Mercedes S-Class W221 Hood Stuck

Is your Mercedes-Benz S-Class W221 hood got stuck or won’t open? Learn how to fix the problem by following the procedures below.

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The hood is released on the passenger side but not on the driver’s side. We had to do this to open the hood on this Mercedes-Benz.

1. Park your Mercedes and take off the front wheel where the latch is stuck. If both are stuck, take off both front wheels.
2. Remove the wheel liner completely or pry out part of the liner behind the fender on the forward part.
3. Use a long rod with a small bent tip to insert between the fender and headlight. Reach out to the hood latch and pull back on the small latch.
4. Pull on the hood latch release to open the hood. Use a flashlight and be patient. It may take anywhere from 5 min to 20 min to release the hood on the W221.
5. Once you open the hood, remove the latch and inspect the cable. There is a good chance the cable is off the latch. Spray lubricating oil on the hood latch and cable.

You may be able to release the hood latch via the front grille with a flat-head screwdriver; going this route, there is a chance that you can cause damage or scratches to the hood.

TIP

Sometimes the hood may not open because the latch is misaligned or the release is not pulling the latch.

If that’s the case, try the following.

1. Have a friend put both hands at the front of the hood, push down the hood, and keep it pushing.
2. You pull the hood release under the dashboard and keep it pulled out.
3. Have the friend stop pushing down on the hood. Now they can try to pull up the hood to see if it will release.

We hope you find the Mercedes S-Class W221 Hood Stuck guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Mercedes-Benz.