Honda Pilot Hood Release
Your Honda Pilot hood release lever is located near the parking brake pedal beneath the driver's side dash. And there's a secondary lever beneath the hood.
Written by John Davis
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
To open the hood on a Honda Pilot, locate the release lever beneath the driver's side dash next to the parking brake. Then, pull the secondary lever beneath the hood to release the safety latch.
Being able to open your vehicle's hood is important for a variety of reasons. Everything from basic
oil changes
to fluid checks and even comprehensive car repair
jobs requires you to pop the hood. But just because opening the hood is an essential step of many automotive services doesn't mean it's always easy to do so.Fortunately, we put together this comprehensive guide on the Honda Pilot hood release. We'll go over the steps to open your hood, what to do if it's stuck, and we'll even discuss the type of
car insurance
you need to help cover the repair costs if your hood latch breaks.Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds (Title in payload)
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhere is the hood release on a Honda Pilot?
Your Honda Pilot's hood release is located on the driver's side of the car beneath the dash and close to the parking brake pedal.
It can be challenging to find the hood release because of its location beneath the dash near the floor. You'll need to look for a small black lever with an image of a car with its hood open. This is the first lever you need to pull to open your Honda's hood.
You'll need to pull a secondary lever located between the hood and the grille to finish opening the hood. After you pop the hood using the first interior lever, raise the hood slightly and then slide your hand between it and the grille until you feel the second lever. Pull up on this one to release your Pilot's hood safety latch.
How to open the hood on a Honda Pilot
Once you know the locations of the levers, it's pretty simple to open the hood of your car. These are the exact steps you need to follow:
- Pull the interior hood release located near the parking brake pedal until the hood pops open.
- Lift up on the hood slightly and then slide your hand between the hood and the grille to locate the secondary lever.
- Pull this lever to release the hood safety latch.
- Raise the hood and then use the support rod to hold it open while you work in the engine bay.
After following these steps, your Honda Pilot hood should be unlatched and propped open, allowing you to complete your car projects. But if the hood latch doesn't work, you'll have a lot more difficulty getting into the engine bay.
What if the hood release latch doesn't work?
The most likely reason your hood release latch won't work is a broken release cable. If you experience this problem, you can still access the engine bay, but it will require a little bit more work. To do it, you'll need a flashlight and a long rod or screwdriver.
Find the hood latch by looking through the grille on your Pilot—it will be slightly above the Honda badge. Then, locate the cable on the right side of the latch and identify where it attaches to the latch. Use your screwdriver to push on the latch where the cable attaches until it releases—then finish opening the hood like normal.
How to repair the Honda Pilot hood release latch
If your Honda Pilot hood release is broken, the smartest move is to take your car to a professional mechanic for diagnosis and repairs. While you can make this a DIY project, this fix can be complicated without the proper training.
A latch replacement will likely run you between $80 and $100, while a broken release cable repair will average between $100 and $175. If you want an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement part, your best option is the Honda dealership—although the final repair costs will be higher. On the other hand, Independent repair shops typically provide better service at a lower rate but may not always use OEM parts.
Car insurance typically does not pay for hood release repairs. The exception to that rule comes when your hood release is damaged in a covered accident or crash. Because of this, it's critical that you choose a quality insurance plan that includes
collision insurance
and comprehensive coverage
. MORE: How long do Hondas last?
"MyJerryexperience was great! My rep was so personable and set me up with Nationwide insurance. It was a huge help." —Lana P.
Jerry sends free alerts to keep your car up-to-date so you can avoid costly repairs
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Get ahead of my car maintenance
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Estimate your repair costs for free with GarageGuard™
Simplify your car maintenance with Jerry.
4.7You might also be interested
