RAY MAGLIOZZI

Dear Car Talk: Help. My brother has a 2010 Saab with a replacement key that broke off in the ignition. We can’t get it out, so we can’t start the car. What should we do? The man who made this replacement key for us cannot be found.

My brother is trying to bypass the computer chip and is taking things apart. Is that necessary? — Susan

A rogue key maker on the lam, huh? I smell a new Netflix series.

Actually, the guy who made the key can’t help you now. I’m assuming that there’s no piece of the key sticking out that you can grab onto with needle-nose pliers. Nor can you push the remaining piece of the key down on top of it and start the car. And in that case, my next step would be to call in a locksmith.

If you can find a good, skilled locksmith, it’d be worth paying them to make a house call, to see if they can find a way to get that remaining piece of the key out. Experienced locksmiths have undoubtedly encountered broken keys in their careers, maybe not in Saabs, but in other locks.

If you’re lucky, a locksmith can fish out the broken piece, and if you have another key somewhere, the car should be fine. Or if you have no spare, you can order one based on the car’s VIN and proof of ownership.

If a locksmith can’t get the remaining key out, then you probably have to replace the whole ignition module. That’s the ignition lock and the switch. Just go to your local Saab dealer and … oh, wait. That won’t work.

If you’re lucky, you can find an older mechanic in your region who still works on Saabs. They were cult vehicles, so there may still be someone nearby who loves them and still works on them. Try searching online for Saab repair. A mechanic like that might even be able to find you a used ignition module and swap it out for you. That’d be the least expensive solution.

There is a vehicle immobilizer in this car, so it’s possible there will be reprogramming involved. But it’s more likely the ignition switch is not connected to the theft system, and you can simply replace it and be on your way. A Saab mechanic who’s done this before would know.

But even if you have to buy a brand-new ignition module, that’s just a couple of hundred bucks. Maybe a couple of hundred more for the labor. And then another few hundred to undo whatever your brother is currently in the process of screwing up. Good luck, Susan.

Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th St., 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.