Circles/squares on your Mazda are not for towing or pulling onto flatbed

That's pretty much general car knowledge.. when you do that you are pulling the car by the bumper, and it's off center. Why would you risk fatiguing your actual bumper (which is specifically designed to crumple) instead of using the real hardened tow points, which are big eyelets on the frame rails just behind the front tire.

Thanks for the info, I had no idea those existed.

The bumper eyelet is a last ditch or wrecked car item. Any tow truck driver who dives for the bumper tow hook first is either a noob, or doesn't care about the integrity of your vehicle. That being said, it's no surprise that the cars don't include them anymore as it's just something for someone to use incorrectly.

Yes, and that's exactly what I've been trying to say (and what Mazda says too, according to the manual, their CS, their parts database, and the Mazda service rep who referenced the parts database when I bought the towing eyelet). IMO this is something that would be used if the usual tow points were not accessible and the tow truck driver had no other means to recover the vehicle. Or as you mentioned, if the tow truck driver wanted to load an already compromised/wrecked vehicle and get it off the road as quickly as possible.
 
Part of the problem here is basic terminology. "Towing" and "recovery" are not interchangeable.

OF COURSE no one should "tow" their car using the eyelets.

But if you're stuck in ditch and there's no tow truck, and you've got to get out NOW, you might consider using the eyelet just for recovery. Or not.

Mazda has conflicting interests when telling you how/when/if to use those eyelets, and perhaps didn't fully reconcile them before revising the documentation. Liability concerns vs. full and honest information. "You can't handle the truth!"
 
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Thanks for the diagram.
97 Honda Valkyrie Tourer.
Have fun. Ride safe.
 
Chris, do you know for sure if that also applies to KFs?
 
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