Emergency Towing

• Front

• Rear (4-door)

• Rear (5-door)

If towing is necessary, we recommend that you have it performed by an authorized Kia dealer or a commercial towing service.

If a towing service is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be temporarily towed using a rope or chain attached to the emergency towing hook under the front (or rear) of the vehicle. Exercise extreme caution when towing the vehicle. The driver must remain in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes.

Towing in this manner should only be performed on paved roads, for a short distance and at low speeds. In addition, the wheels, axles, powertrain, steering, and brakes must all be in good condition.

• Do not use the towing hooks to pull the vehicle out of mud, sand or other conditions from which the vehicle cannot drive itself.
• Avoid towing a vehicle that is heavier than the towing vehicle.
• The drivers of both vehicles should communicate frequently with each other.
• Attach the towing strap to the towing hook.
• Using any part of the vehicle other than the towing hooks for towing may damage the body of your vehicle.
• Use only a rope or chain specifically designed for towing vehicles. Securely attach the rope or chain to the tow hook.
• Accelerate or decelerate the vehicle slowly and gradually, and maintain tension in the towing strap or chain when starting or controlling the vehicle. Otherwise, the towing hooks and the vehicle may be damaged.
• Before emergency towing, make sure the hook is not broken or damaged.
• Securely attach the tow strap or chain to the hook.
• Do not jerk the hook. Apply force smoothly and evenly.
• To avoid damaging the hook, do not pull it from the side or at a vertical angle. Always pull straight ahead.

CAUTION

Using any part of the vehicle other than the tow hooks for towing may damage the vehicle body.

• Use a towing strap less than 5 m (16 ft) long. Attach white or red cloth (approximately 30 cm (12 in.) wide) to the middle of the strap for better visibility.
• Drive carefully so that the towing strap does not become slack during towing.
• The driver must remain in the vehicle to steer and brake while the vehicle is being towed, and no passengers other than the driver are allowed to be on board.

WARNING - Emergency Towing Precautions

Exercise extreme caution when towing the vehicle.

• Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers that may place excessive load on the emergency towing hook and towing rope or chain. The hook and towing rope or chain may break and cause serious injury or damage.
• If the malfunctioning vehicle cannot move, do not continue forced towing. In this case, contact an authorized Kia dealer or a commercial towing service for assistance.
• Tow the vehicle as straight as possible.
• Keep away from the vehicle during towing.

Emergency Towing Precautions

• Turn the ignition key to the ACC position so that the steering wheel is not locked.
• Shift the transmission lever to N (Neutral).
• Release the parking brake.
• Apply the brake pedal with more force than normal, as brake performance will be reduced.
• More effort will be required on the steering wheel, because the power steering system will be disabled.
• If you are driving down a long slope, the brakes may overheat, reducing braking efficiency. Stop frequently and allow the brakes to cool.
• The vehicle should be towed at a speed of 25 km/h or less for a distance of 20 km (12 miles).

If the vehicle is towed with all four wheels on the ground, it may only be towed forward. Make sure the transmission is in neutral. Make sure the steering is unlocked by turning the ignition switch to the ACC position. The driver must be in the towed vehicle to operate the steering and brakes.

CAUTION - Intelligent Variable Transmission

• To avoid serious damage to the Intelligent Variable Transmission, limit towing speed to 10 mph (15 km/h) and tow less than 1 mile (1.5 km/h).
• Before towing, check for leaks of Intelligent Variable Transmission fluid under your vehicle. If Intelligent Variable Transmission fluid is leaking, you must use a flatbed or a tow dolly.