2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan: Pop! Goes the Hood Latch

@bimmerjay: Hood ajar? I doubt it. I've never seen a car with that feature, although I've never tried to drive a car with the hood ajar. Who knows maybe Hyundai really did think of everything.

We had a 1997 Ford Taurus where the hood wouldn't pop open when you pulled the release. That particular model year Taurus was that egg shaped creature where the hood was flush with the bumper and it was almost impossible to get in there to force it up. I simply adjusted the rubber bumpers that were under the hood and raised them a little. Solved that problem.

Same here, I have never seen a car with a hood ajar warning feature. bimmerjay, can you tell us a car that have that feature?

cars with remote starters tend to have some sort of engine override if the hood is open.

the 2006 VW jetta doesn't have an audible warning, but when the hood is popped the information display shows the hood filled in with red as opposed to outlined normally. same with the trunk and each of the 4 individual doors.

This reminds me of something that I saw a few weeks ago. I was driving down Stevens Creek Blvd (which has a 45mph speed limit which is why it is relevant) and coming up behind an early '90's Ford Bronco that had just pulled out from a side-street. I was probably three car lengths behind when all of sudden the Bronco's hood just flew up and blocked the windshield. The poor woman slammed on her brakes and swerved off the road (right up onto the side-walk). I had never seen that actually happen before and would never have though it possible at barely 45mph. That would be utterly terrifying if it acctually happened to you. Makes you appreciate double hood latches.

All of our cars have a warning to tell you about leaving the hood open. We have audis and mercedes. On my Audi in particular it will flash a warning up on the display screen and beep at you to let you know it's open. Oddly enough if it is open the alarm system won't arm and make it's little chirp when you lock the car.

All it takes is a popped hood for some vandal to come up and do something to the engine while the owner is away.

Then again, if you're lucky, they'll have a hard time trying to figure out where the little thing is you have to grab to release the secondary lock and lift the hood.

2006 Chevy Impala. When the hood is ajar, the Driver Information Center says "HOOD OPEN" and dings at you.

Remote Start is also disabled while the hood is ajar/open. Additionally, if you remote start the car, then pop the hood without putting the key in the ignition, the car shuts off.

It is very surprising that the Genesis does not have a "Hood Open" or "Hood Ajar" warning somewhere in the cluster.

Hyundai can learn two lessons from this. Put the hood release lever far out of the way of the drivers feet, and put the parking brake on the center console where is should be. I mean sometimes you just have to make a quick parking break turn.

@lazyhater and carguy622,

Munich, Ingolstadt and Stuttgart fit hood ajar warnings.

Not sure about a warning light, but on most recent Hyundais I've encountered, the turn signals won't flash and the horn won't beep if you try to lock the car with the remote if the hood or trunk are ajar.

Also remember that for 2010, Genesis models with the technology package get an electronic parking brake.

Is everyone here saying that they cannot tell if the edge of the hood doesn't line up with the fender? Even when that piece of panel is right in front of your eyes? I can understand the door ajar light, but there's no point for a hood ajar light. If you do, you aren't observant enough to be driving a car.

Now, why is the parking brake not placed between the seats, right where it is supposed to be? If it is an "emergency brake" like so many people call it, it should be placed where both driver and passenger can grab during an emergency. They got it right with the Genesis coupe, why not the sedan?

@chunky_azian,

First off, it's not called an "emergency brake", that's an old term not used anymore other than by people who need to update their terminology. It's called a "parking brake". Its placement in the center console is usually for manual transmission drivers, since it is more often used both when parking and for start-off assistance. The Genesis coupe has an MT available, the sedan does not.

Second, a hood ajar warning may not be necessary on many cars in daylight conditions, but given the virtually non-existent cost (most cars with this have alarm sensors for the hood that can double-duty) and easy programmability into modern networked vehicle control/display systems, why not? The advance warning could save you from a serious accident that one time the hood does pop when you're driving at night in the rain.