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Car Maintenance and Repair
How to Unlock the Hood of Your Car Download Article Troubleshoot your stuck hood to access the engine bay in no time Co-authored by Rocco Lovetere and Eric McClure
Last Updated: February 15, 2025 Fact Checked
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Popping the Hood
|
Opening a Broken Latch
|
Opening a Stuck Hood
|
Video
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Tips
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Warnings
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Rocco Lovetere and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Rocco Lovetere is the Owner and a Master Mechanic at Rocco's Mobile Auto Repair in California. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in Honda, Acura, Toyota, Nissan, Infiniti, and Volvo cars. He is an ASE Certified Automotive technician and has worked in automotive repair since 1999. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,061,626 times.
If you need to open the hood of your vehicle to do some basic maintenance and you’ve never done it before or the hood is stuck, you may need a little help. Worry not—we’ll walk you through the process from the most basic steps to what to do if the latch is stuck or broken. Read on to learn what you need to know to get your hood open and access the engine bay.
Opening Your Vehicle's Hood
Pull the hood release latch, which can usually be found under the driver or passenger side dash. Reach under the center of the hood and pull the latch or lever inside. On some models, you may have to press the lever upward to unlatch it. Lift the hood or prop it up with the rod along the front of the engine bay.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Popping the Hood
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1 Pull the latch to unlock the hood on your bottom left. In most vehicles, the hood release latch is under the dash on the driver's side, although its exact location may differ from make and model. Look for a handle with a popped hood logo on it. Pull this all the way out and you should hear your hood unlock.[1]XResearch source
If you’re checking any fluid levels, park on a flat surface. Otherwise, the fluids will pool up on one side and give you inaccurate readings.
In some countries, the hood of the vehicle is called the bonnet!
2 Reach under the front of the hood and pull the latch. Get out of your car and walk to the front of the vehicle. Under the center of the hood, reach your hand underneath to feel for a latch or a lever. On some models, you’ll press this up to the bottom of the hood to unlatch the lock. On other models, you pull a lever away from the lock to open the hood.[2]XResearch source
Refer to your vehicle’s instruction manual if you need help getting the latch undone.
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3 Lift the hood up and prop it up if it doesn’t stay open. Most modern vehicles will automatically lock the hood in the upright position if you raise it. If the hood swings freely, look for a rod sitting horizontally along the front of the engine bay. This is the prop rod. Pull it up and insert the tip into the designated opening embedded in the hood over the hinge of the prop rod.[3]XResearch source
If this is your first time using a prop rod, test it by gently wiggling it to confirm it won’t slam down on you while you’re checking the oil or whatnot.
Follow the same process every single time you’ve got to pop the hood and perform some maintenance.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Opening a Broken Latch
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1 Press down on the hood while engaging the interior latch. If the cable between the latch and hood is sticky or damaged, it may not disengage properly. On most cars, the cable releases when you press down on the front of the hood. Do this while a friend or family member pulls the release latch inside the vehicle. If it works, the hood will shift and raise slightly. Then, open the exterior latch.[4]XResearch source
2 Pull on the cable if the indoor lever is damaged. Behind your indoor latch, you may see a cable sticking out. This cable runs through your engine bay and connects to the latch. If the lever is broken or damaged, the cable should still work. Tug gently on this cable to open the hood.[5]XResearch source
If you feel no tension at all, the cable is no longer attached to the front latch and needs to be reconnected by a mechanic.
3 Trip the latch manually with a screwdriver or other thin tool. Your latch is located in the very center of the hood at the front. Reach in with a long, thin screwdriver, rod, or butter knife. If the gaps in the grille are small, use a wire coat hanger instead. Catch the latch with your tool and slide the latch open to release the hood.[6]XResearch source
4 Tug on the cable if you can see it behind your grill. Depending on your make and model, you may be able to see the cable connecting your hood latch to the release lever indoors. Look through your grill with a flashlight. If you can see the cable, grab some pliers and gently tug on it to open the latch.
If this doesn't work, take the car to a mechanic to repair the cable.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Opening a Stuck Hood
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1 Park the vehicle on a flat surface near your home. Engage the parking brake. Park on the street or in your garage wherever the ground is flat and even. If it turns out you can't fix the problem on the spot, you don't want to be stuck driving home with an open hood.[7]XResearch source
2 Test the interior release latch several times. It’s possible the latch is just sticking a bit. Find the release lever by sitting in the driver’s seat and looking at the bottom left of the vehicle’s interior. Pull the latch several times repeatedly. If you’re lucky, the latch will fully open and the hood will release.[8]XResearch source
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.
3 Slap the hood gently to unstick it. 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. If you're lucky, the hood just needs a jolt.[9]XResearch source
Take care not to dent your hood. You may need to use force, but keep your hand in an open palm position.
If you have a friend or family member helping you out, ask them to pull the release lever and try striking the hood where the latch is located.
4 Open an old, rusty latch with a bit of pressure. 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. If the only problem is rust or grime, you can usually force it open. If the hood won't budge at all, don't use a ton of force.[10]XResearch source
Keep in mind, it’s possible you’ll break the latch if you do this. But if it needs to be repaired anyway, it may not matter.
