# What’s the square cutout I saw on car bumpers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489 "2012-10-02T16:18:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/1 "2012-10-02T16:18:19Z")
In traffic yesterday I noticed the car in front of us had what looked like a square cutout spot on the rear bumper. I think it was cut-outable, but it hadn’t been cut out if that makes any sense. I guess you could say it was a square scored or grooved onto the bumper. I’m still looking for a picture. Anyone know what it is for? It was in the middle of the bumper vertically and about half way between the tailpipe (on the left) and license plate horizontally. I looked at more cars the rest of the way home only saw one more with a similar scored area. I don’t recall what kind of car it was except that it was foreign made because the person I was riding with told me (and I can’t believe) it’s there to hang the car up because they are shipped overseas vertically. He said they take up less room when hung standing on their noses and when they arrive in the US the dealers seal up the spot where the hook went. :dubious: Can anyone do better than that? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/2 "2012-10-02T16:24:08Z")
Tow hitch? N/M, I’m seeing what your describing now… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/3 "2012-10-02T16:24:21Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > I don’t recall what kind of car it was except that it was foreign made because the person I was riding with told me (and I can’t believe) it’s there to hang the car up because they are shipped overseas vertically. He said they take up less room when hung standing on their noses and when they arrive in the US the dealers seal up the spot where the hook went. :dubious: Yeah, it’s a load of bollocks. I believe the scored area is a ‘knockout’ for use when the car has to be hauled out. Many cars come with a screw eye. If the car needs to be hauled out with a cable, the knockout is knocked out and the screw eye is screwed into the threaded receptacle. The cable/strap hook is fastened to it and Robert’s your auntie’s live-in lover. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/4 "2012-10-02T16:25:13Z")
[tow hook hole?](http://www.microimageonline.com/forums/showthread.php/5135-Tow-hook-revisited) [linky 2](http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f49/square-front-bumper-7660/?highlight=square+bumper) [linky 3](http://forums.maxima.org/7th-generation-maxima-2009/631749-what-square-left-side-front-bumper.html) [Google search results for “car bumper square hole”](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=car+bumper+square+hole&gbv=2&oq=car+bumper+square+hole&gs_l=heirloom-hp.3...281.5656.0.5813.22.20.0.1.1.0.187.2174.8j10.18.0...0.0...1c.1.fhiUkXTU4GM) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/5 "2012-10-02T16:50:56Z")
I wondered myself, so I looked in my car’s manual. Apparently, the square hole is a cover for a tie-down eyelet or hook for attaching straps to secure any roof-mounted cargo you happen to be hauling. Handy if you’re toting canoes, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/6 "2012-10-02T18:01:21Z")
A cover for a tow/cargo hook makes a lot more sense. Another mystery solved. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/7 "2012-10-02T18:08:40Z")
Yes, BMW for example comes with a giant screw-in hook. It’s also for tow ropes, if they are going to attach a hook and haul you out of that ditch or snowbank, then hooking the rope on the axle (a) might bend the axle and (b) will wreck the thin plastic bumper. In the toolkit is the big metal eyelet that screws in. The cover pops off then snaps back on when done. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/8 "2012-10-02T18:08:51Z")
What I’m curious about are the several small, round knockouts on bumpers. I usually see four or five of them, though the number varies. If they are covers for the bumper’s mounting bolts, it’s an inelegant design. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/9 "2012-10-02T18:29:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > What I’m curious about are the several small, round knockouts on bumpers. I usually see four or five of them, though the number varies. If they are covers for the bumper’s mounting bolts, it’s an inelegant design. The small round ones, if they’re the ones I’m thinking of, are reverse parking sensors, the car’s “sonar” system that alerts the driver if they’re reversing and get too close to something (or something gets too close to _them_). Google image search for “reverse sensors” and you’ll see several examples; there are usually four on a bumper. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/10 "2012-10-02T18:35:03Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/11 "2012-10-02T20:01:31Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > I don’t recall what kind of car it was except that it was foreign made because the person I was riding with told me (and I can’t believe) it’s there to hang the car up because they are shipped overseas vertically. He said they take up less room when hung standing on their noses and when they arrive in the US the dealers seal up the spot where the hook went. :dubious: I recall a story (maybe in Wired) about a ship carrying cars that had listed to side at a 45 degree angle. The cars were all strapped down and all right, and the story was about how a salvage team righted the ship and got it on its way, but the recovered cars were destroyed by their manufacturer just because after spending a month at that angle no one was sure whether everything would work. For that reason I doubt that shipping a car on its nose would be viable. