Ford Escape Quiz
Towing Your Vehicle

Towing Precautions. Recreational Towing of Your Vehicle

In this manual: Towing Your Vehicle
Introduction — 1Symbol Glossary — 1Data Privacy — 7At a Glance — 1Child Safety — 11Seat Belts — 9Personal Safety System™ — 1Airbags — 8Pedestrian Warning System. 911 Assist — 1Keys and Remote Controls — 8MyKey™ — 5Doors & Locks — 5Keyless Entry — 6Easy Entry and Exit — 1Liftgate - Vehicles With: Manual Liftgate — 3Liftgate - Vehicles With: Power Liftgate — 6Safety — 4Steering Wheel — 1Wipers and Washers — 7Exterior Lighting — 8Interior Lighting — 4Windows — 3Interior Mirror — 1Exterior Mirrors — 1Sunroof (if equipped) — 4Instrument Cluster — 16Instrument Cluster Display — 14Trip Computer — 3Head-Up Display (If Equipped) — 1Remote Start — 5Climate Control — 7Cabin Air Quality — 1Front Seats — 5Rear Seats — 1Rear Seat Reminder — 1Memory Function — 1Garage Door Opener — 7USB Ports — 3Power Point - Vehicles With: 12V Outlet — 1Wireless Accessory Charger — 1Storage — 1Starting and Stopping the Engine — 9Hybrid Electric Vehicle Information — 6Auto Start-Stop — 1Fuel and Refueling — 10Catalytic Converter — 1High-Voltage Battery — 1Charging Your Vehicle – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) — 7Automatic Transmission — 8All-Wheel Drive — 1Brakes — 4Electric parking brake — 1Hill Start Assist — 1Auto Hold — 1Traction Control — 1Stability Control — 1Steering — 1Park Aid — 7Rearview Camera — 1Active Park Assist — 5Cruise Control — 1Adaptive Cruise Control — 10Drive Mode Control — 5Lane Keeping System — 6Blind Spot Information System — 5Cross-Traffic Alert — 5Pre-Collision Assist — 9Driver Alert — 4Traffic Sign Recognition — 4Loading — 6Cargo Area — 1Trailer Hitch Connection — 3Towing a Trailer — 4Trailer Sway Control — 1Driving Tips — 4Breakdown and Emergency Information — 7Towing Your Vehicle — 4Fuses — 4Maintenance — 14Vehicle Care — 5Body Styling Kits — 1Storing Your Vehicle — 1Wheels and Tires Information — 6Tire Care — 4Tire Sealant and Inflator Kit — 8Tire Pressure Monitoring System — 4Road Wheel Replacement — 1Capacities and Specifications — 16Vehicle Identification — 1Connected Vehicle — 4Vehicle Wi-Fi Hotspot — 3Audio System — 8SYNC™ (if equipped) — 9SYNC™ 3 (if equipped) — 41Accessories — 1Ford Protect — 1Scheduled Maintenance — 4Customer Information — 23Appendices — 3
8steps
~48min
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Towing Precautions

When towing your vehicle, observe the following guidelines. Failure to follow these instructions may result in vehicle damage not covered by the vehicle warranty.

Recreational Towing of Your Vehicle

Gasoline, All-Wheel Drive

You cannot tow your vehicle recreationally with all four wheels on the ground, as damage to the vehicle or transmission may occur. You must recreationally tow your vehicle with all four wheels off the ground, for example, by using a car carrier trailer. Otherwise, you cannot tow your vehicle.

Gasoline, Front-Wheel Drive

You cannot tow your vehicle recreationally with all four wheels on the ground, as damage to the vehicle or transmission may occur. Position the front wheels on a two-wheel tow dolly. If you use a tow dolly, follow the instructions provided by the equipment supplier.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) / Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

Follow these guidelines if you need to recreationally tow. An example of recreational towing is towing your vehicle behind a motorhome. These guidelines make sure you do not damage the powertrain.

You may tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground under the following conditions:

  • You enable neutral tow mode.
  • Your vehicle is facing forward for straight-ahead towing.
  • You release the parking brake.
  • Do not exceed a speed of 70 mph (113 km/h).

Enabling Neutral Tow Mode

  1. Turn the vehicle to accessory mode.
  2. Press the menu button on the steering wheel to enter the information display main menu.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Select Neutral Tow .
  5. Follow the instructions on the information display.
  6. Fully press the brake pedal.
  7. Shift into Neutral (N).
  8. Turn the ignition off.

Test yourself

A quick Ford Escape quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.