Atlanta roadside guide
Can an AWD vehicle be towed?
Yes. But how it is towed matters enormously, and this is one of the few places where a bad decision by a tow driver costs thousands of dollars rather than a scratch.
- AWD and 4WD vehicles should generally be towed with all four wheels off the ground — flatbed, or dollies under the trailing axle.
- Towing with two driven wheels rolling can damage a transfer case, differential or coupling.
- Tell the tow company the drivetrain when you call. It decides which truck is sent.
- If you are not sure whether your car is AWD, say that — it is a normal answer.
Why it matters mechanically
On a front-wheel-drive car, lifting the front wheels means the driven wheels are off the ground and nothing in the drivetrain is being turned by the road. Simple.
On an all-wheel-drive vehicle, the front and rear axles are connected through a transfer case, a centre differential or a coupling. If two wheels are rolling along the road while the vehicle is switched off, those rolling wheels turn parts of that system — sometimes without the oil pump that would normally be lubricating it, since the engine is not running. Do that for a few miles at highway speed and you can cook components that cost far more than the tow did.
The precise tolerance varies by manufacturer, and some vehicles do have a specified flat-tow procedure in the owner's manual. But no tow driver at the roadside is going to research your specific model at eleven at night, and they should not have to. The safe default — all four wheels up — is safe for everything.
The two correct methods
Flatbed. The whole vehicle goes on the deck. Nothing turns. This is the default and the cleanest answer. More on flatbed towing.
Wheel-lift plus dollies. Two wheels are lifted by the yoke, and the other two go up onto dollies — small wheeled platforms that let the car be transported without those wheels turning. This is how an AWD vehicle gets out of a parking deck where a flatbed cannot fit. It takes longer to set up and it needs the driver to be carrying dollies, which is exactly why it must be known before dispatch.
The method to avoid
A plain wheel-lift with two driven wheels rolling on the road. For a short, slow reposition — a few feet in a car park — this is a different conversation. For an actual tow, it is the thing you are trying to avoid.
"I don't know if my car is all-wheel drive"
Entirely normal, especially with a hire car or a vehicle you have not owned long. Some pointers:
- Badging is the easiest clue — AWD, 4MATIC, quattro, xDrive, 4Motion, SH-AWD, Symmetrical AWD and similar all mean all-wheel drive.
- Many crossovers and SUVs are sold in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions, so the model name alone does not settle it.
- The owner's manual and the door-jamb sticker often tell you.
- If you genuinely cannot tell, say so. A good dispatcher will either work it out from the year, make and model or send a flatbed, which is safe either way.
What you should not do is guess and hope. "I think it's front-wheel drive" is how the wrong truck gets sent.
What about four-wheel drive?
Broadly the same caution. Some traditional 4WD vehicles with a proper transfer case and a neutral position can be flat-towed, and some manufacturers publish a procedure for it. Some hybrids and EVs have their own restrictions entirely — several must never be towed with driven wheels on the ground because of the motors and the regenerative system. Again: flatbed is the answer that is correct for all of them.
The one sentence that saves you
When you call, say: "It's a [year] [make] [model], and it's all-wheel drive." That single sentence sends the right truck, with the right equipment, the first time. It is the cheapest insurance in this entire trade.
Common follow-ups
My AWD car was towed with two wheels down. Is it damaged?
Possibly, and it depends on distance, speed and the vehicle. A short, slow move is very different from thirty miles at highway speed. If it was a long tow, it is worth having the drivetrain inspected — and worth raising with the company that did it, promptly.
Can you tow my AWD car out of a parking deck?
Yes — wheel-lift with dollies, since a flatbed cannot get under the clearance bar. Tell dispatch it is AWD and that it is in a deck, because that combination is what determines the kit the driver loads before leaving.
Is my electric car different?
Often yes, and more strictly. Many EVs must be transported with all wheels off the ground, and some manufacturers are explicit that towing with wheels down can damage the drive motors. Say it is an EV when you call.
Need this handled right now? Julius Towing dispatches across East Point, Atlanta, College Park, Hapeville, East Atlanta and the metro Atlanta area.