So my car was broken into and they tried to "hot wire" my car I guess. The panel around the left side of the steering column is broken off and wires are exposed.

As far as I can tell no wires are broken. The only thing that is really broken that I can see is the little lever that pulls and starts the car.

Here are a few pictures I took so you can see what I am talking about.

http://micahphone.com/images/carphoto0.jpg
http://micahphone.com/images/carphoto1.jpg

In the second pic I noted the notch and lever. So that lever is gone and I have to use a wrench now to start my car. It will only start if the key is in. So thats good news.

I was wondering, will I have to replace the whole steering column and if so how much might that cost? I need a good idea on price when I go to get it fixed next week so I can judge if I am getting ripped.

I should also note that my windshield whippers do not work right now.

Any info would be great. Thanks a ton in advance.