Quote:
Originally Posted by cody
IIRC, my manual states you shouldn't drive around with the tow hook in since it can affect the ABS system in the event of a collision. How is it okay to drive around with these in then?
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I assume the abs system expects the bumper to crumple so the airbags don't go off in a mild fender bender. Since the tow hook solidly attaches to the bumper it effectively bypasses the crumple zone of the bumper and that might trigger an airbag deploy at much lower impacts than necessary. I expect the license plate frame thingy is way more crumpleable than a solid tow hook, unless the GS plate frame is strong enough to tow the car with.
Either way, it doesn't sound like the tow hook or the plate frame would make the car less safe in a big crash when you really need the airbags working properly. Not that having a bag go off in your face unnecessarily isn't without its own risks.