Can you tow an AWD vehicle with two wheels on the ground?

The short answer: usually not

An all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicle sends power to all four wheels. If a tow truck lifts only the front or only the rear, the wheels still on the road turn while the lifted ones don’t, and the parts that link the two axles are forced to work against each other.

Carmakers are blunt about it. Subaru’s own warning says never to tow an AWD vehicle with the front wheels raised and the rear wheels on the ground, or the other way round, because the center differential can cause the vehicle to spin away (Subaru TechTIPS, June 2023). In other words, the car can pull itself off the truck.

So for most AWD and four-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicles the answer is a flatbed, or a wheel-lift with dollies under the other axle so all four wheels are off the road.

What the manuals say

These are the instructions from manufacturer documents we checked. Your own owner’s manual is the final word for your model and year; look for the towing section, often in the chapter on emergencies.

Sources: Subaru, Toyota, Kia AWD, Kia EV, Tesla.

Subaru does allow many of its manual-transmission models to be towed with all four wheels on the ground, in neutral with the steering unlocked. That is a different thing from a wheel-lift tow. The rule about never lifting only one axle still applies.

Why it matters: the center differential

Every car has to let its wheels turn at slightly different speeds in a corner. An AWD system also has to let the front and rear axles turn at different speeds, which is the job of a center differential or coupling. When one axle is lifted and the other is rolling down the road, that part is asked to handle a speed difference it was never meant to carry for miles.

Toyota’s manual spells out the result for its Tacoma pickup: towing with the tires on the ground can damage the drivetrain and related parts, and on 4WD models the vehicle may fly off the truck (Toyota). Notice that Toyota asks for all four wheels off the ground on the 2WD Tacoma too. Don’t assume a two-wheel-drive truck is exempt.

Hybrids and electric vehicles

With a hybrid or electric vehicle there is a second problem. The wheels are connected to an electric motor, and turning that motor makes electricity whether or not the car is switched on.

• Kia’s manual says that if an electric vehicle is towed with the drive wheels on the ground, the motor may generate electricity, damage components or cause a fire (Kia).
• Subaru’s bulletin lists the 2019-and-newer Crosstrek Hybrid as flatbed only and recommends a flatbed for the Solterra (Subaru).
• Tesla’s owner’s manual recommends a flatbed. If one isn’t available, it calls for wheel lifts and dollies so all four wheels are off the ground, and the US Model Y manual limits that method to 35 miles (Tesla).

Some electric cars, Tesla among them, have a tow or transport mode that lets the car roll while it is winched onto a flatbed or moved out of a parking space. It is for loading and short moves, not for towing down the road. Your manual explains how to turn it on, and the tow operator may ask you to do it.

When dollies are a good alternative

Dollies are small wheeled platforms that go under the axle a wheel-lift doesn’t raise. With a wheel-lift at one end and dollies at the other, all four wheels are off the road, which Toyota, Kia and Tesla all accept.

Dollies are useful when a flatbed can’t reach the car: a parking garage with a low ceiling, a tight alley or a crowded lot. The truck pulls the car out on the wheel-lift and dollies, and if the trip is long, the car can then go on a flatbed. Tesla’s 35-mile limit on dollies is a reminder that they are meant for shorter moves.

What to tell the dispatcher

When you call for a tow in Toledo, say all of this up front so the right truck is sent the first time:

• Year, make and model, and that it is AWD, 4x4, hybrid or electric. If you are not sure, the model name is enough for the dispatcher to check.
• Ask for a flatbed, or a wheel-lift with dollies if the car is somewhere a flatbed can’t fit.
• Whether it rolls, steers and goes into neutral (or tow mode), and whether you have the key or fob.
• Where it is going, with the address. A long trip is a reason to insist on a flatbed.
• Any damage: a flat tire, a locked wheel or crash damage can change what equipment is needed.

A flatbed costs the same as any other tow with some operators and more with others; ask for the total before the car is loaded. See flatbed towing in Toledo, long-distance towing for a trip to a dealer in another city, or emergency towing if you are stuck on a roadside right now. Call (419) 329-4502 and your request goes to a local provider.

For the bigger picture on truck types, read flatbed vs. wheel-lift towing. If you drive an AWD car on the Ohio Turnpike, the Turnpike breakdown guide explains who tows there and what to tell them.