Glove compartments without a lock. One feature I miss. Handy for keeping kids away from stuff. Of course a thief could easily break in. Why was this eliminated?

Make it cheaper to build? Idunno.

Depending on the model / trim level, you may be able to raid the manufacturers parts bin and get a locking assembly that fits your ride.

I was able to do that with mine from a model five years older and was able to add a light for the glove box as well.

Probably the exact reason you thought…you know a thief is going to break in. Allow easy access so the insurance co. won’t have to buy a glove box.

I don’t know, just a guess.

The car mfgs figure we don't need to lock up our gloves

If the glove box is locked you'd need your key to change the cabin air filter, and that might keep you from buying one.

Cheaper to make without them.
Also once they started making the doors out of plastic it was counter productive.

Many (most?) new cars these days are keyless. Yes, there is a backup key in the fob but who really wants to go through that hassle for the occasional time they want to keep their kids out of their glove box? Like it was stated before, it won't keep a thief out so it really has little security value.

I don't really miss the days when you had separate keys for the door and ignition.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Glove compartments without a lock. One feature I miss. Handy for keeping kids away from stuff. Of course a thief could easily break in. Why was this eliminated?

I'm with you. I had to train my kid when he was young NOT to just open the glove box and go perusing. Even some adults will just open up my glove box and "see what's in there."

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
If the glove box is locked you'd need your key to change the cabin air filter, and that might keep you from buying one.

I have to remove two dozen screws to change the cabin filter. A lock isn't an obstacle for that, and a small pry bar will break the plastic catch with little effort. It's not like the die cast doors with metal latches in the 1960s.

Glove boxes aren't capacious and nobody wears driving gloves now, which in the days of manual steering on sports cars was a thing. Today we get heated steering wheels, I take the gloves off if I was even wearing any.

Glove boxes are for the owner's manual, not various high priced and highly pilferable things like electronics, or guns. Taking the lock off a glove box means nobody complains to the dealer it wasn't good enough to keep a thief out of it working for 45 minutes breaking in. People have some funny notions like that. So, if it's not a suitable gun safe, you don't. Or, shouldn't.

There is no compartment in a car that is theft or security resistant - and in the day it was common to remove rifles from saddle scabbards if you parked the horse outside. There were thieves even then and if they came to your attention, easier to shoot them with the gun in your hand not theirs.

As for the kids, stuff they would get into shouldn't be there. Owner's manual, tire guage, spare bulb or fuse, ink pen for insurance and that card. Done. If people would just leave the owner's manual in the box instead of recreating that kitchen drawer full of junk things would be a lot better. "Change my headlight!" "Ok, how?" 15 minutes later surfing online "No user serviceable parts - Dealer Only." "You can't take my fender off and jack it up here in the parking lot? I'll hold an umbrella over you."

NOoooooo. Not even. "And I need that done NOW, I have to pick up the kids in 5 minutes."

Don't make the glove box what it isn't and leave whats supposed to be in it there. Just sayin.

The last couple of trucks I've had didn't have a glove box lock, I've never needed one. If your kids keep getting into it, that is a training issue maybe followed up with a belt if they are hard headed.

Recently went to look for something in my wife's car's glove box and you know what I found?

A pair of gloves.... now how old school is that?

quote:

I'm with you. I had to train my kid when he was young NOT to just open the glove box and go perusing. Even some adults will just open up my glove box and "see what's in there.

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lots of adults. Adult guests often peruse the medicine cabinet. I remember an Alan Funt gag where he put marbles in the medicine cabinet. They made lots of noise bouncing on the tile floor when a guest opened the cabinet.

Our mid-level Outbacks have key ignition & glove box locks. IIRC my key fob 2016 Crosstrek came with a key to lock the box.

My Jeep's glove box still has a lock on it. The center console does too.

quote:

Originally posted by hberttmank:
The last couple of trucks I've had didn't have a glove box lock, I've never needed one. If your kids keep getting into it, that is a training issue maybe followed up with a belt if they are hard headed.

Truth.

I use mine though, not for my kids, but for valets and dealership mechanics. MOST won't take the time to unlock and steal something, but they'll empty your change and peruse your stuff if it isn't locked. They keep semi-honest people honest. They won't stop a determined thief, and I'm not trying to stop them. Everything I lock in my compartments are replaceable I just need the appearance of an attempt.

My 2016 F250 has three lockable compartments from the factory, but its a platinum. My 2016 fusion doesn't have any...and it's a titanium.

Given the option, I want lockable compartments.

I have never had an adult passenger just open compartments in my vehicles to "look". At least not with me in the vehicle, and not that I know about. I've never just opened someone else's compartments as a passenger, not even in my parent's cars, at least not without looking purposefully for something which isn't the same.

I swear people don't raise people right anymore

Service paperwork, manual, and a tape measure. No room for anything else.

quote:

Originally posted by ChuckFinley:
Service paperwork, manual, and a tape measure. No room for anything else.

I could put several handguns in mine, and a bunch more in the center console.

"""A lock only slows a honest person down""" and nosey people might not live long. ............................. drill sgt.

I didn’t figure my 2011 Venza would have a lockable glove compartment. But it surprised me that the ‘97 rock-n-rolla Corolla did NOT have one.

They probably did some focus groups and surveys regarding how many people actually used the locks how often, found the majority of people didn't even know if the glove box had a lock or not, and decided to drop it as a feature. Not to mention as others noted, they're not exactly high security devices anyway.

If you need something secure, install a safe and attach that to something of substance on the vehicle. The glove box, lock or not, will never be secure.