I have had cars that have suffered light rodent damage, it has only happened to me during one winter, and that was 2 or 3 years ago!
What happened was, my S4 kept in a closed garage though not mice proof, and daughter’s unused Ibiza which was parked at the side of the driveway. Wife’s Polo which was also kept in the closed garage did not seem to have been touched at all!
Both cars had the firm foam under bonnet sealing/blocking strips eaten, or at least chewed into pieces, the Polo does not have any of that type of firm foam. So, it seemed like one family group liked doing that, I was spitting blood and headed off for 4 traps and an ultrasonic anti rodent device to protect the S4, I just bought a bait box and kept that loaded under the Ibiza. I caught 2 mice and that was that to this day! Ibiza is now kept at my daughter’s flat but I still leave the S4 parked with its bonnet open just a couple of feet from the ultrasonic device.
I also placed opened bags of poison bait in the garage, but from lack of whatever to use baited the traps with peanut butter, this is not too smart an idea as peanut butter seems to be an antidote for regular mice/rat poison!
Something is enjoying the peanut butter as it gets stealthily removed from all the traps, I must try harder!
I would think in general, mice will only cause that issue for maybe the coldest 4 months each year - pity you have owned your car over one of these winter periods.
