Abstract: A brush guard used on a vehicle, for example, on a lawn tractor. The brush guard includes a latch mechanism that allows the brush guard to be closely mounted to the vehicle's engine cover for esthetic reasons. When an operator needs to open the vehicle's front engine cover, which typically tilts forward, the operator may release a latch mechanism and pivot the brush guard forward and away from the engine cover such that the engine cover is not blocked and may be opened. A tension spring returns a latch pin to the latched position such that no manipulation of the latch mechanism is needed when the brush guard is repositioned in an upright operating position. To reposition the brush guard into the operating position, the operator may lift the brush guard upwardly toward the vehicle engine cover, and the latch pin will reengage into its latching position.