This is why you should make a habit of checking under your car’s hood from time to time, especially if you park it outside.
CTV News reports a woman was driving around with a whole squirrel nest inside her car. Toronto native Shahana Mirza said the massive nest also came with a lot of snacks.
Mirza said she let her car idle for several weeks when she spent time at her parents’ house in New York after welcoming the birth of her child. She said she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary in the few times she drove… until her car began “shaking.”
“So I called my husband on the road and I thought it was due for servicing. That sign came on that I need[ed] an oil change,” she said.
Imagine Mirza’s surprise — and the mechanic’s face — when she brought it to the dealership and they popped the hood to discover a squirrel’s sprawling bachelor pad.
The squirrel had gotten inside and chewed up the entirety of the hood’s insulation. The nest sprawled the entire width of the engine space and every last available inch was covered in a mountain of acorns, walnuts, rocks and other various tree nuts.
“Whoever opened it at first must have jumped because the sight of it was unbelievable,” she said.
Instead of paying for just an oil change, Mirza had to fork over roughly $1,000 to repair the squirrel damage. The dealership replaced the insulation and cleaned out the car’s engine. Mirza is glad that’s all she had to pay, adding, “They didn’t chew anything thankfully. They were just enjoying their luxury abode.”
She’s been instructed to drive her car regularly to prevent any nests in the future.