You can open the hood of a GMC Sierra with a tug on the hood release lever inside the cabin and the secondary release lever at the front of the truck.

Written by Jasmine Kanter

Reviewed by Kaitlin May

Updated on Mar 23, 2023

Table of Contents

Where is the hood release on a GMC Sierra?
How to open the hood on a GMC Sierra
How to repair the GMC Sierra hood release

To open the hood of your GMC Sierra, you’ll need to locate two important parts: the hood release lever and the secondary release lever.

Have you ever gone to the doctor and been told to open wide? Similarly, if you want to perform an

oil change

(or a

car repair

) on your trusty pick-up, you’ll need to take a look inside. Here’s how to open the hood of a GMC Sierra so you can keep it running smoothly for the long haul.

MORE:

How to lower GMC insurance costs

Where is the hood release on a GMC Sierra?

The hood release lever on a GMC Sierra is on the lower left side of the instrument panel. It’s a small plastic rectangle with an icon of a car with its hood popped—just feel around for it and tug at it!

There’s also a secondary release lever at the front of the car, centered over the emblem on the grille and just under the rim of the hood. You’ll need this lever to release the hood safety latch.

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How to open the hood on a GMC Sierra

There are three steps to opening the hood of a Sierra, which we’ve drawn from the official

GMC owner's manuals

Pull the hood release lever

Push the secondary release lever to the right

Open the hood and prop it up

New Sierras have gas shocks that take over lifting the hood once it’s halfway open. They’ll keep it in place while you work. Before closing the hood, ensure you’ve replaced any loose filler caps and removed your tools.

Firmly pull down the hood until the strut system is no longer engaged, then allow the panel to fall and shut itself. If the latch is loose, the Driver Information Center (DIC) will display a warning message when you start up the truck.

MORE:

How to open the hood of a car

How to repair the GMC Sierra hood release

Hood stuck? Not opening? Not closing? To help you troubleshoot, we’re going to go over the most important parts of a

car hood latch

and what can go wrong:

Part(s)	What to look for	Potential problems
Hood	Objects on the hood	Hood is weighed down
Hood	Deep dents, warping, or rust	The hood is too deformed to open
Hood release lever	Lever won’t move	Release lever is stuck. The attached cable is caught or rusted
Hood release lever	Lever moves freely without any weight to it	Attached cable is cut or disconnected
Catch	Catch doesn’t move	Hood latch is rusted, misaligned, or caught
Catch	Catch moves freely but the hood doesn’t open	End of the catch has been snapped off inside lock
Hinges	Hood opens with difficulty	Need to lubricate the hood hinges

Knowing there’s an issue with the hood release is one thing—and getting it repaired is another. The cost of fixing a

hood latch that won’t open

depends on two factors: the model and trim of your truck and the part (or parts) that need replacing. Fixing a broken cable, for example, will cost $150 to $175 for parts alone. An entirely new hood latch will run you between $100 and $350 before labor and taxes.

The good news is with the right

car insurance

policy, your provider might be able to lend a hand with your hood repair costs.

Collision insurance

will cover it if the damage came from an impact on another car or a stationary object—even if you were the one to blame. If you were the victim of a crime or weather-related mishap, you’ll be covered under

comprehensive insurance

And finally, if you were unlucky enough to have been hit by somebody who wasn’t carrying insurance, you’ll have to rely on

uninsured motorist (UM) coverage

MORE:

Is the Jerry app legit?

"I was so intimidated about purchasing insurance for my new car. Instead of talking to agency after agency, I found
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