We’ve all heard it. Don’t use the loops under the bumper for recovery. Get some aftermarket recovery points, preferably rated, or a winch bumper. I know the owner's manual says the loops may be used for towing short distances on smooth ground. I’ve heard all the warnings, but what I haven’t heard is accounts of actual incidents of damage. So if you’ve experienced any then sing out!

If you haven’t experienced any damage using tow loops for recovery,
kindly do not sing out.​

I've used them to pull people out that got highcentered on the beach. Nice and easy and you are probably going to be fine.

I wouldn't use a kinetic rope on them though.

Worst case is the weld breaks and the loop and shackle is shot out at the other truck at unfriendly speed, so be careful.

you won't find any accounts of those 'tie downs' breaking because they are perfectly suitable for recovery. if you do anything with enough stupidity something will break even an aftermarket recovery point. I also have not heard of ONE SINGLE incident where: they loops got bent, broken, or the radiator support or whatever they are attached to gets damaged.

you can even use a bridle to distribute load. yes I realize they aren't rated by toyota but that doesn't mean they can't be used. companies will sell products claiming that the toyota loops aren't safe and that the recovery points they are selling are rated etc. nothing wrong with that but we mustn't always believe the marketing fluff

there's a video of matts off road recovery pulling a 4runner sideways through heavy mud with just one of those loops. and it was a 4th gen 4runner which I believe has a less beefy tow loop. those welds are strong and is solid rod welded straight through. there are two things though that I like about aftermarket recovery points: added insurance from a break and they are easier to access for a shackle but the cost of them is just ridiculous, I can live without them

The Next Cry Baby - Toyota 4Runner - YouTube

I have wondered this exact question myself. I may buy aftermarket front recovery points later. I bought a good shackle block for the rear.

Anyone who says that has no idea what they're talking about. The OEM loops are welded on both sides of a fully boxed frame section, and have internal bracing.

Can you analyze the tie down hooks and provide a strength rating with an engineering stamp? After that can you provide a scenario specific rigging plan proving none of the recovery gear is going to exceed its limits?

That's what the recovery professionals do and that's why from a legal standpoint they would tell you not to use these hooks. 4x4 recovery groups get criticized for being slow and methodical during their recoveries but they are reviewing this info and running through scenarios and safest methods.

Thanks everyone for your replies so far.

Yes. The loops are >⅝ inches thick, go all the way through the front frame member, and are welded 360° front and back for a total of 8 inches of weld per loop. Barring severe rust issues they are not pulling out.

Ive seen plenty of recovery videos and I haven’t seen anyone break out a calculator once. ;-) While I’m no engineer, I do have 25 years of experience as a rigger. And though rigging methodology employs less math and more rules of thumb, after a while one develops a spider-sense. And my spider-sense tells me that an aftermarket recovery point like those offered by Treaty Oak is not as strong as the factory loops (especially when pulling at an angle), and that the one offered by Apex Overland is probably stronger than factory. But I also have a hunch that the factory loops come under the heading of “plenty strong enough.” It would be great if we, the end users, had the ability to determine a rating for the factory loops, or for the frame and threads that the aftermarket offerings mount to. But we don’t. What we do have is individual experiences that we can share. Hence the question:

Has anyone suffered damage using the factory tie-down loops for a recovery?

I’m not looking for a debate or fight here. What I’m trying to do is discover if the weakness in the factory loops that cause folks to purchase aftermarket recovery points is real or imagined. I’ve heard a lot about the possibility of a failure, but I’ve never actually heard of one.

First, your nomenclature is wrong. They are not tie down points used when the vehicle is put on a ship to the US or on trucks for shipping to a dealer. The real tie down points are always oval holes in the frame that a hook is put through.

You will find the 4Runner real tie down points just behind the front sway bar mount, and just in front of the rear trailing arm.

Thus, the loops on the front are put there for towing/recovery. I’m sure the engineers at the factory made them strong enough for their intended purpose.

Did they design the front loops strong enough for most non-snatch recoveries? Apparently so, we never hear of problems with them. Did Toyota feel confidently enough in them to call them a normal tow point or give them a rated working load limit? Nope. Manual calls them "emergency towing eyelets" and provides the following language: "If a tow truck is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be temporarily towed using cables or chains secured to the emergency towing eyelet(s). This should only be attempted on hard-surfaced roads for at most 50 miles (80 km) at under 18 mph (30 km/h)."

Maybe this was already stated, but for liability purposes Toyota did not want to call them recovery points. I would use them if they provided a better angle than my LoPro bumper recovery points.
Watch this video starting at 7:00 and watch the LoPro briefly pull away from the grill due to the moment applied in a dynamic kinetic pull. SUB $200 KINETIC RECOVERY ROPE SHOOTOUT | K72 ROPES, DEADMAN OFFROAD, IRONMAN 4X4, VICOFFROAD - YouTube

Wow. I was amazed at how much that winch bumper pulled away. But I don’t want to get lost in the weeds here. Remember the point of this thread: Let’s hear from people who have experienced damage using the factory loops for recovery. So far that number is zero.

can aftermarket bolt on kits provide engineering or do you just go with "these are off road rated"

i buried ours to the frame rails front to back, the entire 4runner. guess what we used to yank it out.

I understand and would like to see if someone had a fail. I’m going to be surprised if there are any, other than maybe a bent D-ring, which would render it useless, IMO.