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How do I fix a hood latch that won't open?
The hood of my car won’t open. I pull the hood release from inside my car and absolutely nothing happens. It must be the latch. How do I fix a hood latch that won’t open?
Nick Kunze · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
What a frustrating issue! Luckily, you can likely get it open if you can reach the latch with a screwdriver.
First off, don’t start messing around inside the car unless you haven’t run the engine in thirty minutes. Otherwise, you might burn yourself! Next, pull the hood release inside your car.
Now you need to find a way to reach the latch. If the car has no grille, you’ll likely have to get to it from under the car. For cars with grilles, you can either reach through the grille or remove it to access the latch.
Hopefully, you can get the latch to trip with just a screwdriver. If that doesn’t work, try lubricating the latch to get it unstuck. Or, check to make sure the latch is correctly aligned with the latch mechanism. If it is misaligned, it won’t be able to open.
If none of this works, you might need to take your car to a mechanic to get the hood open.
If the latch isn’t opening due to a bent hood after an accident, you can get the repairs covered by a
car insurance policy
. If you’re unhappy with your insurance, you should see if the Jerry app can help.Jerry
is a licensed insurance broker designed to simplify insurance shopping. After a few minutes on the app, you can find a great policy at a low price. Plus, Jerry helps with your paperwork when you’re ready to sign up!View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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