How to Find the Towing Capacity of a Car

The fastest way to find a car’s towing capacity is to check the owner’s manual and the driver’s door-jamb label for ratings, then confirm the exact figure for your specific configuration using the VIN in the manufacturer’s towing guide. For real-world towing, locate the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR), weigh your loaded vehicle, and subtract that actual weight from the GCWR; the safe towing limit is the lowest number among the published tow rating, your calculation, the hitch rating, and legal requirements.

Why towing capacity isn’t just one number

Towing capacity varies by engine, transmission, axle ratio, drivetrain (2WD vs 4WD/AWD), cooling package, tow package, and even cab/bed length. In North America, most light-duty vehicles use SAE J2807 testing to publish a maximum trailer weight for a specific configuration, but real-world limits can be lower once you add passengers, cargo, and accessories. Regions such as Europe and Australia may publish separate “braked” and “unbraked” limits and apply different test standards, so ratings can differ by market. The true limit is always governed by the lowest-rated component and by how your vehicle is actually loaded on the day you tow.

Step-by-step: confirm your vehicle’s tow rating

Follow these steps to determine both the official and the practical towing capacity for your exact car or SUV.

1. Find the published tow rating: Read the owner’s manual and your model-year towing guide or chart from the manufacturer. Confirm whether the rating shown matches your engine, axle ratio, drivetrain, and whether a factory tow package is required.
2. Match the rating to your exact build: Use your VIN to pull the build sheet or decode key specs (engine, axle ratio, GVWR). If in doubt, ask a dealer service department to run your VIN against the OEM towing guide.
3. Locate GCWR: Your manual or towing guide lists the Gross Combined Weight Rating (maximum allowed for vehicle plus trailer together). If GCWR isn’t in the manual, it’s usually in the manufacturer’s towing documentation.
4. Weigh your loaded vehicle: At a certified scale (e.g., a CAT Scale), weigh the vehicle as you’ll drive it—full fuel, passengers, cargo, roof racks, bed gear. Record the actual weight.
5. Calculate allowable trailer: Maximum trailer for your loaded setup = GCWR − actual vehicle weight. Do not exceed the published trailer rating for your configuration, even if the calculation suggests more.
6. Check hitch and tongue-weight limits: Use the lower of the vehicle’s rating and the hitch’s rating (weight-carrying vs weight-distributing). Ensure tongue weight—often 10–15% of a conventional trailer’s weight—fits within your vehicle’s payload and rear axle limits.
7. Verify legal requirements: Many jurisdictions require trailer brakes above 1,500–3,000 lb (varies by state/province/country). Confirm brake, lighting, and licensing rules before towing.
8. Adjust for conditions: High temperatures, steep grades, and high altitude can reduce safe towing performance; some manufacturers publish derating guidance. Naturally aspirated engines are affected more by altitude than turbocharged ones.

Completing these steps gives you a verified, configuration-specific capacity and a practical limit based on how you actually load the vehicle, ensuring you respect both engineering and legal boundaries.

Where to look: documents and labels

Several sources provide the ratings and configuration details you need; use more than one to cross-check accuracy.

• Owner’s manual: Lists towing limits, equipment requirements (e.g., transmission coolers), and whether a trailer brake controller is needed above certain weights.
• Driver’s door-jamb certification label: Shows GVWR, GAWR front/rear, and often the “combined weight of occupants and cargo” (payload). Some vehicles also display tire-pressure and axle info here.
• Manufacturer towing guides: Annual tow charts detail ratings by engine, axle, cab, and drivetrain. Look up the guide for your model year from the OEM.
• VIN tools/build sheet: A VIN decode or dealer build sheet confirms your axle ratio, engine, and tow package presence—details that materially change the rating.
• Hitch label: The receiver will show its own maximums for weight-carrying (WC) and weight-distributing (WD). You are limited to the lower of vehicle or hitch ratings.
• Window sticker or registration: May list axle ratio or tow package codes that help match the correct towing chart.

