[busadreamer]

A friend borrowed our 2006 Element.
On return the plastic portion of the glove box latch has been snapped off.
I bought a replacement latch off eBay.
I cannot open the glove box - too little latch remains to operate the mechanism. I also don't have a key to fit that lock. How do I replace the latch?
Thank you!

 

[Fleetw00d]

i would try getting a pair of pliers on the remaining portion of the latch to try to open it.

 

[srteach]

try removing hinge screws? not sure it would work, but ...

 

[B3NN3TT]

Hinge screws won’t work.

You can insert a small pick into the latch over By the keyhole and pop the catch by lifting up. Once you have the glove box open you can remove the latch mechanism entirely and install a new one.

Also - I always thought the ignition key fit that lock?

 

[busadreamer]

Thank you for the support. With your encouragement and some YouTube videos I was able to pry off the cover around the key part of the latch, then use a screwdriver to pull the lever inside down to open the latch. From there it was trivial so long as one had a stubby Philips screwdriver.

 

[busadreamer]

Oh, and the ignition key doesn't seem to go very far into the lock. I didn't want to risk the ignition key on trying harder (maybe the latch isn't original to the car, or the ignition isn't - who knows with a used car) - I never lock the glove box anyway. And I don't think unlocking with the key would undo the latch either.

 

[B3NN3TT]

Correct, the key won't open the latch when the handle fails regardless - it only locks/unlocks the handle. That little plastic flap is the only thing that can open that glove box.

The plastic handle/flap has a little pin sticking off the back of it that inserts into the latch mechanism and trips it when you pull the handle. That little pin is just plastic and is prone to break off, especially in older cars like ours. So when that pin breaks, you have to smash off the rest of that entire plastic handle in order to access the spot where that pin USED to be, and insert the small screwdriver or pick in there instead to trip the latch. Because as you found out, you can't remove the latch mechanism without opening the glove box.

Glad you were able to figure it out!