Here’s What The Small Panel On Your Car’s Front Bumper Is For

Table of Contents

The plastic panel has never been lifted because it's hiding a tow eye. Without it, towing your car would be much riskier and less safe. Here's how tow eyes work and why car owners should be aware of them.

How Tow Eyes Work

If you have a large truck, there's likely a metal hook on the front of your vehicle that's used for attaching a tow strap. Smaller cars can't have big hooks hanging off of the front bumper because they're not suitable for that.

That's where the tow eye comes in handy. Simply remove the little plastic cover and you'll find a small slotted opening. By screwing a tow hook into this opening, you'll be able to get a strong point to pull and tow the car from. Attempting to hook a tow cable to any other part of the bumper can lead to major damage to your vehicle and is not recommended.

Are There Two Eyes on the Back of the Bumper?

But what if your car is stuck in a location where you can't even reach the front of it? The good news: there are usually tow eyes or hooks on the back bumper as well. Next time you get into your car, take a moment to find all the tow eyes. Knowing exactly where they are could be very useful if (accidentally knocking wood) you get stuck in a difficult and stressful situation where you need a tow. When you're trying to tow a car to a safe place, the last thing you want to do is make the situation any worse. Before you try to tow a car, make sure you know what you're doing, and call a professional towing service if you're not completely confident.