GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County woman says a rat destroyed the family SUV and threatened her children's safety.
"It was a big safety hazard," Angie Beck told Channel 2 consumer investigator Jim Strickland.
Beck said her Dodge Durango SUV sustained $30,000 worth of damage.
She told Strickland the first hint came with the straps holding her kids' car seats. %
%
"His car seat was just basically holding on by threads," she said. “The body shop said the wires to the air bag could have let out at any time, so I was basically riding around in a death trap."
Technician Jacob Alves of Sugar Hill Auto Collision eventually got the rat out of the car. Three days later, they trapped and killed it.
A Channel 2 Action News investigation focused on allegations that biodegradable wire insulation is a feed source for rodents.
"It had chewed the main engine harness, battery cables," said shop owner Kevin Moreland.
Strickland's investigation this week focused on allegations wiring inside late-model cars is to blame for attracting rodents because it's insulated with a material made from soybeans.
Moreland said damage to the entire exterior was so extensive, the car was a total loss.
"Been doing this since I was 15 and I've never seen a rat do that much damage to a vehicle," Moreland said.