First of all, the owner only borrows money from the loan company with the car mortgage, and the legal relationship with the car loan company is: the loan mortgage contract.
Secondly, if the owner fails to repay the mortgage within the time limit, the loan company can sue for repayment and seal up the mortgage. According to the relevant provisions of the Civil Procedure Law, any unit or individual who illegally occupies other people's property to collect debts shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law, and the auto loan company has no right to seize the car. The legal way should be that the loan company brings a lawsuit to the court, and then the court takes property preservation measures to seal up the car, and then the court makes a judgment. No unit or individual has the right to tow the car by force, so this can explain why they were towed without your knowledge, because it is illegal.