Should I tow my car to the dealership for warranty work?
If the problem may be covered, call the manufacturer roadside program or warranty administrator before ordering a tow. When the program covers the event, it normally dispatches the operator and directs the car to an approved franchised dealer; hiring one first can leave you responsible for that tow. Dealer acceptance and payment approval are separate from the mechanical method, which comes from the owner’s manual, drivetrain, and wheel condition.
Why the program and dealer come first
- Most new vehicles include manufacturer roadside assistance for a stated part of the warranty term. The program normally must open the case and arrange its own dispatch.
- Manufacturer warranty claims are generally completed by a franchised dealer authorized for that make. That requirement fixes the destination even when another repair shop is closer.
- A covered roadside tow follows the program terms and destination rules. A tow hired outside that process may be paid by the owner without later reimbursement.
- Service departments keep set hours even when the sales property remains open. After-hours arrivals need an approved key drop, entrance, and parking spot.
- Inventory rows, service lanes, and blocked drives make the service entrance more useful than the showroom address. The car must be left where staff can identify and move it.
- Dealer acceptance does not decide the tow method. An AWD vehicle, EV, or locked drivetrain still needs the method required by its manual, usually a flatbed or skates.
Equipment for the dealer-bound tow
- A flatbed keeps all vehicle wheels off the road. It is the normal choice for AWD vehicles, EVs, and cars with locked drivetrains.
- Wheel skates let the operator position locked or nonrolling tires on the deck without dragging them.
- A wheel lift works only when the owner’s manual permits the wheels left down to roll and the damaged end can be lifted safely.
- Dollies keep the trailing vehicle wheels from turning when a wheel lift is allowed but two-wheels-down towing is not.
Open the case before arranging pickup
- Find the manufacturer roadside number in the vehicle app, warranty materials, or owner’s manual.
- Open a roadside or warranty case before hiring an operator, and confirm the approved dealer destination.
- Ask the dealer service department for its service-drive entrance, acceptance hours, and after-hours key-drop plan.
- Give dispatch the exact model, drivetrain, EV status, wheel condition, and ability to shift into Neutral.
- Keep the case number and any receipt if the program instructs you to pay and request reimbursement.
Do not bypass the authorization path
Ordering a private tow before opening the manufacturer case can move the car to the wrong dealer or leave the tow outside program coverage. An after-hours drop without dealer instructions can also leave the car where service staff cannot accept it.
Questions about towing to a dealership
Who pays for a tow to the dealership?
A manufacturer program pays only when the event, destination, and dispatch meet its terms. If you hire the operator directly, you may pay the tow and receive reimbursement only when the program approves it.
Why does warranty work need a franchised dealer?
A dealer authorized for that make can submit the repair through the manufacturer warranty system. An independent shop may maintain or diagnose the car but usually cannot process that manufacturer-paid repair.
Can the car arrive after the service department closes?
Yes, only with the dealer’s after-hours instructions. Confirm the service entrance, approved parking spot, key envelope, and information the dealer wants with the key.
Is the showroom address enough for the operator?
Not on a dense dealership property. Give the service-drive entrance and drop location so the truck does not enter inventory rows or a blocked sales lane.
Does an AWD car or EV need a flatbed to the dealer?
Use the method in the exact owner’s manual. AWD vehicles, EVs, and locked drivetrains normally ride with every wheel off the road, using a flatbed or approved dollies.
Talk it through with an operator
Have the year, make and model ready, whether the vehicle rolls and steers, where it is parked, and where it needs to go.
(804) 701-6752