Kia Hood Won’t Stay Open
Is your Kia hood not staying open? If your Kia is equipped with gas-charged supports, you may need to replace them if your hood no longer stays up.
The hood struts wear out over time and need to be replaced.
Symptoms
- The hood won’t stay up
- Gas-filled hood lift / supports no longer work.
- The Hood falls after you open it.
It would be best to replace the hood lift supports to fix all these problems.
What you will need
- Kia Hood Lift Struts
- Screwdriver
How to replace Kia hood strut supports
- Open hood. Pull the hood release under the dashboard and open the hood.
- While a helper keeps the hood up, you use a flat screwdriver to remove the C clip from the hood support.
- Continue to have the helper keep the hood in the open / up position as you remove the hood struts. Some models have the ball joint on one side and a bolt on the other.
- Install the new hood support. Ensure the strut is pressed into the ball joint, then press the clip in. Watch the following video for further details.
These instructions apply to all Kia vehicles with hood struts, including the Optima, Sedona, Borrego, Cadenza, Forte, K900, Soul, and Sportage.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I replace both hood struts?
It is recommended that you replace both hood struts at the same time. You may be able to get away with just replacing one, but the other hood lift is likely going to fail shortly. This, of course, applies to vehicles with two hood struts. Some models have only one hood support.
How much does changing the hood lift support cost for a Kia?
If you replace the hood lift support, you will spend between $30-$45, which is the cost of parts. If you replace the hood struts at a Kia dealer or an auto mechanic, you may spend between 100-150 USD.
Why do hood struts fail?
The seals on the hood struts can wear out over time, causing pressure to leak from them.
We hope you find the Kia Hood Won’t Stay Open guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Kia.
