One damaged car accessory can cost you A LOT. A stolen car battery can also cost you some money, depending on what car you drive. A Malaysian road user, Michael recently shared his experience of having his car battery stolen after a long day at work.
The incident happened on January 5, when Michael parked his Wira Aeroback at a designated parking spot before taking the LRT at SS18 station. He returned to his car around 7 pm and when his car couldn’t start, he was shocked to find that his entire battery was gone!
“Car theft hotspot, with eyes on Wira and Myvi”
Frustrated, Michael told WORLD OF BUZZ that he called a car battery company for help, and the mechanic shared some insider knowledge that shocked him.
There was no need for the thieve(s) to break the window. There’s a scary hack that will easily allow them to open the hood.
“I was told that thieves can pop open a car’s hood from the co-driver side fender by pulling a lever. This provides easy access to rip out the battery.”
The theft also caused some wire damage to Michael’s Wira, which rendered his headlights and air-con compressor to be non-functional. On that long day, Micheal was still considered lucky because the battery wire was still intact. Without it, a replacement battery wouldn’t have fitted, and he would need a tow truck.
The mechanic also shared a shocking discovery and told Michael,
“Wira and Myvi are popular among car thieves.”
When asked if he had lodged a police report, Michael told WORLD OF BUZZ he did not.
“It was already late and I was just glad to get out from the place. Besides, I haven’t read anywhere that battery thieves were ever caught, but I hope I’m wrong.”
It cost Michael a whopping RM1,240 to replace a new battery, and here’s the breakdown of the bill.
- New battery (Rm250)
- Air-cond compressor (Rm450)
- New light bulbs (RM90)
- Labor fee (RM450)
Michael wanted to share his story with the public in the hopes of spreading more awareness about the matter, especially those who commute to work by train and park their cars in the open areas.
“Don’t become another victim like me – keep car doors locked, install an alarm system if possible, and check that the hood is still securely latched after returning to your vehicle. You don’t want to lose a car battery or worst, have your car stolen!”
Theft doesn’t happen at night. It happens anytime, anywhere. To those who have parked near the area or anywhere before taking the train, have you experienced a similar “heartbreak” and loss?
Also read: Customer Claims Staff in JB Restaurant Stole His AirPods After CCTV Footage Was Accidentally Deleted