Why dragging an AWD vehicle can damage it

On a two wheel drive car, the wheels that are not driven can roll freely all day. On an all wheel drive vehicle, all four wheels are tied together through a transfer case or center differential that expects them to turn at nearly the same speed, or at least to share the work the way the system was designed to.

Tow that vehicle with the front wheels lifted and the rear wheels rolling, and the rolling wheels keep driving their axle. The transfer case or center coupling gets forced to handle a big speed difference between axles for mile after mile, often without the lubrication and cooling it gets when the engine is running and the vehicle is driving normally. Heat builds up, clutches and viscous couplings wear or seize, and transmissions and differentials that were fine before the tow can come out of it damaged. The repair bill for that kind of damage makes the tow look cheap.

Most manufacturers say the same thing in the owner's manual: AWD vehicles should be towed with all four wheels off the ground. It is worth following.

Which vehicles this covers

• Subarus. Nearly every Subaru sold is all wheel drive, and Pueblo and the mountains are full of Outbacks, Foresters, and Crosstreks. Flatbed, every time.
• AWD crossovers and SUVs from every major brand, including the ones badged as intelligent or on demand AWD. If it can send power to all four wheels, treat it as AWD for towing.
• Full time 4WD SUVs and trucks that cannot be switched fully into two wheel drive with the transfer case in neutral.
• Part time 4x4 trucks are simpler: many can be towed safely once the transfer case is in neutral and the setup is right, but a flatbed removes all doubt, and some models still call for it. Say what you drive when you call.
• Dual motor electric vehicles. Many EVs have a motor at each axle and no way to freewheel, and their manuals call for flatbed transport as well. The same rule applies: all four wheels up.

The right way to move one

A flatbed tow is the standard answer. The vehicle is winched or rolled up the deck, secured at the wheels, and rides flat with the drivetrain completely at rest. Nothing turns, nothing heats up, and distance does not matter, which also makes it the right setup for a long distance tow up I-25.

If a flatbed truly is not available, the fallback is a wheel lift truck with dollies under the wheels left on the ground, so all four tires still ride off the pavement. It works, and it is far better than dragging the vehicle. But a flatbed is simpler and kinder, and it is what we will send for an AWD call.

Questions worth asking any tow company

• Will my vehicle ride with all four wheels off the ground?
• If a wheel lift truck is coming, will it bring dollies for the down wheels?
• What is the full price, set before the truck rolls?

If a company shrugs at the first question, call a different one. On this site the price point is covered openly in the towing cost guide, and flatbed work is priced by distance and loading, confirmed on the phone like every other tow.

What to tell us when you call

• That the vehicle is AWD or 4x4, and the year, make, and model.
• Whether it rolls and steers, and whether it can be put in neutral.
• Where it is: pavement in town, a driveway in Pueblo West, or a shoulder on I-25 or US 50.
• Where it needs to go.

For a breakdown that cannot wait, this is the same crew that handles emergency towing across the area. One call, the right truck, no drivetrain gamble.