The short answer
An all-wheel-drive car sends power to both axles through a set of parts that keeps the front and rear wheels linked. When a tow truck lifts one end and lets the other end roll down the road, one pair of wheels is spinning at highway speed while the other pair is standing still. The drivetrain tries to reconcile that difference the whole trip, with the engine off and nothing pumping oil to the parts doing the work.
A flatbed avoids the problem completely because none of the wheels turn. That is why so many owner's manuals for AWD cars, crossovers and SUVs tell you to transport the vehicle with all four wheels off the ground. Here in Central Ohio, where a large share of the crossovers in any Polaris or Easton parking lot are AWD, that advice applies to a lot of drivers who may not realize their car has it.
What actually happens inside the drivetrain
Every AWD design needs some way to let the front and rear axles turn at slightly different speeds, because the wheels travel different paths in a turn. Depending on the car, that job falls to a center differential, a viscous coupling, or an electronically controlled clutch pack, often paired with a transfer case or power take-off unit that splits torque between the axles.
Those parts are designed for small speed differences measured over short moments, like going around a corner. A two-wheel tow creates a total speed difference, sustained for miles. One axle is turning at 55 mph and the other at zero.
- A viscous coupling heats its internal fluid as it tries to lock the two axles together, and enough heat can break the fluid down or damage the plates.
- Clutch-pack couplings slip continuously, wearing friction material the way a dragging brake would.
- Open center differentials let the turning axle spin the internal gears constantly, often without the lubrication they get when the car is driven.
- In many automatic transmissions the fluid pump only runs when the engine runs, so internal parts can turn dry while the car rolls behind a truck.
What the damage looks like later
The frustrating part is that a car usually comes off a bad tow looking fine. Problems tend to surface days or weeks later: a shudder or binding feeling on tight turns in a parking lot, a whine or clunk from the middle or back of the car, a warning light for the AWD system, or a transmission that shifts harshly. By then it can be hard to connect the symptom to the tow.
Repairs to a transfer case, coupling or transmission are rarely cheap, and an insurance claim for tow damage depends on proving what happened. Avoiding the problem is far easier than arguing over it. If you suspect a past tow hurt your drivetrain, an independent shop can check fluid condition and test the AWD system; our transmission repair page describes how we can get the car to a partner shop for diagnosis.
How to tell if your car is all-wheel drive
Plenty of drivers do not know, especially with used cars or crossovers that came in both front-drive and AWD versions. Check a few places before you need a tow, so you can answer the dispatcher's question with confidence.
- Badges on the trunk or tailgate, such as AWD, 4WD, 4x4, quattro, xDrive, 4MATIC, 4MOTION or SH-AWD.
- The window sticker or original listing, if you still have it.
- The owner's manual towing section, which will say plainly whether the car may be towed with any wheels on the ground.
- A quick look under the car at the rear axle: if a driveshaft runs to a differential between the rear wheels on a car-based crossover, it is very likely AWD.
- Some brands make AWD standard on most models, so if you drive one, assume it until you confirm otherwise.
Loading an AWD car that will not roll
Getting an all-wheel-drive car onto a deck is simple when it starts and shifts. The harder calls are the ones where the car is stuck in Park with a dead battery, sitting in a tight garage stall, or nosed into a snowbank after a January slide off a Westerville side street. In each case the goal is the same: move the car without forcing any wheel to turn against the drivetrain.
When a car cannot be shifted to neutral, the operator places wheel skates under the locked tires so they ride on small casters instead of scraping. If the battery is the only problem, a boost may be enough to release the shifter and the electronic parking brake, which makes loading quicker. For a car buried in snow or mud, a controlled winch pull straight onto the deck is gentler than trying to drive it out with spinning tires.
Clearance is the other variable. Many AWD sports sedans and lowered wagons have deep front spoilers that catch on the deck edge. Longer ramps or wood blocks lower the angle, and our low-profile towing page explains how we handle those cars.
- Tell the dispatcher if the car will not shift, start or roll.
- Mention a lowered suspension, body kit or splitter before the truck leaves.
- Give the location honestly: a parking garage with a height limit changes the plan.
What about wheel-lifts and dollies?
A wheel-lift truck cradles one axle and tows on the other. It is a useful tool for front-wheel-drive cars in tight spaces, and our wheel-lift towing page explains where that style makes sense and why our own fleet stays with flatbeds. For AWD, a wheel-lift is only acceptable if the rolling end sits on a set of dollies, which means every tire is lifted anyway. Dollies add steps, small tires and more chances for something to shift on a bump.
Some part-time four-wheel-drive trucks with a manual transfer case can be flat-towed in neutral behind a motorhome, but that is a specific procedure in the manual, not a general rule. Do not assume your crossover has the same allowance.
Since every truck we run is a flatbed carrier, the question never comes up on our calls. The car rolls or is winched onto the deck, gets strapped by the tires, and rides with nothing turning. Details are on our flatbed towing page.
Questions to ask any towing company
If you call someone else, ask directly whether they will send a flatbed, and say your car is AWD before the truck is dispatched rather than after it arrives. A company that answers vaguely, or says a wheel-lift is fine because the trip is short, is giving you a reason to keep calling around. Our checklist for choosing a towing company covers the other questions worth asking.
The same reasoning extends to electric cars, many of which are AWD and also have motors that generate power when the wheels turn. Our guide to towing an electric car goes into those extra steps.
On price, a flatbed tow with us costs the same as any other tow on the standard card: a $125 hook-up, $4 per mile en route from the yard and $7 per loaded mile. Highway, night and weekend surcharges are spelled out on our rates page. There is no extra fee for having AWD.