Car mechanics.

Personally, I think the question is posted in the wrong group, but that's a personal opinion!

No need for a hood switch when you have to get inside to pop the latch is there?

Might try resetting the alarm by disconnecting the battery. It's possible the battery was disconnected when the work was done and the alarm got spiked when it was reconnected.

The cable from these can break - so it's usually possible to open the 'hood' from outside. By perhaps accessing the actual locks from underneath. So a switch for the alarm is common.

Must be common on newer vehicles. My 03 Trailblazer doesn't have one nor did my 00 Nissan Pathfinder. Maybe a UK spec although I didn't note the country of origin for the OP.

Most hoods can be opened from outside with a hook tool. Trivial.

That is a good suggestion. Also ensuring the switch is in fact being kept open with the hood closed (visual inspection may help) is a good idea.

But, post this in an auto/alarm group, you will be getting much better answers.

My BMW has. And it's 10 years old. Of course if you have automatic under bonnet lighting the load sensing part of the alarm will use that instead.

Meat Plow wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.alt.net:

On (94-01)Integras,thieves use a stiff wire to hook the release cable from under the front bumper,or they yank out the left wheelwell cover and cut the release cable.Then they quickly lift the hood and cut the wires to your alarm.it may only give a short alarm,then dead. Then they strip the car at their leisure.

Not being in the repo or theft business I'm obviously uninformed.

I suppose it's been sufficiently answered here.

Most mechanics experience the "Oh, and I can't get the hood release to work..." symptom. Common here, due to salt induced rust in the cable, (and cheap parts) and once that happens the only way is that 'hook tool'.

Then when you can't find a replacement cable (obsolete) you end up with a piece of cord hanging out the grill with a bit of wood for a handle!

Perhaps, but I'm not sure the OP would agree.

Got it fixed, there is a hood pin (push cable) that gets depressed via a rubber foot in the hood. they still had my old hood there and pull the plug out of it. that fixed it how ever, today I had to return the car and have them fix the paint job on the hood, apparently they didn't fully clean off the plastic sticky tape that comes on the new body panels and painted over some on the edge of the hood near the wind shield. We've had lots of rain here, it came off. I have a nice thin white edge on my hood against a Dark Green car.. nice! :)