Driving Your Vehicle

Vehicle Load Limit

~1min read

The two labels on the driver's door pillar show the weight rating of your vehicle: the tire and loading information label and the certification label.

Before loading your vehicle, review the following conditions to determine your vehicle's weight, based on the vehicle specifications and the Certification Label:

Base Curb Weight

This is the weight of the vehicle including a full fuel tank and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo or optional equipment.

Vehicle Curb Weight

This is the weight of your new vehicle when you took delivery from the dealer, plus any aftermarket equipment.

Cargo Weight

This figure includes all weight added to the base curb weight, including cargo and optional equipment.

GAW (Gross Axle Weight)

This is the total weight carried by each axle (front and rear), including the vehicle curb weight and all payload.

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)

This is the maximum permissible weight that one axle (front or rear) can carry. These numbers are shown on the Certification Label. The total load on each axle must never exceed its GAWR.

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)

This is the base curb weight plus the actual weight of cargo plus the number of passengers.

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)

This is the maximum permissible weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including all options, equipment, passengers and cargo). The GVWR is shown on the Certification Label located on the driver's door pillar.

Test yourself

A quick Hyundai Sonata LF quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.