Chevrolet Malibu 2013 Instrument Panel Storage Repair

In the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, the small compartment under the steering wheel, identified in the owners manual as the Instrument Panel Storage, may be damaged and hang open. This part is not currently sold by General Motors or most auto parts stores. To replace the entire compartment costs about 50 dollars, but I haven't found many available, and is wasteful. This guide will show you how to fix the faulty part for free, or give information on how to locate the one broken compartment.


 * 1) Troubleshooting.

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 * Open the Instrument Panel.
 * Grab the panel and pull it down, releasing the clip holding the compartment in place. It should look like this:
 * Look into the indicated area. If you see plastic that looks like it's broken, or hear rattling when you move it up and down, the handle is broken.

2. Pre-Repair

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 * To have the best view, it is recommended that you either remove the compartment from the car by removing it from the hinge, or at least close the compartment and use duct tape to close it, making sure to not cover the handle.
 * Look at the underside of the handle, there should be some pins that hold it into the compartment. It should like this:


 * CAUTION! Be extremely careful during the next step, the plastic pins holding the handle in may have become brittle over time. If the plastic pins snap off the door itself, you are likely out of luck and will have to wait until a replacement compartment goes up for sale.

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 * Use a Flathead screwdriver to push one of the pins out of the handle, and then pry the handle out and away to remove it. The handle should look something like this:

From here, you have 4 solutions.


 * 1) Source an aftermarket handle. I have not find any reliable source of this handle after several days of searching, so you may have variable rates of success with this.
 * 2) 3D Print a replacement part. This will also be very difficult, even if you have the other piece that was broken off.
 * 3) Use epoxy or other bonding material to fix the handle, provided you have the other piece of the handle. A variant of this method is detailed below, using paper clips to reinforce the connection.
 * 4) Jury-rig a new clasp using the existing handle and two paper clips, detailed below.

You will need:

-Time and patience. This will likely not work on the first try, so you must be perseverant.

-Paper Clips

-A lighter

'''Caution- Wear a glove when dealing with heat. Use common sense, and remember what is hot and what is not before you touch it.'''

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 * 1) Use a lighter to heat up the end of the paper clip. Once it is very hot, poke it in the Area 1, about one third of the paper clip.
 * 2) Heat up the other end, and poke it through Area 2, again about one third. For extra stability, melt a bit of the paper clip against the base of the handle or put hot glue around the area. Then, bend the ends of the paper clip up and away from the handle, making sure not to break the paper clip.
 * 3) It should look something like this:
 * 4) Take another paper clip. Repeat steps 1 and 2, but poke it into Area 3 and 4, respectively.
 * 5) It should look something like this:
 * 6) Bend all the ends of the paper clips