Yes but it can be tricky. You need to determine it the cable is broken or stretched.
If resistance is felt, try spraying the hood latch with a long spray tube on the nozzle with WD-40 or similar product. While someone pulls cable, push down on hood being careful not to dent it and see if it pops open after you remove downward pressure on hood.

If in snow country hood could be frozen.

If cable is broken you would need to trip the latch with a tool. I’ve done this with old broken stainless antenna, bending the end similar to a hook and inserting through grill or another area. This may be best performed by the dealer body shop.

Regards

 

Yes but it can be tricky. You need to determine it the cable is broken or stretched.
If resistance is felt, try spraying the hood latch with a long spray tube on the nozzle with WD-40 or similar product. While someone pulls cable, push down on hood being careful not to dent it and see if it pops open after you remove downward pressure on hood.

If in snow country hood could be frozen.

If cable is broken you would need to trip the latch with a tool. I’ve done this with old broken stainless antenna, bending the end similar to a hook and inserting through grill or another area. This may be best performed by the dealer body shop.

Regards

Thank you very much. I will try those suggestions. It's possible the hood is frozen although it doesn't appear frozen from the outside. I sure wish we had a heated garage to work in. Being from MI you know what I mean.

 

There seems to be little if any resistance when pulling the cable. No one has been under the hood since the dealer serviced it a while back. The cable is still attached to the release handle in the dash, but doesn't release the hood. Can I still get the hood open ?

When you say there is little resistance when pulling the cable, are you directly pulling on the cable or using the release handle? I would check the easy areas first. It is possible the cable slipped out of the release handle or the release handle is broken. I would remove the handle and check. Also pull on the cable directly once removed from the handle to see if that works.

If that doesn't work then you would need to release the hood latch manually. I would imagine that it would require removing some of the lower fascia panels to get access to the latch and as suggested, would be easier for the dealer to do unless you want to tackle it.

 

When you say there is little resistance when pulling the cable, are you directly pulling on the cable or using the release handle? I would check the easy areas first. It is possible the cable slipped out of the release handle or the release handle is broken. I would remove the handle and check. Also pull on the cable directly once removed from the handle to see if that works.

If that doesn't work then you would need to release the hood latch manually. I would imagine that it would require removing some of the lower fascia panels to get access to the latch and as suggested, would be easier for the dealer to do unless you want to tackle it.

Thank you for your reply. I will check again when the car returns home today.

 

I just checked our RAV4 and if broken you will need to put it on ramps or a lift and remove lower plastic panel under radiator. Latch is in center behind radiator support and move release towards drivers side.

 

Thank you very much, I will check the RAV again when my wife gets home with the car.

 

This video might help a little:

 

This video might help a little:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpnI4zu4Uac

Thank you JuneBug, I hope I don't have to replace anything but we will see.

 

Follow that advice in the video and you will damage your RAV4

 

Good thing Scotty only works on junk cars! :wall :shrug:

 

@k7iou1
Damage RAV4 in what manner from following the video posted above?

 

Dealer estimates...Wow !

YIKES !!! My wife called the dealer we bought the RAV new from and their quotes for parts and labor :


$300+ if its a broken hood latch


$200+ is its the cable


No quote if the cable has come out of one end or the other. I think I'll be calling around to get parts prices and maybe try this myself. I worked on cars a lot but that was years ago, but I'm not afraid to tackle this job. Wish I had a heated place and cement floor to work from.

 

Maybe this will help

 

@2011 RAV4 thank you for posting those video links. I hope to inspect our RAV this evening and see what the issue really is.

 

Well, I finally got to inspect the RAV a few minutes ago. It was warm enough today to melt some and the hood opened. Perhaps it was frozen. The cable is fine on both ends. The hood latch and spring seem to be fine. However, when pulling the cable the hood does not pop up. But I can lift the hood with my fingers and release the safety latch. I lubricated every moving part of the latch that I could find but the hood still does not pop up when the hood release is pulled. Is there some adjustment that is off or is the hood latch defective in some way ? I thought it used to pop up.

 

If you watch the second video it doesn't show the hood popping up much so maybe that's how it works on your car!

 

It should pop up. Modern hoods have 2 safety features: a pop up (cable driven) and another manual safety catch in center of hood. Go back. Try to manually manipulate both, work both free w/ your hand or a flat-bladed screwdriver. Lubricate again. Work both latches again manually from your position under the hood.

 

Try to tighten the cable. Not sure how this is done in these vehicles but most hood release cables USE to have an adjustment. That could explain why the hood wont pop up.

 

In order for the the hood to "pop" when the interior release handle is pulled, the 2 rubber 'hood bumper cushions' need to be adjusted. These are just rubber spiral cut pieces that twist down into a hole in the radiator support sub-assembly. There are indentations in the underside of the hood where they seat into.
See attached photos.


I've found on my 2014 RAV that if I twist them (clockwise) until they bottom out and then back them off about 3/4 of a turn the hood will pop upwards slightly.
You can then slide your one hand under to access the safety or secondary release handle as you begin lifting the hood with your other hand.


Don't 'unscrew' the rubber bumper cushions too far or you will create too much upward tension on the hood and latch mechanism.
I found that when closing the hood, if I let go of the hood with about a 1 foot gap, the hood will close completely from its own weight and then pop upwards with the release handle every time. Over time these 2 rubber bumper cushions may need adjusted outwards since they loose their resiliency.

 

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies. The hood broke loose on it's own last Friday when temps got just above freezing and I've got the latch lubricated and will keep working at it. The cable looks great so I'm not sure that's a problem. I will also try adjusting the rubber bumpers so the hood pops open when released.

 

THANK YOU for the "closure" on this Thread (ha ha, "closeure" on closing your hood).
Keep it lubricated-- once a month, get in the habit. They "do" dry out. Excellent Thread, good job.

 

Red Sled, I was having the exact problem with our '14 XLE. I'd have to have wife pull the latch while I pulled up on the hood. Everything looked ok, cable not broken (and there is no adjustment unless you bend brackets). Lubed all pivots and sliding parts still no pop up. I noticed a rough feel when pushing the hood down from the safety latch position and finally determined the latch loop on the hood wasn't lined up with the groove in the latch mechanism. I started popping it to the left a few licks with a rubber mallet and checking it and finally got it more centered. Also there's a little cone shaped rubber bumper to the left of the latch, I backed it out a turn now the hood barely pops up but I can get it open by myself.

 

Thank you Azjeff I will try that.

 

I removed all the splash guards underneath but still can't see the "b" lever. It's a 2012 Rav4. Any suggestions?

 

The hood release on my 2011 Toyota Rav4 (v6) ceased working in 2025.
A cheap plastic end of the cable broke, not holding the cable right.
After many YouTube videos, and my wife's prayers to give me insight,
I felt a spring pulling back on the lever with cable still attached.
I realized, as another video shared, pulling the inner wire directly
would still pull back the hood release: I grabbed the cable behind
the lever, and pulled the cable out more, and the hood was released.
As per another video, I used tie-wraps to make a repair that should
last the life of the car: A large 8-inch tie-wrap around the bracket
gave a reference position, and two small 4-inch tie-wraps slid under
that and criss-crossed over the cable will fasten it to the bracket.