1st Issue- Hood Won't Open. Ideas?

[The Critic]

Yeah, the hood on my 2011 Prius does not want to open. The hood will not pop up enough to allow me to unlatch it and open it. Currently, the workaround is to insert a very thin screwdriver into the weatherstriping between the hood and the bumper and gently "nudge" the hood open.

Obviously this is unacceptable and will need to be fixed. From inside the cabin, it feels like the lever is on the loose side and the hood release cable needs more tension. Does anyone know how to tighten the hood release cable or has any idea of how to fix this?

Thanks.

 

[JHZR2]

Toyota quality, LOL.

Misaligned latch. Should be simple to fix. It likely worked from the factory... probably got closed too hard or shifted somehow.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Toyota quality, LOL.

Misaligned latch. Should be simple to fix. It likely worked from the factory... probably got closed too hard or shifted somehow.

Yeah, I literally just started laughing when I noticed this problem this morning.

The latch does unlatch. But the lever from inside the cabin has always felt unusually loose to me.

 

[Chris142]

And he makes fun of my Jeep and it's little issues.

 

[dkrivosheyev]

It is so sad that Toyota quality has gone down so much. I see it all across the board. My step father bought a brand-new Prius in 2009 and within 2 months the gas gauge stopped working...

Take it to the dealer and have them fix it.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Prius is probably the last Toyota car with decent quality (not counting Lexus division that is still good). Thus, this is disappointing. However, I can see how an active BITOGer can wear out these parts ;-)

 

[tom slick]

That's Toyota's new zero maintenance plan. It'll unlock once you are at 100k miles

 

[oggb]

I'd just take it back to the dealer and get them to fiddle with it. My Subaru has the opposite problem - the hood occasionally pops open while driving at 65+. Thank goodness for that second latch.

 

[bdcardinal]

It's to make you go to the dealer for all your maintainence. You probably need a special tool to open it.

On a side note, on the Ford Transit Connect you flip open the front Ford oval and turn the key in the keyhole behind it to open the hood.

 

[oilboy123]

Have someone hold the latch and smack the hood with an open hand. It's worked for me in the past. Sometimes it just takes that little extra to get it to pop.
You can also buy little plastic trim tool pry bar set for about $10 at Harbor Freight to pry with and not mar the paint.

Could be the cable, or the latch/hinges needs to be lubed up liberally. But being it's under warranty.............

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
It's to make you go to the dealer for all your maintainence. You probably need a special tool to open it.

On a side note, on the Ford Transit Connect you flip open the front Ford oval and turn the key in the keyhole behind it to open the hood.


I didn't know that about the Transit Connect. Now that's cool!

 

[01rangerxl]

The Prius isn't even broken in yet...go straight to the dealer!

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
It's to make you go to the dealer for all your maintainence. You probably need a special tool to open it.

On a side note, on the Ford Transit Connect you flip open the front Ford oval and turn the key in the keyhole behind it to open the hood.


I didn't know that about the Transit Connect. Now that's cool!


Its pretty funny when the new car sales people steal our delivery Transit to show to a customer and then struggle to open the hood. We usually wait a few minutes then open it up for them.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
That's Toyota's new zero maintenance plan. It'll unlock once you are at 100k miles

I was thinking the same thing. There's probably nothing there for a car owner to see, so they shut it for good.

 

[morris]

realy. its made like that from the factory, cause foreign cars are so good you never need to open the hood.

 

[morris]

realy. its made like that from the factory, cause foreign cars are so good you never need to open the hood.

 

[morris]

realy. its made like that from the factory, cause foreign cars are so good you never need to open the hood.

 

[The Critic]

Very funny.

Strangely, the hood decided to work fine again. I'm calling it fixed for now.