General Information: Notes
If the vehicle needs to be towed, call a professional towing service. It is very dangerous to tow a vehicle with just a rope or chain.
Emergency Towing
There are three popular methods of towing a vehicle:
- Flat-bed Towing
The operator loads the vehicle on the back of truck. This is the best way to transport the vehicle.
- Wheel Lift Towing
The tow truck uses two pivoting arms that go under the tires of the driving axle and lift them off the ground. The other two wheels remain on the ground.
- Towing with slings
The tow truck uses metal cables with hooks on the ends. These hooks go around parts of the frame or suspension, and the cables lift that end of the vehicle off the ground. The vehicle's suspension and body can be seriously damaged if this method of towing is attempted.
If the vehicle cannot be transported by the flat-bed towing, it should be towed with the wheels of the driving axle off the ground.
Manual Transaxle
- Release the parking brake.
- Shift the Transaxle to neutral
Automatic Transaxle
- Release the parking brake.
- Start the engine.
- Shift to [D] position, then [N] position.
- Turn off the engine.
- The vehicle equipped with full-time 4WD should be only transported on a flat-bed.
- The CVT vehicles should be only transported on a flat-bed or towed by wheel lift towing which the wheels of the driving axle are lifted off the ground.
- Improper towing preparation will damage the transaxle. Follow the procedure above exactly. If you cannot shift the transaxle or start the engine (automatic transaxle), your vehicle must be transported on a flatbed.
- It is the best to tow vehicle no farther than 30 km (19 miles), and keep the speed below 50 km/h (30 mph). (For the CVT and full-time 4WD (CVT/AT) vehicles, limit the towing distance and speed to 1.5 km (1 mile) and 15 km/h (10 mph).)
- Trying to lift or tow your vehicle by the bumpers will cause serious damage to the vehicle. The bumpers are not designed to support the vehicle's weight.
[Front]
[Rear]