2001 Taurus. Hood Release pull cable does nothing to release the hood and I cannot reach the
safety latch through the grill. How do I get the hood open? Thanks for your help!
Try gently prying up under the hood or wedge something under the hood and the pull the release handle to see if the hood pops.
Tester
This happened to me years ago. It was a 1988 Olds Ciera. I was able to get under there to release the hood latch with some work and swearing!
I installed a new OEM cable. But I also put a small cable hooked to the latch with a loop on the end and I hid it behind the grill.
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If you are unable to get the hood up, a body shop should be able to (for a price)…
Pull the release handle while someone repeatedly presses down on the hood to pop the hood loose. Once the hood is open, clean and lubricate the hood release mechanism. Also, consider replacing the hood struts. I replaced the struts on my 2003 Taurus and the new struts made all the difference opening the hood.
Ed B.
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Frustrating, for sure. Can’t speak to the 2001 Taurus configuration, but I got my Corolla’s cable-operated hood latch to open by grabbing hold of the cable near the latch from directly below the latch, laying on the ground and looking upward w/flashlight, using this tool
Lack of routine maintenance was the cause for my stuck hood-latch. Likely never lubed in 25+ years. I’ve since been lubing the latch mechanism on every oil & filter change on both of my vehicles, latches easier to use, & haven’t even had a hint of a stuck-latch problem since.
btw: I wedged the handle mechanism in the passenger compartment to the “open” position first.