2018 - missing cover or missing tow hook?

Noticed this hole under my car near the rear passenger tire. Seems to be asking for a cover, but then earlier year's owners are reporting that's where a tow hook is on their cars. Did Nissan stop installing them on 2018 and should there be a cover there? Could somebody with 2018 look under their car? Thank you!

Reagle: Sorry, I don't have an answer for you, but your post prompted me to search for "recovery hook" using 2011 thru 2018 "Leaf Owner Manual"s.

It clearly existed in that documentation from 2011-2015. In 2016-2017 the front access panel on the front left is shown, but no mention of a "recovery hook", so don't know if one actually comes with those cars -- and if not whether one from an older Leaf could even be used after removing that small access panel.

In the 2017 Leaf, you can see the front tow hook at 4:40 into this video, and the rear loop at 5:00. It looks different from your photo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJa_Z_00Nw


In your photo, it looks like there is a threaded hole facing downwards. The hole doesn't look big enough for a tow hook (you should be able to stick a finger in a tow-hook hole). And it's pointed in the wrong direction. Imagine a tow-hook like a giant"screw eye" pointed 7 inches straight down. Imagine that the car is stuck in the mud, down a 45-degree freeway embankment. Pulling on the end of such a tow hook would just turn the tow hook bolt into a 7 inch lever, which would put a twisting torque onto the frame member.

It seems more likely that those vertical bolt holes you see could be for mounting a trailer hitch.

Mine doesn't have a cover either - SL model in Canada.