I just got my 2003 Audi A4 Quattro. A fair upgrade from my B5. The only thing is reading dozens of posts on how the hinges break on the glove compartment.

Well, mine are fine. but the handle seems to have snapped. The only thing cosmetically or mechanically wrong with the car.

This is from the previous owner and what I suspect is he locked it and tried to yank it open while locked. The lock cylinder itself is gone.

I am not really worrying about parts and Audi can order a glove compartment lock cylinder that is keyed to my car by the VIN.

The only thing I want is to get it open, either permanently or continually? It seems fairly easy to do so by breaking the hinges but I don't really want to make more work for myself.

Thanks in advance!

(And I did look through a few pages prior to posting, but sort of got tired of just seeing continuous posts about hinges breaking..)