How to Open the Hood of a Vehicle

Co-authored by Rocco Lovetere

Updated: March 29, 2019

Explore this Article Bypassing a Failed Latch or Cable Opening a Stuck Hood Questions & Answers Related Articles References

When your car needs an oil change but you can't pop the hood, a minor mechanical problem turns into a major frustration. A few tricks and a little patience will usually open a stuck hood, but there are worst case scenarios that take protracted fiddling. Once you do open the hood, always address the underlying problem before you close it again.

Bypassing a Failed Latch or Cable

  1. 1
    Press down on the hood while engaging the interior latch. If the cable between the latch and hood is sticky or stretched, it may not disengage the latch properly. Most cars are designed to disengage the cable when you press down on the front of the hood. Do this while your assistant pulls the interior latch. If it works, the hood will shift and raise slightly, and can then be opened with the exterior latch.[1]
  2. 2
    Pull on the cable from inside the car. Locate the cable under the dashboard, near the interior release latch. Tug gently on this cable and see what happens:
    • If the hood opens, your cable may have slipped or stretched. Try to adjust it at the front end, or replace it if you see any damage. (Less commonly, your interior release latch could be broken.)
    • If you feel no tension at all, the cable is no longer attached to the front latch. Continue to the next step. Once you open the hood, check to see whether you can slip it back on, or whether the cable has snapped and needs replacement.
  3. 3
    Locate the latch through the grille. At this point, you need a way to reach the latch or cable from another angle. If you're lucky, you can see the latch through the front grille. Investigate with a flashlight and a small mirror until you find a hook-shaped object.[2]
    • Alternatively, the latch may be accessible from the driver's side fender well. In many cars, such as Hondas, the latch cables are run through the inner driver's side fender well. Remove the inner fender well clips and reach in. Pull the cable to pop the hood open. This will only work if the cable itself is still attached to the hood latch.
  4. 4
    Trip the latch with a thin tool. Once you find the latch, reach in with a long, thin screwdriver. If the gaps in the grille are small, use a wire coat hanger instead. Hook this over the latch and tug.[3]
    • You can remove the grille to get more direct access. Even replacing a non-removable grille might be cheaper than taking the car to a mechanic, depending on your model.
  5. 5
    Approach it from under the hood. If you can't operate the latch from the front, your last chance is to reach under the hood and attempt to tug the cable with a pair of pliers, or reach all the way to the latch. This will be much easier if you jack the car and refer to the owner's manual.
    • Warning: if the engine was on recently, let the car cool off before reaching under the hood.
    • If this doesn't work, take the car to a mechanic. Removing the front bumper yourself may end up more expensive than paying for a repair.

