Auto insurance coverage for pest-related mechanical problems

April 24, 2019 at 04:30 AM
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Question: We would like an opinion related to a comprehensive coverage claim based on a standard ISO auto policy. A claim was reported where a large insect got into the air intake and blocked the mass airflow sensor on a covered vehicle. This caused an irregular fuel/air mixture and resulted in damage to all three catalytic converters. They were replaced. The driver did not notice an issue until the vehicle stalled while accelerating.  There were no soft/hard codes or warning lights that would have warned the driver of the problem. The mechanic was surprised the vehicle did not produce an error code for the fuel system problem. The question is: Is this a covered loss under comprehensive coverage? And the second question is: If it is a covered loss, would the exclusion for "mechanical, or electrical breakdown or failure" apply since the vehicle did not send a warning/error code for the irregular fuel/air mixture?    — Maryland subscriber