Squirrels hungry for three cars' plant-based parts caused $30,000 in damage, Carol Stream man says

A driver in Carol Stream says a band of hungry squirrels caused nearly $30,000 in damage to three different luxury vehicles because of plant-based parts they view as a tasty snack.

Myron Sonkin has parked his cars in his business's outdoor parking lot for more than 20 years. But when he parked his new BMW there earlier this year, something about the new car couldn't keep ravenous rodents away.

"I hate to say it but it's buyer beware," he said.

Sonkin was nuts about his brand new BMW 430i when he bought it late last year. It had just 1,700 miles on it when he parked it in his work parking lot in March. But when he went to drive home, a flashing warning light had turned on.

"That said 'do not drive, call for roadside assistance,'" he recalled.

The BMW dealership found claw marks, chew marks and even the makings of a cozy den. The culprit had chewed on the hood release cable, the coolant reservoir level sensor, the transmission area, and pulled away insulation to build the nest.

The evidence pointed to a squirrel with a hearty appetite.

"We've been here for 20 plus years. We've never had any cars that have had any problems with this type of damage or anything of that nature, and it came as a shock," Sonkin said.

Sonkin's car had $10,000 worth of damage. They gave him a loaner BMW, but the furry culprit went nuts under the hood again. That bill was $14,000.

So they gave him another loaner car, and there was yet another rodent raid; the third time, the damage cost $6,000 to repair.

"I couldn't believe it, it was three times in 10 to 12 days!" Sonkin said.

Sonkin was left wondering if he'd bought a car that couldn't be driven to work because it would be attacked by squirrels, and said he couldn't afford to keep paying for the costly repairs.

While rodent-inflicted damage to vehicles isn't new, Consumer Reports said some believe it's increasing as automakers use more "plant-based biodegradable materials to reduce waste."

While some lawsuits have blamed soy-based car parts for rodent damage, none of them have been successful in court.

Bill DeMaio from River North Collision Repair said he's actually heard of this kind of rodent damage in a BMW before. He recommends deterrent sprays and protective tape to help keep squirrels away, but those measures only work before the chewing starts. Once a squirrel turns your wiring into lunch, the damage is done.

Sonkin started using relatively cheap sensors that emit a sound and light to drive the rodents away. He even put one under his hood. He said for the past six weeks, they haven't noticed a single critter.

The BMW dealership said they service about 2,000 vehicles a month and they've never had a customer with repeat rodent damage before.

CBS News Chicago Invesigators reached out to BMW for comment on this issue, but did not receive a response. We want to note that many car manufacturers use these kinds of plant-based, biodegradable materials, not just BMW.