What's scarier still is that it's probably being "fixed" by technicians that don't understand the technology or how to repair it.

I had a vaguely similar problem with an older BMW (528) last week- the hood wouldn't open. My dealer told me they would have to break the grill to "fix it" and charge me $523. This is a broken hood cable mind you.

The correct procedure, as pointed out by a local (and not inexpensive) body shop, is remove the front bumper, use screwdriver to twist hood latches and release hood, replace cables and replace the bumper. Done for less than $200 including three new cables and a detailed wash.