Guides  /  2010 Lexus RX350

2010 Lexus RX350 Hood Strut Replacement (When Your Hood Won't Stay Up)

Pop the hood on your 2010 Lexus RX350, let go, and watch it slowly sink toward your head — that’s the classic sign the hood gas struts (some call them shocks) have worn out and can no longer hold the weight. It’s an easy, cheap fix. You need one screwdriver, a few minutes, and a pair of replacement struts — no dealer visit and no special tools.

Step 1 — Prop the hood up safely

1. With the worn struts, the hood won’t stay up on its own, so prop it.
2. Grab a broom handle (take the head off) or any sturdy rod and stand it through a hole or gap to hold the hood open while you work. Don’t trust the bad struts to keep it up.

Step 2 — Pry the old strut off

The struts aren’t bolted on — each end is a ball-and-socket joint.

1. Take a large flat-head screwdriver and work the tip in between the two pieces of the socket where it grips the ball stud.
2. Pry them apart. Inside the socket are two small spring clips that grip the ball — they just need to be spread so the socket pops off the stud.
3. Do this at both ends to free the strut. (Don’t try to lever the whole thing off sideways — it’s meant to pry off straight at the socket.)

Step 3 — Push the new strut on

This is even easier than removal.

1. Line the new strut’s socket up over the ball stud.
2. Push it straight on — it snaps right over the ball with a satisfying pop. You can’t hammer these, and you don’t need to; firm hand pressure seats it.
3. Repeat for the other end.

Pro tip: The new struts often come with a little grease on the sockets — leave it; it helps them seat and last.

Step 4 — Do the second strut

1. Move your prop to keep the hood supported, then repeat Steps 2–3 on the other strut.
2. The hood is heavy once both old struts are off — an extra set of hands to hold it makes this part easier, though it’s doable solo.

Step 5 — Test it

1. Remove your screwdriver and prop rod from under the hood before you do anything else.
2. Try pushing the hood down — with fresh struts it’s noticeably harder to push down and actually wants to rise on its own again.
3. Open and close it once to confirm it holds wide open.

That’s it

A worn hood that won’t stay up is a five-minute, one-screwdriver fix on the RX350 — pry the old ball-and-socket struts off, push the new ones on, and you’re done. The matching replacement struts are linked in the parts box above. Keep an eye on the rear hatch struts too; they’re usually the next to go.