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/12 "2012-10-02T20:36:48Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > I recall a story (maybe in Wired) about a ship carrying cars that had listed to side at a 45 degree angle. The cars were all strapped down and all right, and the story was about how a salvage team righted the ship and got it on its way, but the recovered cars were destroyed by their manufacturer just because after spending a month at that angle no one was sure whether everything would work. You’ll have to come up with a cite for that; absent a news article from a trustworthy source, I’m inclined to believe that the revenue lost by destroying these vehicles (instead of selling them) far exceeds the cost of some basic systems checks (and maybe some warranty work if more cars break down than usual). ---
**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/13 "2012-10-03T00:06:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Yeah, it’s a load of bollocks. > > … Well, vertical shipping of vehicles has been done. It was the Chevy Vega, so you can’t really say it was done successfully, but it was done. > **[Autorack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorack#Vert-A-Pac)** > > An autorack, also known as an auto carrier (also car transporter outside the US), is a specialized piece of railroad rolling stock used to transport automobiles and light trucks. Autoracks are used to transport new vehicles from factories to automotive distributors, and to transport passengers' vehicles in car shuttles and motorail services, such as Amtrak's Auto Train route. > In the early 20th century, when automobiles were still new technology, their production levels were low enough that they ... ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/14 "2012-10-03T04:48:58Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > I recall a story (maybe in Wired) about a ship carrying cars that had listed to side at a 45 degree angle. The cars were all strapped down and all right, and the story was about how a salvage team righted the ship and got it on its way, but the recovered cars were destroyed by their manufacturer just because after spending a month at that angle no one was sure whether everything would work. That sounds like the [MV Cougar Ace](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Cougar_Ace#Disposition_of_cargo). There’s also the [MV Tricolor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Tricolor#Collision_and_sinking.2C_14_December_2002) incident which was a full sinking. ---
**Author:** ![core\_dump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@core\_dump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/core_dump)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/15 "2012-10-03T06:47:52Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I wondered myself, so I looked in my car’s manual. Apparently, the square hole is a cover for a tie-down eyelet or hook for attaching straps to secure any roof-mounted cargo you happen to be hauling. Handy if you’re toting canoes, I suppose. Hmmm interesting. So you have one end of your tie-down hooked to this eyelet. Where does the other end get attached? ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/16 "2012-10-03T10:53:12Z")
There’s another tie-down / tow eyelet point on the front. For the times you go into the ditch backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/17 "2012-10-03T11:07:07Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > (…) absent a news article from a trustworthy source, I’m inclined to believe that the revenue lost by destroying these vehicles (…) I saw what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/18 "2012-10-03T11:55:28Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > You’ll have to come up with a cite for that; absent a news article from a trustworthy source, I’m inclined to believe that the revenue lost by destroying these vehicles (instead of selling them) far exceeds the cost of some basic systems checks (and maybe some warranty work if more cars break down than usual). Found an [online](http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-03/ff_seacowboys?currentPage=all) version of the article (thanks to **Terry Kennedy** ’s remembering of the name of the ship). [QUOTE=Wired] Though most of the cars appeared to be unharmed, they had spent two weeks at a 60-degree angle. Mazda can’t be sure that something isn’t wrong with them. Will the air bags function properly? Will the engines work flawlessly throughout the warranty period? Rather than risk lawsuits down the line, Mazda has decided to scrap the entire shipment. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/19 "2012-10-03T12:18:34Z")
In the old days - a square notch in the bumper could also be used for the proper location of the bumper jacks. ---
**Author:** ![Enigma42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/87869e/32.png) [@Enigma42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enigma42)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489/20 "2012-10-03T14:15:15Z")
I’ve heard before that these are for towing hooks, but I still have a question about their function. I see these on lots of cars these days, but they are never centered. Wouldn’t a tow hook be optimally placed as close to the centerline of the vehicle as possible? For tie-down applications, I can see it not making much difference. But if the vehicle is moving I would think it would tend to cause the car to veer to one side. Is that not much of a concern after all? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-square-cutout-i-saw-on-car-bumpers/636489.md?page=2)