Cover for towing eye hole

[Jazzdriver]

My Crosstar is still on its first tank of petrol.  However, after a drive today, I noticed that the cover for the towing eye hole on the driver's side (in the grey plastic surround for the fog light) had almost come out.  I replaced it.  However, I have no idea how it had come out and I am concerned that it might come out again and become lost.

Has anyone else experienced this or have any ideas about how to stop the cover coming out?

Thanks.

[NoelM]

Had that happen a couple of times when I had my Crosstar. Dealer replaced it under warranty as it kept popping out

[Marco1979]

Same here! Even when parked it can pop out during stormy weather. Glued it myself and dealer replaced it in a later stage. Annoying!

[5thcivic]

Blu tack for some increased friction?

[Jazzdriver]

Thanks for the replies. I fastened it in last evening and this morning I found it had come out again overnight.  It's good that it has a little plastic cable to stop it dropping to the floor.

Nice to know that a dealer replaced one under warranty.  It is clearly a design or manufacturing fault.

[Neil Ives]

This and the seat cracking issue is not what we expect from Honda

[SouthernExile]

Mine came out and was lost about 15 months after I got the car. I only noticed the hole by chance (my car is black and it was winter, so not very obvious), and I had no idea how long it had been missing. In fact I didn't really know what the hole was. The dealer identified the part and got one at a cost to me of £23 - no warranty offer! I replaced it myself, and a year on it remains intact.

[D-Day]

I’ve read all the comments with interest as I have experienced the same problem. I never expected that such a small issue would cause me so much anxiety. I eventually succumbed and booked the car into the dealership who chose to glue the cover into place with ‘low tack’ adhesive (I had no choice in the matter). What a cop out! On returning home I referred to my Honda Jazz Owners Guide (p.375) which clearly states that in the event of an emergency one should ‘call a professional towing service’ and that ‘the tow truck uses two pivoting arms that go under the front tyres and lift them off the ground’. It goes on to say in bold text ‘This is an acceptable way to tow your vehicle’. My point is, why does Honda feel the need to provide a towing eye in the first place given the above advice which, in my mind, is unequivocal.

[Lord Voltermore]

My point is, why does Honda feel the need to provide a towing eye in the first place given the above advice which, in my mind, is unequivocal.

Thats the proper way for a professional towing service over a long distance. But even they  might need to use a cable to winch the car into a position where they can lift it.  Such as pulling it from a ditch.  Not always easy  if there is flimsy front and rear plastic bodywork getting in the way  of a straight pull.  .     And I would hate to have a car where I couldnt hitch a tow rope  to get out of minor mishaps such as being stuck in mud or snow, or to shift it from a dangerous location in an emergency.  . I think a few countries still require you to carry a tow rope as safety equipment.  . I always carry one.

[JB]

I don't know about the cvt box on jazz but you could not tow a torque converter
automatic car any distance or certain speed without lifting driving wheels from
road, a friend told me that when some breakdown company towed his vauxhall
vectra and ruined the auto box and he won a claim for compensation from them.

[5thcivic]

There's no cvt box on the Mk4, just gearing to the electric motor which presumably would entail a huge amount of torque to tow probably causing damage, so the principle is the same. The chassis hook is most probably there for the instance Voltermore has outlined, drag the car into a position where the front wheels can be raised.

[Jazzdriver]

When getting my wife's Jazz serviced recently, I mentioned this problem with my Crosstar.  (I have wedged the part in place, but it doesn't look right.)  The dealer said they have a way of fixing it and will do this when I have it serviced next month.  (Previously they said they had replaced a number of these-clearly there is a design problem, but now they say they have a way of fixing them.  I don't like the idea of glue.  If you have to remove it for towing, the glue will lose it stickiness and you will be back to square one.)

[aphybrid]

are the eyes not also used to secure the car when being transported to garage, seen this in dealer yard.

my crosstar cover came fell out a couple of times in first, I managed to refix it securely and has not moved since, 2years 8months since.

[Lord Voltermore]

Sounds like the caps are  designed primarily for single use, which is a bit daft if its colour coded and Honda charge  silly money for a replacement .  Unless there is a little known special technique for replacing them securely.    Some cars may have already had it removed once for lashing down on initial shipping/ dealership delivery.

I have never had problems and hope I never need to use a towing eye a.A workaround using non setting glue seems a bit of a bodge.

[D-Day]

I can now appreciate the need for a towing eye, although I’m surprised the owners manual makes no reference to it at all, let alone explain when to use it and  how to fix it in position when required. The cover in question actually sits in between the coloured bumper and the grey fog light surround. It’s my theory that these two components move apart slightly over time, allowing the hole to widen just enough to render the plastic clip useless and causing the cover to pop out. A bad design altogether in my opinion.