hood flew open while going 50mph and almost shatters windshield.
07-21-11, 11:13 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
hood flew open while going 50mph and almost shatters windshield.
So I had driven my car to multiple spots today with no problems it was around midnight and i needed to make a run to wal-mart to get some athletic tape for a basketball tournament the next morning 
and my HOOD FLIES OPEN AND COMPLETELY CRACK MY WINDSHIELD 
I am still dumbfounded as to how something like this happens. the hood, from my knowledge, was completely latched, and considering i had been driving it all day and never opened my hood.... and no one else had driven it throughout the day. anybody else have this issue ever? im sure no one has, but it was the scariest moment of my life. I had the top down and i thought i was going to die when i saw the hood coming at me through the windshield and thought it was going to come back into the cabin 
and my HOOD FLIES OPEN AND COMPLETELY CRACK MY WINDSHIELD I am still dumbfounded as to how something like this happens. the hood, from my knowledge, was completely latched, and considering i had been driving it all day and never opened my hood.... and no one else had driven it throughout the day. anybody else have this issue ever? im sure no one has, but it was the scariest moment of my life. I had the top down and i thought i was going to die when i saw the hood coming at me through the windshield and thought it was going to come back into the cabin
07-22-11, 12:21 AM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
good thing you are okay and wasn't traveling freeway speeds, from the looks of it it look like the damn shock part broke, insurance??????? **** contact lexus that was a safety issue.
07-22-11, 06:16 AM
#5
Its either the hook lock/hook get loose or you pop it accidentally. Glad you are OK
The hood sit so low when poped that sometime we don't really realize. I don't recall there's any light indicator when the hood is open
The hood sit so low when poped that sometime we don't really realize. I don't recall there's any light indicator when the hood is open
07-22-11, 06:56 AM
#6
Moderator
From my observations over the years, all cars today have a double latch to prevent this kind of thing from happening. The first latch is released by pulling the lever inside the car (this also prevents anyone from opening the hood of a locked car). The second latch has to be released by hand by reaching under the hood and pressing the spring-loaded release. For both of these to fail at the same time is very, very unusual. If the hood had not been closed tightly, then only one of the latches failed, which is more likely, but still should not have happened.
A hood that is not closed tightly can pop up to the second latch when speed generates enough wind to lift it up; that happened to me; it makes some noise and you can see the hood come up an inch or two at the front - but the second latch is designed to keep it from lifting off, even at high speeds (when such things are more likely to happen).
An examination of the latching parts is certainly indicated to find out why this happened; fortunately nobody was injured and no other cars became involved.
A hood that is not closed tightly can pop up to the second latch when speed generates enough wind to lift it up; that happened to me; it makes some noise and you can see the hood come up an inch or two at the front - but the second latch is designed to keep it from lifting off, even at high speeds (when such things are more likely to happen).
An examination of the latching parts is certainly indicated to find out why this happened; fortunately nobody was injured and no other cars became involved.
07-22-11, 09:06 AM
#7
This happened to a friend of mine when I was in his car. But earlier in the night, a SUV backed into him damaging the latch. In my opinion, the most likely explanation is you accidently popped the latch at some point and didn't realize it. There probably should be a sensor letting you know the hood is unlatched. It's a bit more of a hazard than an unlatched trunk.
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07-22-11, 09:30 AM
#8
Glad no one was hurt. Liquid Sc is right, as well as tfischer. This hood being a potential safety issue (like what happened) has a redundant latch system.
I recall a similar thing, I sold my 1st car, Honda Civic to a friend who ended up being used by his daughter. The Civic got into an accident, front end, repaired. One day the hood just opened up, luckily no one was hurt. Turns out they did not align the hood latch perfectly and as a result, unlatched.
Front end damage which impacts the hood latch need to be looked at very carefully.
In your case, it is a weird event. The 2nd latch shoudl have not released. I drove one evening with my latch open (probably intending to check something under the hood, but I forgot). I just noticed that my hood seemed to be bobbing...that's it! Finally confimed it after taking the car into the garage. And I said...that was close.
I recall a similar thing, I sold my 1st car, Honda Civic to a friend who ended up being used by his daughter. The Civic got into an accident, front end, repaired. One day the hood just opened up, luckily no one was hurt. Turns out they did not align the hood latch perfectly and as a result, unlatched.
Front end damage which impacts the hood latch need to be looked at very carefully.
In your case, it is a weird event. The 2nd latch shoudl have not released. I drove one evening with my latch open (probably intending to check something under the hood, but I forgot). I just noticed that my hood seemed to be bobbing...that's it! Finally confimed it after taking the car into the garage. And I said...that was close.
07-22-11, 09:34 AM
#9
It happened to me a few times before that I tried to release the parking brake, but I pulled the hood release by accident.
It was more often that I tried to open the fuel door at gasline station, but found only the rear trunk lid was open after I got off my sc.
It was more often that I tried to open the fuel door at gasline station, but found only the rear trunk lid was open after I got off my sc.
07-22-11, 09:54 AM
#10
Same here, when I fill up gas, I have to shut the trunk, 50% of the time. LOL!
07-22-11, 10:31 AM
#11
Lead Lap
Sorry to hear about the incident and the banged up car but glad to hear that you are fine.
07-22-11, 01:21 PM
#13
This is very weird. OP should take the car to Lexus for inspection.
The second safety latch should have held the hood.
It happend to me once when I didn't fully close my Nissan's hood and on the highway the hood popped up an inch or two. I could hear the noise and see the hood popping. Stopped and closed the hood. No problem.
The second safety latch should have held the hood.
It happend to me once when I didn't fully close my Nissan's hood and on the highway the hood popped up an inch or two. I could hear the noise and see the hood popping. Stopped and closed the hood. No problem.
