There is always an underlying risk when we park our car outside, and sometimes even a paid parking lot can be dangerous.
A Malaysian woman recently took to social media to vent her frustration after discovering that her car’s catalytic converter was stolen at Awan Besar LRT station — despite parking in a paid lot.
‘Boom!’ sound upon starting the car
The incident, which occurred on April 22, left her feeling helpless and angry. In her post, she shared that although two days had passed, she was still fuming over the situation.
Every day I pay for parking fees, but my car still got broken into,” she wrote. “What’s the point of paying if this can still happen?”
According to her, the incident happened around 7 PM after she finished work. As she turned the car key, she heard a loud “boom” sound, initially fearing that her engine had exploded.
Although she quickly turned off the ignition and tried again, the problem persisted.
Targeted for having a Toyota car
Upon further inspection with the help of several people, she discovered that the entire undercarriage part — specifically the catalytic converter — had been stolen.
Deep scratch marks were found underneath the car, and the vehicle was rendered immobile.
She later consulted different foremen, who told her that Toyota vehicles, especially original models, are often targeted because their catalytic converters are highly valuable in the black market.
A new catalytic converter can cost over RM4000,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking — I worked so hard to save every bit of money, only for it to be spent like this.”
At the moment, her only option is to replace it with a second-hand catalytic converter, which would still cost around RM1000 or more.
Feeling Unsafe Even In Paid Parking
The woman expressed her growing fear and helplessness, saying she no longer feels safe parking anywhere — even in locations that charge parking fees.
I really don’t know what else I can do now… it’s really affected me badly,” she said, adding that she’s still surveying for repair options.
She ended her post by asking if others had experienced similar incidents and invited people to share advice on how to prevent such thefts.
Lodged a police report
Speaking to WeirdKaya, the woman shared that she had parked her car at the Awan Besar LRT station around 7 AM and only returned to retrieve it at around 7 PM. It was then that she discovered the damage.
She added that she had lodged a police report, but unfortunately, no significant action was taken. According to her, the police merely recorded her statement and nothing more was done.
She also reached out to RapidKL, which manages the LRT parking facilities, but has yet to receive any response regarding the incident.
