Front recovery hook(s) with Intelligent 4WD

[jo7hs2]

In another thread, it occurred to me there is a discrepancy between Ford’s literature and reality that I’m curious about... Specifically, Ford’s brochure for the Explorer (2018 attached for reference) makes note of the intelligent 4WD and Terrain Management System alongside front recovery hook(S). The hooks are plural. However, everything I can find online says there is one hook. My car has one hook, it screws in on the passenger side, under the pop out cover.

Now, I know the hooks have been a topic on here plenty of times, but anybody have any clue what is going on here? Is there a hook I’m missing? Is Ford using the plural in a weird way? In other words, I’m confused by why the brochures all say hooks, but the car has hook.

 

[jo7hs2]

For the record, I think Ford is using the plural weirdly...like they mean the vehicles *all* have recovery hooks, but each vehicle has just one?

 

[peterk9]

For the record, I think Ford is using the plural weirdly...like they mean the vehicles *all* have recovery hooks, but each vehicle has just one?

It shows the same on the 2017 brochure. Also note that the "1" after the line item means "Restrictions may apply".

Peter

 

[jo7hs2]

Yeah, I caught the part about restrictions...but I viewed it more as the general catch all about certain options not always being available on certain trim levels and with other packages (I seem to recall the hill descent used to be like that, and on some Ford’s they restrict 4WD/AWD to certain trims or engine). That said, it is right after the hooks, and their formatting elsewhere suggests the footnote does go with whatever it is immediately attached to, not the sentence in general. It actually says the same thing back in many older brochures, not just 2017 and 2018.

My point is kinda that does ANY Explorer trim level come with two hooks (or more) hooks? As far as I can tell from looking at them on the lot, and online, and in forum posts, they all have one passenger side flush covered hook receptacle. If none of them have two, it isn’t a restriction. Lol.

It’s not a big deal, it’s just curious that they’d leave an error like that in the brochure for some many years.

That said, all car companies are terrible about keeping those things accurate, let alone up to date. When I bought my 2018 the brochure wasn’t even posted on Ford’s website yet, and I only knew they dropped the HD *rear* calipers from the XLT (and fogs from the base XLT package) because of the fleet order guide posted here. My dealer didn’t even know about the fog lamps, they thought the XLTs all had them (because they did in 2017) until we actually went and looked.

Basically, the only reason I care is because I’m wondering if maybe there is another one hiding somewhere we’ve been missing. Does ANYBODY, in any trim, model year, or whatnot, have two?

 

[bigtexan99]

Take a look at the actual bumper underneath the front fascia clip. Link -> dav

Looks like there is not a mount point for a "drivers side tow hook".

 

[jo7hs2]

Take a look at the actual bumper underneath the front fascia clip. Link -> dav

Looks like there is not a mount point for a "drivers side tow hook".

Guess there isn’t one. All I see is the passenger’s side receptacle.