QuestionQUESTION: Can towing a front wheel drive vehicle from the back cause transmission issues?
ANSWER: Yes it can, HOWEVER it also depends on how far it is towed... Some vehicles have a very short distance that they can be towed backwards (measured in feet) verses some which can go a few miles...
If you want specific information on your vehicle and what the limits are, then you can check out
www.towspec.com
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QUESTION: I have a 2001 Ford Focus 4cininder automatic front wheel drive. I broke down because my rear wheel bearings on the passenger side broke. So I had to get the car towed home. The tow truck driver came to the car and got in and drove the car forwards and backwards a few times to see if he could hear or feel what was wrong. He then informed me that the back was the problem and that he was going to tow from the back with the front tires down and pulling the car backwards. He towed my car about 30 miles to my house. When we got back to my house the front drivers side brakes were locked up and smoking. The tow truck driver said that it would be ok. So I pulled my car about 100 feet ahead to park it and then two days later my brother had a chance to look at the car and pulled it forward into the pit and unlocked the front break and looked at the wheel bearing. We had to order parts so we went to back the car out of the pit to park it and the car would not move we had to push the car backwards and my brother then informed me that the reverse is not working, that when in reverse the car was like it was in neutral. So we called the tow truck driver up and he said that there was nothing that he did that would have messed up anything with my gears or transmission but we could bring it in and he would look at it (he owns a garage also). A few days later my father fixed the rear wheel bearing and we decided that we were going to take the car down to the tow truck driver and let him take a look at it. Once we got the car onto the main road we then noticed that the car would not go past second gear. So we brought the car home. We went to talk to the tow truck driver and he again stated that nothing that he has done was the cause of this.
Anyone that I have talked to about this situation that deals with cars or works on cars has informed me that a car that is front wheel drive should never be towed with the front wheels down. The car has been taken to a transmission specialist and I have to wait until Monday for them to look at it. I am just afraid because this tow truck driver is the one that took the car to the specialist and they are friends that they will stick together and tell me that he did nothing wrong.
Before I had my car towed I have not had any problems with the transmission.
My basic question is in your expert opinion was towing this car the way it was towed the most likely reason that my transmission is broke?
AnswerAs I really hate to get involved in Legal issues dealing with towing damage claims, I know (via reference books - tow instruction manuals and such) that the recommended rules for towing a ford Focus from the rear are 0 mph and 0 miles for both an automatic and manual transmission as this is well published by Ford and also AAA...
It kind of sounds to me that the driver was not that well trained and knowledgeable (DO NOT JUMP HERE cause there are about 15,000 vehicles we have to know the rules and requirements for towing on.)
Bye the way for information the 2003 AAA towing manual is 470 + pages and the 2005 manual is over 790 pages of information.. So you can see that its a heck of a job to keep informed..
Did he cause the damage, I would have to say yes he did based on what you have told me here... The proper way for the vehicle to be handled with both a bad rear wheel bearing and a front wheel drive issue would of been the use to dollies and or a Flatbed tow truck to safely do the tow...
I am going to go out on a limb and say the transmission shop will be honest and they will make the correct call...But you can never know..
As I mentioned before you had the link to the one online towing information site (www.towspec.com).. If push comes to shove, you can always print out the instructions and show them it... Remember that at times you will have to treat this issue like you are in court... Proof is what is needed, and that will help win the case for you .
Hope this helps more.
