Using tow straps

Tow straps are ropes or webbed straps with metal hooks on the end. They come in handy if you need help getting out of a bind (such as a ditch or a snow bank). Attaching them to the Focus can be tricky.

The tow attachment is usually used for loading the car onto a flatbed, or to tie the car down on a delivery trailer. The attachments come in handy for tow straps, too. They're oddly placed. Use caution when towing, and always make sure that the tow strap is in good condition. Stay clear of the strap by remaining inside the vehicle when you're pulling or being pulled.

Tow straps are only to be used to assist in getting un-stuck, or for loading or securing a vehicle onto a trailer or flat-bed. Use of excessive force or pulling at an angle may result in damage to one or both vehicles and injury or death. Do not try to transport a vehicle by towing it on the road with a tow strap. This is unsafe, and in many places, this is illegal. FocusHacks disclaimer applies. Do this at your own risk.

1st and 2nd generation Focus (2000-2011)

The front tow attachments are located near the front of the wheel well, behind the radiator frame. Photographed here is a tow strap hooked to the passenger side attachment, near the air conditioner accumulator/dryer.

The rear tow attachments are located directly behind the bumper. Pictured here is the attachment near the exhaust outlet.

3rd generation Focus (2012 and newer)

I could find no front tow strap attachment point on my 2012 Focus SE Hatchback. If I were stuck and required a tug from the front, I would loop the tow strap around the hole in the lower control arm as shown below. I would honestly avoid towing this car from the front if it could be avoided. Consider getting the alignment checked after doing it this way.

The rear tow attachments are located directly behind the bumper, but are loops cut into in the frame and the exhaust hanger brackets. Pictured here are both the rear attachments