Failure of the top strut mount would drastically alter the camber and caster, and dramatically change the toe-in/out condition of the alignment. The wheel would unlikely fall off. The spring keeps the control arm from going up. The only thing that would be pressing up on the hood would be the gas charge in the strut (unless you hit a very large bump). Pure speculation but I think a failure would go something like the car massively swerving to one side of the road.

check out the DIY WIKI for close up photos: 124 Ball joints.

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89 300te 222,222
92 300e 190,000