I did what Joe suggested, took it a step further:
remove the grille, free the latch with a 90 degree needle nose. Once open, my cable was still long enough in the drivers compartment, stripped back 4" of case and attached a small Vise Grip plier. Lubricate the cable end, latch, and gently closed the hood. Pulling the grip, releases the hood. Try this several time before replacing the entire assembly, may be a expensive dealer only item.
Could use a dremel to open the grille some, providing access to the end of the cable housing, carry a long needle nose for under hood necessaries. Hope this helps.
Donzi Dave
June 2008