Why do they keep hooking onto suspension arms? At least we are getting the tow company to pay for new arms, plus the alignment, and two weeks of rental car because the arms were B/O Germany. Will cost significantly more than what the tow cost.
You must log in or register to comment.
Got lucky with them paying. Usually (here in MI USA) they make you sign a waiver before the tow that absolves them from liability for a bad tow. My van that wasn’t totaled from an accident was then dragged across the road shredding the underbody and then totaling it. It was plug in EV so they damaged the battery housing. The tow company refused everything and said it was all part of the accident.
Did you get retribution?
According to the other comments, manufacturers have now hidden the tow point. I guess they profit from this.
On first intuition, you would think that being a professional tow truck driver means you take the time to learn about this.
However, meeting some actual tow truck drivers will dispel that assumption.
People too dumb to fix cars tow them, in the same way that people too dumb to teach middle school teach gym class.
There exists a certain percentage of tow drivers (and gym teachers, to be fair) who are great at their jobs and absolutely belong there. That percentage is very small.
I’m trying to remember a good gym teacher in all my years and all I remember is the guy who continuously mispronounced my last name despite repeat actions from my mother (who was a fellow educator with this guy).
Oh ya, they are SOOO hard to find.
If only there was a hint to where it could be.
Where else should they hook on? Generally suspension arms are robust enough, but with modern cars there simply aren’t other options. Axles? Nope. Tow points? Hah, as if. Frame? Doesn’t exist. Subframe? You mean the one hiding behind all the panels?
Wheels are the best option for tie-down, but you’d need synthetics to do it without damage, chains will fuck up an aluminum wheel.
You are right to be frustrated, but aim it at the manufacturer, not the tow operator.
I mean… most cars have tow points designed for towing up into a flatbed do they not? Certainly all Japanese and EU cars of the last 20 years do.
BUT, they are usually hidden behind a small plastic panel on the bumper, and require attaching an eyelet hook designed for this exact purpose, which is supplied with the new car somewhere in the spare tyre / flat kit.
The real issue is that tow drivers are too lazy to find the manufacturers tow point (or look it up), remove the plastic cover panel, and carry several eyelets so they’re covered for any model - that could take upwards of 5 minutes and some prep work!
Better to just throw your hook into a fragile suspension arm, crank it up the ramp at full speed and call it a day, hope they don’t notice.
There are plenty of cars that do not have a purpose-built tow point. I’ve never owned a car that has had one; NA or Euro made.
These are a somewhat newer occurrence in the US, so if you drive older cars you really might not have run into them. Most cars designed in the past 10-15 years have them.
Send me your car models out of curiosity - I’ll see if I can find them in the manuals.
Then we can name and shame shit manufacturers.
Never, ever, hook onto suspension arms. ALL of our cars (BMW) have a front a rear tow hook point. The tow hook that is supplied in the car just screws into a point on the bumper, behind a small tow hook cover. This mistake cost the tow truck driver over $5000.
They look like this.
As all cars should. Some, apparently, do not.
Have never seen a car that does not have tow points, and I have been a licenced tech for 30 years.
New Honda Civic does not have a factory mounted tow point.
Edit: Apparently stating facts are combative.
The do, they’re just hidden behind panels on the fascia like most modern cars.
On the front it’s hidden behind some trim:
And on the back there’s a reason why there’s a small seam in the fascia in this area:
That shows the hatchback model. That is a different body style than mine. Thank you though. It doesn’t matter, you will still say I’m wrong.
I am not trying to prove your wrong / there are no awards for arguing on the internet.
I’m just super surprised that they wouldn’t be included as towing a modern vehicle without one is very difficulty due to fascias being a ton lower to the ground than they used to be. Even if you can reach a solid under vehicle tow point, putting tension on whatever you attached to means the fascia will probably be in the way. Tthink loose rope on ground vs taught rope cutting through the fascia.
So that’s not true like every other “new” (since the late 2000s at least) car there is a tow hook in the truck that screws in somewhere behind a plastic flap on the bumper. Tow truck drivers have had decades to learn but they refuse to listen. I have had a lot of experience being towed(grew up and still have older cars) and when I tell them where to hook up it’s a 20-30 minute conversation for me to try and convince them to not absolutely destroy my suspension because I don’t want to spend my time changing working parts and aligning a car I have already aligned. Sometimes that conversation doesn’t work and I just have to have them leave and call AAA again and hope someone else comes.
This is not the fault of the manufacturers in any case it is the fault of the tow truck drivers not educating themselves
Edot, your wrong!
Prove it, I have one and there is no flap.
Edit to clarify, i have checked the manual, walked around vehicle several times looking very close for this hidden flap, and searched the internet for the new model civic, 2023 or newer.
Edit: aparrently asking for proof, and where it is for a Japanese and doesn’t fit and is for a Japanese car is combative.
This is the spare part for the rear cover of the tow hook attachment point to give you an idea of what the flap looks like.
https://partifyusa.com/products/honda-civic-ex-rear-tow-hook-cover-japan-built-ho1129109
Buick regal, Chevy Cruze, Impalas
Point is moot if it only has a front OR rear… Not helpful when you can’t orient the car to the nearest one. Suspension arms will be used.
The regal and Cruze both have them if you’re talking about the 2010ish+ models. I would be surprised if the Impala didn’t have one too, but maybe it didn’t.
Regal
Cruze
Enjoy the bent suspension I guess.
The alternative is not getting the vehicle out.
IMO, regardless of aesthetics and aerodynamics, all cars should be required to have permanently installed tow hooks, front and rear.
There’s also a crash damage issue at play here. I believe in my country if your car has a retractable tow hitch you have to hide it when not in use because it’s extra damage to whatever car hits you or that you hit. Sharp point compared to a bumper.
But all cars come with a tow hook. Some may not have a front one I think but even those will have a rear. It’s easy to use and it’s described in the owners manual.
