This was the second time within 3 months that a squirrel chewed through my windshield washer hose, and the Honda service manager pretended he didn't know anything about the soy-based materials Honda uses that attract rodents, nor would he agree to wrap my wiring or hoses with the rodent-deterring tape that Honda makes for this since they're aware of the problem. He paid for this particular repair since his service guy gave me bad advice the first time it happened, but he told me that from now on, I'm on my own. Apparently, according to what I read online, my best solution is to buy coyote urine, which is not cheap, and keep spraying it under my hood. Thanks a lot Honda. This is my second CRV, but I will never buy a Honda again. By the way, my son's Nissan is parked right next to my CRV, and the squirrels have never touched it.

squirrel eating through soy-based windshield washer hose

Honda's only advice for my chewed windshield washer hoses was to put dryer sheets or moth balls under my hood to deter the rodents, which I didn't know at the time were squirrels. I put dryer sheets under my hood, and regularly changed them. Three months later my washer fluid did not work again. When I took my car in, and explained that I did everything they told me to do, a different service guy told me dryer sheets wouldn't help, and that I should use moth balls. I complained to the manager that the previous guy gave me bad advice, so I shouldn't have to pay. He agreed, and didn't charge me for this second repair of my washer hoses. I put the moth balls under my hood that day. The next morning I saw a squirrel jump down from my engine. Clearly, that didn't work either. Then I started doing some research and discovered that Honda uses soy-based covering, which attracts rodents and also that there was a class-action lawsuit filed against Honda, who refused to pay for damage to cars damaged by rodents. I went back to the Honda service manager, armed with articles demonstrating that Honda is well aware of this situation, and even makes a rodent-deterrent tape as a solution. He denied knowing anything about this, and told me I was on my own -- Honda would not pay to correct this situation if it happens again. It's expensive to keep putting coyote urine under my hood, which is what my research suggested as a solution.