Towing an AWD or 4WD vehicle

The rule that covers nearly every all-wheel drive vehicle on the road: never tow it with only two wheels on the ground. Either all four wheels are off the ground — on a flatbed — or, for a small number of vehicles whose manuals specifically allow it, all four stay down. Two up and two down is the combination that causes expensive damage.

This applies to all-wheel drive and to full-time four-wheel drive. It matters because an AWD vehicle looks exactly like a front-wheel drive one to a passer-by, and a tow booked without mentioning it can arrive with the wrong equipment.

Why two wheels down is the problem

In an AWD vehicle, all four wheels are connected to the drivetrain through a centre differential or a transfer case. Lifting two of them does not disconnect the other two — it just means two wheels are turning and two are not.

That difference is exactly what a centre differential exists to absorb in small amounts over short moments. Sustained for miles, with no engine running to drive the lubrication pump, it becomes heat and wear in components that were never meant to work that way unlubricated.

The same underlying issue makes automatic transmissions vulnerable to being towed on their drive wheels, which is covered in flatbed versus wheel lift towing. In an AWD vehicle it is worse, because there is no pair of wheels you can lift that leaves the drivetrain out of it.

What manufacturers actually say

Manufacturer procedures vary more than the internet suggests, and the detail is worth knowing.

Subaru is a useful example because it is common on Oklahoma roads. Dealer guidance summarising Subaru’s owner’s manual procedure is that a flatbed is the recommended method. Certain manual-transmission models can be towed with all four wheels on the ground, with the transmission in neutral and the steering unlocked. For automatic and CVT models, flat towing is not recommended — a flatbed or full trailer with all wheels off the ground is specified instead.

Note what is consistent across both cases: either four wheels up or four wheels down. Never two.

Other manufacturers word it differently, and some are more restrictive still — BMW’s manuals, for instance, instruct against towing with all four wheels on the ground at all.

Check your own manual, and where to find it

Your vehicle’s manual is the authority here, not a general article — including this one. The section is usually called Towing, Emergency towing, or Vehicle recovery, and it is often near the back with the roadside information.

No manual in the glovebox? Every major manufacturer publishes them free on their owner site, usually searchable by VIN. Two minutes on your phone while you wait for the truck is a good use of the time, and if it says something unexpected, tell the driver.

Electric and hybrid vehicles

EVs deserve their own mention because the rule is usually even tighter.

An electric motor is coupled to the drive wheels and most EVs have no true mechanical neutral that disconnects it. Turning the wheels turns the motor, which generates current with nothing set up to receive it, and the cooling system is not running. Manufacturers across the board — Tesla, Rivian, Ford, GM, Hyundai and others — specify transport with all four wheels off the ground, and towing an EV with wheels down can affect the powertrain warranty.

Many EVs also have a transport or tow mode that must be engaged before the vehicle is moved, which typically requires the vehicle to still have some charge. If your EV is dead flat, mention it on the phone.

Hybrids vary considerably. Some are effectively conventional; some behave like EVs. Check the manual.

What about tow dollies?

A dolly lifts the remaining two wheels, making it a four-wheels-up tow, and in principle solves the problem. In practice many manufacturers specifically exclude dolly towing for AWD vehicles, so it is not a dependable substitute.

We do not run dollies. We run flatbeds, which put all four wheels on the deck with no drivetrain rotation at all and no manufacturer caveats to check.

Tell the operator before the truck is dispatched

This is the practical bit. When you call, say:

• Year, make and model
• That it is AWD or 4WD — explicitly, not as an afterthought
• Whether it is electric or hybrid
• Whether it rolls, steers and will come out of park
• Anything your manual says that surprised you

Then ask the question that settles it: will any wheels be on the ground during the tow? For an AWD vehicle the answer should be no.

What to have ready when you call covers the rest of the information that makes the call quick.

If it has already been towed the wrong way

If you suspect a vehicle was towed with two wheels down, have the drivetrain looked at — centre differential, transfer case and transmission — rather than waiting for a symptom. Note the date, the company and the distance. Damage of this kind does not always announce itself immediately.