Towing a Disabled Vehicle

To transport a disabled vehicle to a service station, contact a specialized service that has the necessary equipment, tow trucks and car carriers for disabled vehicles. Do not tow a disabled vehicle with another vehicle using a flexible tow bar. This is very dangerous.

In practice, three methods are used to transport a disabled vehicle.

Transporting a disabled vehicle on a flatbed tow truck — The vehicle is loaded with all four wheels on the deck of a specialized flatbed tow truck. This method is the best for your vehicle.

Towing a disabled vehicle with partial loading — The vehicle is raised by its two front wheels onto the lifting arms of the tow truck. The other two wheels rest on the road surface. This towing method is permitted for your vehicle.

Towing a disabled vehicle with cables — The disabled vehicle is connected to the tow truck with metal cables with hooks. The cables are hooked around suspension and body components, then the front or rear of the vehicle is lifted with the cables so that only two wheels rest on the road. This can cause serious damage to the suspension or body. Therefore, this transport method is not acceptable for your vehicle.

If loading the vehicle fully onto a flatbed tow truck is not possible, tow it with the rear wheels on the road. Only if this is not possible (for example, due to damage) is the vehicle towed with the front wheels on the road. In this case, perform the following:

Manual transmission:

Release the parking brake.

Move the shift lever to the neutral position.

i-SHIFT (manual transmission with automated shift mode)

Release the parking brake.

Turn the ignition key to the ON (II) position (ignition on).

Shift the transmission into neutral (N).

Make sure the N symbol is displayed on the shift lever position indicator.

Turn the ignition key to the ACCESSORY (I) position.

WARNING

Failure to follow the above instructions when preparing the vehicle for towing will result in transmission damage.

Follow the instructions exactly. If you cannot shift the transmission, the disabled vehicle should be transported only on the flatbed of a tow truck.

Vehicles with i-SHIFT transmission: If the N symbol does not appear on the shift lever position indicator with the ignition key in the ON (II) position, the transmission has most likely not shifted into neutral. In this case, you must transport the vehicle so that its front wheels do not contact the road surface.

Towing a disabled vehicle with the front wheels on the road for more than 80 km is not recommended. The maximum permitted towing speed is 55 km/h.

If the vehicle is equipped with a front spoiler, remove it to prevent damage.

Tow cables must not be positioned at an angle where they may contact the front bumper. To prevent damage, protect the front bumper with tape.

If you decide to tow the vehicle with all four wheels on the road, use a properly designed and securely attached tow bar.

Prepare the vehicle for towing as described above, and leave the ignition key in the ACCESSORY (I) position so that the steering wheel is not locked. To prevent battery discharge, turn off the radio and other electrical loads.

WARNING

If the steering shaft locks during towing, the steering system will be damaged. Before towing, turn the ignition key to the ACCESSORY (I) position and make sure the vehicle wheels can turn freely.

WARNING

Lifting the vehicle or towing it using a hitch attached to the bumper may cause vehicle damage.

The bumper is not capable of supporting the weight of the vehicle.