What is Open Hood?
- Open Hood is the owner's car book and a free shop-ticket advocate. You identify a car by VIN or year/make/model, get a factory-typical spec card, mark up a repair order, and leave with sentences you can say at the counter. Know the car. Then the window. We do not book shops or take a cut of the repair. We are not a Saturday meetup.
What is Open Hood not?
- Open Hood is not RepairPal, Openbay, or a dealer booking app. It is not Carfax or accident history. It is not a scan tool or Bluetooth dongle. It is not a warranty, not a Saturday meetup, and not a parts marketplace. It does not sell licensed Motor, TecDoc, or Mitchell labor times. Those products exist. This bay is the person standing next to you at the window.
How do I try the Honda demo VIN?
- Use VIN 1HGCM82633A004352 (2003 Honda Accord). The fluids card prints 5W-20 for that car. Displacement from NHTSA is rounded the way a ticket should read — 3.0L, not 3.00. Open the bay, paste the VIN, then walk Garage → Quote → script.
What does a ZIP 90210 estimate mean?
- The estimate desk takes a job and a ZIP — 90210 is the Beverly Hills demo — and shows a parts-plus-independent-labor range from regional door-rate bands. It is not a licensed Motor or AllData hour. Dealer is the same job at that region’s higher rate. We stamp the disclaimer on the ticket.
What should I do with a P0420 code?
- P0420 means catalyst efficiency below threshold. It is a pointer, not a parts list. Graph both oxygen sensors and check for exhaust leaks before anyone prices a converter. Open Hood’s Fix Finder holds the cat on diagnose-first. Do not throw the converter from the code alone.
Do you book shops or take a cut?
- No. The directory lists OpenStreetMap rooftops near a ZIP. We do not certify shops, take a booking fee, or route you into a network. You call. You decide. Maps links are search URLs, not appointments we sold.
Is Motor, TecDoc, or Carfax included?
- No. Those are licensed products we do not pretend to own. History is NHTSA decode, recalls, complaints, and NCAP — plus official paid link-outs for title brands. Parts are search URLs, not shelf count. Labor hours are regional averages, not a stolen guide.
Is Open Hood free? Is there an account?
- The bay is free. There is no account, password, or profile. VIN decode, the spec card, quote markup, OBD translation, guides, and the counter script work without a key. Optional photo reading and mail need operator keys; if a key is missing, the desk says so.
What is Beginner vs Expert?
- Beginner is short steps and the sentence you say out loud. Expert is the spec, the code, and the millimeter. Same desks. Two altitudes. We do not ship a third “AI” or “shop-talk” voice. Pick one and stay there while you read the ticket.
What data sources does Open Hood use?
- NHTSA vPIC for VIN decode, NHTSA SaferCar for recalls and complaints, EPA FuelEconomy.gov for MPG, and OpenStreetMap Nominatim plus Overpass for rooftops. YouTube links on guides are verified IDs or honest search URLs. Licensed catalogs stay dark until a real key exists.
What is the ticket path?
- Identify the car, read the spec, mark quote flags, compare three pasted ROs, say the counter script, find OSM rooftops (we do not book), print the packet. We send a script. YourMechanic sends a person. RepairPal routes a shop. AutoZone sells the part.
When do I approve the work?
- Do not approve until hours, OEM numbers, and an out-the-door ceiling are on the paper — or the packed menu is named or declined. The hold language lives on /trust. We do not take a shop deposit here.
How is a quote line judged?
- Against a typical independent labor band for the ZIP you typed, plus a local regex price book. That is not Motor, Mitchell, or ALLDATA hours. A flagged line is a question to take to the window — not a licensed verdict.
Are the recalls closed on my VIN?
- We do not know. SaferCar rows here are year / make / model — the nameplate. A campaign on the nameplate can already be closed on your car. The VIN open/closed check is a SaferCar link-out, not our file.
Where are the reviews?
- There are none. Zero users, zero reviews is the honest number. We do not mint testimonials, and counsel has not stamped this bay. Not legal advice, not a licensed inspector, not a shop.
