In order to do anything about a broken glove box lock, it is important to find out what is going wrong and analyze your situation. In the case of a glove compartment lock broken in a noticeable way, there are going to be one of two issues you are encountering. There is some room for variation in the details of both the trouble and the fixes, but you can find the broad strokes below.

How important is a glove box lock?

If you are not using the lock on your glove box, hopefully, you are not keeping anything important in your glove box. But there is often at least your vehicle registration, and with California’s mandatory car insurance, you might also be keeping your proof of insurance in the glove box. Those are important documents that you do not want to have stolen.

These types of documents are often targeted by criminals with the express purpose of committing easy fraud. And if you keep the title to your car in the glove box, theoretically someone could even take out a loan against the vehicle. 

But besides important documentation, you may have other valuables in your glove box, so don’t let anyone have easy access. Your glove box lock is only as important as what it is protecting. So if you can’t open it or close it because it has broken or you lost your car keys, you need a solution.

Glove Box Lock Is Stuck In The Open Position 

The Trouble 

With a glove box lock stuck open, often the glove box will not even close. This is worse than forgetting to lock your glovebox because you are displaying to every criminal and potential thief how easy it would be to steal from you. It is unbelievably important to get your glove box lock to a position where it can at least close.

The Fix

With the glove compartment still open, investigate the latch and the keeper. Is there anything noticeably broken? If so, replace what is broken. If not, slowly go to close the glove box and pay attention to how the two parts of the glove box lock are interacting.

The latch and keeper might not be lining up correctly, or you could have the glove compartment lock stuck so it is not retracting or extending to catch inside the keeper. Troubleshoot to see where the locking process is being interrupted and replace or repair the offending parts.

Glove Box Lock Is Stuck In The Locked Position

The Trouble

When your glove box lock won’t open, everything inside is technically secure, but you do not have access to it. And if you cannot gain access to what a lock is protecting, then there is no purpose to the lock. A lock must open as well as lock in order to function in a way that makes it worthwhile to have. Luckily this is easier than car door lock repair.

The Fix

The first thing that you will need to do with a glove compartment lock broken so it won’t unlock, is get the glove box open. The glove compartment lock does not necessarily have to unlock during this process, but you need to be able to get inside in order to remove the lock and see what is going wrong. 

Likely there will be an issue with the connection between the lock cylinder and the glove compartment lock that has broken. The issue could also be with your key or the glove box lock cylinder. And for that reason, you can look at solutions that mirror ignition cylinder replacement.

Key trouble can be diagnosed when the key will not open other locks, whereas cylinder trouble will likely need an expert opinion. Because you have to take some much apart and force your glove box open, there is a lot of potential to further damage your glove compartment lock and the compartment itself.

Calling A Locksmith For Glove Box Lock Replacement

A Los Angeles locksmith can solve any issue you have with your glove box lock. Whether you need to know what parts to buy, how to deconstruct and remove your current lock, as well as the completing the re-installation process. And in the case of your glove compartment lock not opening at all, you will need a locksmith to open the glove box without damaging it.

DIY Glove Box Lock Replacement

Whether or not it is a good idea to attempt to do this work on your own depends on your answer to two questions, “How is your glove compartment lock broken?” and “How much do you know about lock mechanics?”

 If your glove compartment lock is broken and will not shut, and you know a fair bit about locks, this is certainly something you can handle by yourself. The same could be said if your glove box lock will not open and you have an extensive knowledge of locks. In any other case, it is a better idea to leave this work to the professionals.

Final Thoughts

Everything you could possibly need in order to get the perfect service for your glove box lock is available when you contact a locksmith. Locksmith Pros USA happens to be the best auto locksmith in Los Angeles, so if you have a broken glove compartment lock, you know who to call. We can come directly to your car to provide you with a fix whether it is a minor repair or some form of glove box lock replacement. Don’t let a problem like a broken glove box lock lead to something worse.