Opening a Stuck Hood

  1. 1
    Park the vehicle. Park the car on a level surface and engage the parking brake. Park at home or at an auto garage if possible. If it turns out you can't fix the problem on the spot, you don't want to be forced to close your hood again to drive to a mechanic.
  2. 2
    Locate the release latch. If you're not familiar with the car, look for the interior release latch under the steering wheel, low down near the driver's door, or in the corner of the glove box. This often has a picture of a car with an open hood.
    • Some older cars only have an exterior release. Look for a latch under the front lip of the hood.
    • If you are locked out of the car, skip ahead to fixes that do not require interior access.
  3. 3
    Test the interior release latch. When working correctly, this causes the hood to move upward a short distance. If you hear a noise but the hood does not move at all, the hood is probably stuck. Continue to the next step to fix it. If you do not hear anything, there's likely a problem with the cable or latch mechanism. Skip down to the next section.
    • If the hood does open partially, all you need to do is press the exterior latch at the front of the hood. This latch is usually at the center or just to one side, and may depress upward or to the side.
  4. 4
    Slap the hood to get it unstuck. Stand outside the driver's seat and reach in to hold the interior release in the fully pulled position. With your other hand, slap the hood with an open palm.[4] If you're lucky, the hood just needs a jolt.
    • Take care not to dent your hood. You may need to use force, but keep your hand in an open palm position.
  5. 5
    Attempt to open the hood with an assistant. Have a friend pull the interior release and keep it in that position. Stand at the front of the vehicle and pull up on the hood slowly but steadily.[5] If the only problem is rust or grime, you can usually overcome it. If the hood won't budge, don't force it.
  6. 6
    Leave the engine running in cold weather. Chilly weather or frost can cause the hood to stick. Let the engine idle for a while to thaw frozen parts, then try opening the hood again.[6]
    • If the hood still won't open, the cable or latch mechanism might be at fault. Continue to the next section to keep troubleshooting.
  7. 7
    Inspect the latch after opening. Once you get your hood open, check for broken latch parts or a frayed cable, which needs replacing. If you don't see obvious problems, just lubricate the latch with a penetrating oil.[7]
    • It may also help to lubricate the cable with a spray lubricant. Insert the straw nozzle at the cable's end, between the inner cable and outer sheath. Pinch the area with a cloth and spray.
    • Do not use silicone spray under your hood. It can contaminate the oxygen sensor, throwing off engine performance.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I open the hood if the lever is not working?
    Community Answer
    With some cars, you will be able to just brute force it open. Otherwise, just feel around under the hood with your hand. You should feel the lever, if you are able to, just manually move the mechanism and it should just pop open.
  • Question
    What if the cable came loose from the latch?
    Community Answer
    See if you can get underneath the car and manually move the lever.
  • Question
    How do I open the hood of my car if the cable latch is broken?
    Community Answer
    You might be able to use a very long screwdriver and a flashlight to find the release mechanism from underneath the front of the hood while laying on the ground. It will have a small cable stuck or attached to it. Usually you will need to push it up so it pivots; pushing it will release the latch mechanism. You still have the safety catch to release though. The hood should pop up slightly when the latch is released, and you will be able to reach in (palm down) through the gap at the front of the hood and release the emergency catch. This is done by moving your hand slowly from left to right until you feel a lever.
  • Question
    I am having difficulty opening the hood on my 2012 Sonata, how can I get it open?
    Community Answer
    You may need to use some WD40 on it, and it should work.
  • Question
    How do I get the hood of my vehicle open if the battery is dead and the key fob won't open the doors?
    Community Answer
    There is typically a knob or lever that you may pull to open up the hood. If not, and there are no more options, try using brute force. However, this may damage your car.
  • Question
    My Citroen c2's bonnet lever is broken completely. How do I open the bonnet manually?
    Community Answer
    Get a pair of vice grip pliers and a regular set of pliers, or two pair of vice grips. Use one pair to grab the cable and the other to hold the cable housing steady, and pull the cable toward you. This should pop the hood latch.
  • Question
    How can I open the front hood of my 2013 Ford Explorer XLT? I could not see any lever at all.
    Community Answer
    Lift the hood until it catches. The release lever is in the middle above the grill. Move it to the left, raise the hood.
  • Question
    What do I do if my latch is faulty and I want to open the hood of my car?
    Community Answer
    Go to a mechanic. Unlike you, they have all of the necessary tools to not only open the hood, but to fix the faulty latch.
  • Question
    What happens if you close your hood with the latch down?
    Community Answer
    The latch will get damaged more than likely. Once it gets bent or broken, it will be difficult to get it to work properly.
Unanswered Questions
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    • If you can't repair a faulty cable on the spot, tie a string around the latch before closing the hood.
    • Most hoods do not stay up on their own. Once open, lift the prop rod and use it to support the hood.
    • Some older cars have a hood with hinges at the front, and can simply be lifted up.
    • An accident can shift the latch mechanism and prevent it from working properly. You may be able to manually adjust the latch position to fix this. Only do so if you're sure it's in the wrong position.


    • Always keep your keys on you when working on your car. That way, nobody can take off with car or start it when you are working, nor will you accidentally lock yourself out of the car with the keys inside it.
    • Always make sure you close the hood securely before driving. If the hood is not latched properly, it may fly open on the road due to aerodynamic forces. This can obscure the driver's vision, or even detach the hood entirely at high speeds.

    Article Info


    Categories: Car Maintenance and Repair

    In other languages:

    Español: abrir el capó de tu carro, Italiano: Aprire il Cofano di un Veicolo, Русский: открыть капот автомобиля, Português: Abrir o Capô de um Veículo, Deutsch: Die Motorhaube eines Fahrzeugs öffnen

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