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Woodchucks Destroyed Paul Ryan’s Chevy Suburban

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While its common for rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels to chew on engine wiring, it’s less common to hear about woodchucks chowing down on this vehicular “delicacy.” Earlier this month, however, House Speaker Paul Ryan had a personal encounter with some destructive groundhogs.

During a speech to The Economic Club of Washington D.C., he expressed sadness over his Chevy Suburban’s demise. “My car was eaten by animals. It’s just dead.”

Ryan went on to articulate the woodchuck ordeal. He had parked his Suburban at his mother’s house in Wisconsin for the winter. when the engine wasn’t working, he towed it to the dealer. A closer investigation revealed chewed wiring as the cause of the vehicle’s death. Apparently a whole clan of woodchucks had been living in the Suburban’s underbody, to keep warm during the chilly season.

Thankfully, comprehensive insurance covers animal-triggered vehicle damages such as Ryan’s wiring in his Suburban. However, sometimes rodent-initiated destruction can cost a vehicle owner thousands of dollars in repairs.

Besides chewing wires, rodents can also initiate additional damage on vehicles. For example, sometimes a rodent gets caught in the AC/heating system ductwork and can’t escape.  mechanic then has to locate and remove the dead rodent later on. In other scenarios, squirrels hoard nuts or pine cones inside of car parts such as the air hose, which impedes the vehicle from operating.

To help assuage the loss of his Suburban, Ryan plans on getting a new truck upon retirement. In anticipation of his new wheels, he recently renewed driver’s license so he can properly celebrate no longer being chauffeured around by government vehicles.

News Sources: LancasterOnline, NPR