5 Let the engine run to thaw the latch in cold weather. Chilly weather or frost can freeze your latch. If it’s super cold out, let the engine idle for a while to thaw the frozen parts. After you let it run for 5-10 minutes, try pulling the release latch and opening the hood.
6 Inspect the latch after opening the hood. Once you get your hood open, check for broken latch parts or a frayed cable, which may need to be replaced. If you don't see obvious problems, just clean any gunk off of the latch with water and a rag to see if that solves the problem.[11]XResearch source
If the latch is broken, take your vehicle to a mechanic for repairs.
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, and spray.
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Video
Tips
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. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 6
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Warnings
Do not open the hood after a head-on collision. Flammable gases may escape and cause a fire due to sparks from rubbing metal. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
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.[12]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
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Co-authored by: Rocco Lovetere Master Mechanic This article was co-authored by Rocco Lovetere and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Rocco Lovetere is the Owner and a Master Mechanic at Rocco's Mobile Auto Repair in California. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in Honda, Acura, Toyota, Nissan, Infiniti, and Volvo cars. He is an ASE Certified Automotive technician and has worked in automotive repair since 1999. This article has been viewed 1,061,626 times. 13 votes - 55% Co-authors: 24Updated: February 15, 2025 Views: 1,061,626 Categories: Car Maintenance and RepairArticle SummaryX
If the hood of your vehicle is stuck, one way you can open it is by pressing down on the hood while someone else pulls the interior release latch near the steering wheel. When done correctly, the hood should shift and raise slightly, which you can then open with the exterior latch. For cars where the interior release latch doesn’t work at all, try locating the latch through the front grille using a flashlight and tripping it with a screwdriver. If you can’t get to the latch through the grille, reach under the hood and attempt to tug the release cable with a pair of pliers. This can be difficult, so refer to the owner’s manual before reaching under the hood. For more help from our Automotive co-author, like how to lubricate a stuck latch, scroll down.Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Download Article Troubleshoot your stuck hood to access the engine bay in no time Co-authored by Rocco Lovetere and Eric McClure 
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Co-authored by: Rocco Lovetere Master Mechanic This article was co-authored by Rocco Lovetere and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Rocco Lovetere is the Owner and a Master Mechanic at Rocco's Mobile Auto Repair in California. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in Honda, Acura, Toyota, Nissan, Infiniti, and Volvo cars. He is an ASE Certified Automotive technician and has worked in automotive repair since 1999. This article has been viewed 1,061,626 times. 13 votes - 55% Co-authors: 24 Updated: February 15, 2025 Views: 1,061,626 Categories: Car Maintenance and Repair Article SummaryX
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1 Pull the latch to unlock the hood on your bottom left. In most vehicles, the hood release latch is under the dash on the driver's side, although its exact location may differ from make and model. Look for a handle with a popped hood logo on it. Pull this all the way out and you should hear your hood unlock.[1] 
1 Press down on the hood while engaging the interior latch. If the cable between the latch and hood is sticky or damaged, it may not disengage properly. On most cars, the cable releases when you press down on the front of the hood. Do this while a friend or family member pulls the release latch inside the vehicle. If it works, the hood will shift and raise slightly. Then, open the exterior latch.[4] 
2 Pull on the cable if the indoor lever is damaged. Behind your indoor latch, you may see a cable sticking out. This cable runs through your engine bay and connects to the latch. If the lever is broken or damaged, the cable should still work. Tug gently on this cable to open the hood.[5] 
3 Trip the latch manually with a screwdriver or other thin tool. Your latch is located in the very center of the hood at the front. Reach in with a long, thin screwdriver, rod, or butter knife. If the gaps in the grille are small, use a wire coat hanger instead. Catch the latch with your tool and slide the latch open to release the hood.[6] 
1 Park the vehicle on a flat surface near your home. Engage the parking brake. Park on the street or in your garage wherever the ground is flat and even. If it turns out you can't fix the problem on the spot, you don't want to be stuck driving home with an open hood.[7] 
2 Test the interior release latch several times. It’s possible the latch is just sticking a bit. Find the release lever by sitting in the driver’s seat and looking at the bottom left of the vehicle’s interior. Pull the latch several times repeatedly. If you’re lucky, the latch will fully open and the hood will release.[8] 
3 Slap the hood gently to unstick it. 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. If you're lucky, the hood just needs a jolt.[9] 
4 Open an old, rusty latch with a bit of pressure. 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. If the only problem is rust or grime, you can usually force it open. If the hood won't budge at all, don't use a ton of force.[10] 
5 Let the engine run to thaw the latch in cold weather. Chilly weather or frost can freeze your latch. If it’s super cold out, let the engine idle for a while to thaw the frozen parts. After you let it run for 5-10 minutes, try pulling the release latch and opening the hood. 
6 Inspect the latch after opening the hood. Once you get your hood open, check for broken latch parts or a frayed cable, which may need to be replaced. If you don't see obvious problems, just clean any gunk off of the latch with water and a rag to see if that solves the problem.[11]