2010 Hood Latch Stuck plz help!

My hood is stuck closed! The release in the cabin is stuck also and the cable won’t move. I suspect a screw or something may have fallen into the latch and got stuck a couple weeks ago.

I’ve got low oil pressure warning and so I really need to open this hood. Toyota wanted $266 just to diagnose and I do don’t even want to know what they would come up with to charge me if I let them do it.

There are videos on YT that show how to do somethings, insert long things through the grill to push the release lever, push down on the hood while someone else lifts the release.. nothing has worked.

After peering through the grill I can see that the latch mechanism seems to be way back there under the hood out of sight behind some black plastic framing on top of the radiator.

Took off the splash guard underneath to try to reach the latch for below, still no luck I can’t see any way to it from down there..

I’m trying to stay motivated but this is a tough one.. considering sacrificing the front end and cutting through it and the black plastic framing that seems to be the only way to get to this latch, any help figuring this out greatly appreciated!

 

Ohh ok I think I know what you mean, that would at least save me from cutting it! Lol thanks I’ll try that tomorrow and see how it goes, seems like it won’t completely come off because there are bolts holding it on up top where the hood closes over them but I’ll try..

 

Thanks for all the pics and explanation on how the latch works that’s great to have! I lifted the front and detached the splash guard next to the bumper to gain access underneath but unfortunately I don’t see any way through to it. Radiator and fans are in the way.

Thinking I’ll try to to get at it from the front by unclipping and lifting the plastic front end of the car up with the upper bolts still fastened under the stuck hood, then cut through whatever plastic above the radiator just under the hood?

Sounds kinda crazy lol. I really don’t know what else to do other than take it to a shop..

 

Got it through the underpanel! I didn’t see a way up at first through the first panel below the radiator, the next panel under the engine is the one necessary to access the latch, I was actually able to just barely reach my hand back up there and pull the tab indicated in your pics.

Thanks again for posting those! Hopefully this will help someone else.

 

Im realizing that my cable release lever in the cabin is still completely stuck, and at the other end on the latch side it’s also not moving.. I haven’t even closed it fully since reaching under it because I don’t want it to get stuck again.. time to replace the cable maybe?

 

Makes sense I’ll spray some in and hang back a while let it do its thing.. would much rather clean it out than have to replace the whole thing!