Breakdowns caused by animals somehow making their way inside vehicles have reached record levels with rats accounting for most of the mischief. According to the RAC, the firm was called out to 303 incidents of animal damage in the first 11 months of 2023, which is more than the same period during any other year on record. It's also a massive 55% increase from the 196 incidents reported between in 2018. The figures do not include incidents when a vehicle has struck an animal. More than half of the animal damage this year was caused by rats, which are often found gnawing away at fuel hoses, infesting engine bays and breaking headlights. Foxes were also guilty of chewing at speed sensor wiring, windscreen wiper blades and brake hoses. RAC spokeswoman Alice Simpson said finding a rat or mouse one in a car is "not only a nasty shock" but often the cause of "very unwelcome and expensive damage". "Unfortunately, incidents like this are more common than drivers might expect, particularly over the winter months when animals look to take shelter from the cold conditions," she said.