Can You Tow an Automatic Car?
It is entirely possible to tow a vehicle with an automatic transmission, but there are some restrictions to be aware of. Thankfully, there are a variety of different ways around these problems, simply depending on the nature of the vehicle itself.
Front-wheel drive automatics are likely the easiest to tow, as they simply require that the drive wheels be elevated during movement. This prevents the transmission and the drive shaft from becoming worn or damaged due to a lack of lubrication.
Four-wheel drive automatics are more difficult to transport in this manner, but they can always be moved using a flat bed truck if necessary. Across short distances, though, it is possible to tow any automatic car so long as it is placed in neutral first. This form of transport should be limited to trips to an auto mechanic when no other means of moving the vehicle are possible, as the damage which can be done to the transmission as a result of moving the drive wheels while the engine is not engaged can be catastrophic. However, because most automatic vehicles are either front- or rear-wheel drive, it simply becomes a matter of elevating the drive wheels properly before moving.
