I wanted to see the latch operating so I used a screwdriver to push down into it. Noticed the whole latch was shifting slightly. Turns out the lower bolt circled in the picture wasn't even hand tight! So this was letting the latch sort of tip forward and also adding a bouncing effect that would make it hard to close. After tightening the bolt it's a little easier to close but still takes a couple hard slams. Also the bumpers are turned up almost to the point of coming out to make the hood level. Going through parts diagram and final bill to see if there could be something else tweaked that wasn't replaced, or left loose like the latch bolt. Maybe the latch itself is messed up...they didn't replace it.

 

Might apply something on both parts to determine how they are fitting up. Perhaps a quick drying white lacquer paint. Apply paint, let dry and close hood. Determine where the parts are mating up or not.

 

This should make you laugh....more evidence that body shop doesn't have well-trained workers. I found the service manual that shows hood/latch adjustment procedure, including changing the self centering bolts to regular bolts and washers before you can actually adjust the position. Then I looked and saw the body shop didn't replace the self centering bolts, so no matter how much they tried to adjust, the bolts kept pulling everything back to center. So they just turned the bumpers up to max and that's why the hood took so much force to close. I have it closing much easier now, no more full body weight involved lol.

The hood is slightly out of alignment toward passenger side, which has been bugging me all along, but I was afraid to try adjusting. Besides the fact I can't stand things to be crooked, this makes the striker hit first along that edge of the latch opening, instead of right at the center. Gotta get the right bolts and I'll be able to fix that. Light at the end of the tunnel! 😂

 

Great job!

Speculate all shops are having a major issue finding help and skilled to boot. But that's not your problem.

As you found out, determine if everything is straight, not canted.