drive.
- Gnawed fruit in the yard, a classic roof rat sign in Los Angeles. More in noises in the attic at night.
The car is usually the symptom
Rats in the car almost always means rats living close by: in the yard, the garage, under a deck or in the attic. Fixing the wires without dealing with the rats usually means the same repair a few weeks later. That's why the useful questions are where they're living and how they're reaching the car.
- Garage parking: check the garage for droppings and gaps under the door and at its corners. A garage is often how rats get into the rest of the house. See how rats get into your house.
- Driveway or street parking: look at the trees, palms and ivy nearest the car, and at any fruit on the ground.
- Noises overhead at night as well? Then they may be nesting in the attic too.
What to do
- Get the car checked and keep the mechanic's notes and photos.
- Check your auto insurance. Many comprehensive policies cover animal damage, but policies differ, so ask your insurer.
- Clear what draws them in. Pick up fallen fruit, don't leave pet food out, keep trash lids shut and trim plants back from the driveway and the garage.
- Deal with the rats themselves. A technician finds where they're living and how they get in, removes them, and seals the entry points on the home and the garage. See rat removal and rodent exclusion.
Don't put poison bait near the car or the garage. A poisoned rat can die somewhere you can't reach, and most anticoagulant rat poisons are now banned for home use in California. See the California rat poison ban.
Get it looked at
Tell us what you've found and we'll connect you with a state-registered pest control company that serves Los Angeles County. Start with rat removal, or call the number at the top of the page.
More guides
- A dead rat smell in the wall: what to do
- How rats get into your house, and where to look
- Mice in the walls: what the sounds mean and what to do
This guide is general information, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. SealWell is a referral service, not a contractor.