Cross-referencing these sources ensures you’re using the rating for your exact vehicle, not a generic marketing figure for a different configuration.

Key terms that affect towing

Understanding the vocabulary helps you interpret manuals and make correct calculations.

• GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): Max allowed weight of the vehicle itself with people and cargo. You must not exceed this.
• GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating): Max allowed weight on each axle. Tongue weight loads the rear axle; don’t exceed it.
• GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating): Max allowed weight of vehicle plus trailer together. Central to calculating a practical trailer limit.
• Curb weight and payload: Curb weight is the vehicle empty with standard equipment and fluids; payload is what you can add (people, cargo, tongue weight). Tongue weight counts against payload.
• Tongue weight: Typically 10–15% of trailer weight for conventional trailers (5–10% for some European designs). Too light can cause sway; too heavy can overload the rear axle.
• Weight-carrying (WC) vs weight-distributing (WD): WD hitches can increase the hitch’s allowable trailer and tongue ratings (within OEM limits) by transferring load forward; they do not increase the vehicle’s GCWR or GVWR.
• Braked vs unbraked rating: Some markets publish both; the “unbraked” limit is often far lower. Above certain weights, trailer brakes are legally required.

These terms define the engineering limits that govern safe towing; your true capacity is where all these requirements overlap.

Common mistakes to avoid

Even experienced drivers can misread ratings or forget key constraints. Avoid these pitfalls.

• Using a headline number from an ad that doesn’t match your engine, axle ratio, or tow package.
• Ignoring payload: tongue weight plus passengers and cargo can exceed payload or rear GAWR long before you hit the trailer-weight limit.
• Assuming a heavier aftermarket hitch raises the vehicle’s tow rating; it does not exceed the vehicle’s certified limits.
• Overlooking cooling requirements or axle ratios unique to tow packages, which can materially change ratings.
• Not counting rooftop tents, bed racks, or tools that quietly eat into payload and GCWR.
• Relying on generic online calculators without VIN-specific specs or an actual scale weight.
• Assuming EVs are rated to tow; many are, some are not, and range/thermal limits can be significant.
• Skipping trailer brakes where required by law or by the manufacturer’s guidance.

Keeping these risks in mind helps you set a safe and legally compliant towing limit for your vehicle and trip.

Quick example

Say your SUV’s towing guide lists a GCWR of 12,400 lb and a maximum trailer rating of 6,000 lb for your exact engine, axle ratio, and tow package. You weigh the loaded vehicle—full fuel, family, gear—and get 5,900 lb. GCWR minus actual vehicle weight equals 6,500 lb, but your published max trailer is 6,000 lb, and your Class III/IV hitch is labeled 5,000 lb WC and 6,000 lb with a weight-distributing hitch. Your safe limit is the lowest applicable number: 6,000 lb with a WD hitch (5,000 lb without). Next, check payload: if your door sticker shows 1,200 lb payload, and your trailer’s tongue weight is about 12% of 5,000 lb (≈600 lb), you have roughly 600 lb left for passengers and cargo before hitting payload—so you may need the WD hitch and to shift cargo to the trailer to stay within limits.

Resources and tools

These resources help you verify ratings and set up safely.

• Manufacturer towing guides and owner’s manuals for your model year.
• VIN decoders or dealer build sheets to confirm axle ratio, engine, and tow package.
• Certified scales (such as CAT Scale) to measure real-world vehicle and axle weights.
• Qualified hitch and brake-controller installers for proper hardware and setup.
• Your local DMV/transport authority for brake and licensing requirements at specific trailer weights.

Using official documentation and measured weights is the most reliable way to confirm your capacity and avoid costly mistakes.

Summary

Identify the published towing figure for your exact configuration using the manual, door label, VIN, and OEM towing guide; find the GCWR; weigh your loaded vehicle; and set your real-world trailer limit as GCWR minus actual vehicle weight, further constrained by the lowest-rated component and local legal requirements. Verify payload and tongue weight, use appropriate hitch equipment, and adjust for conditions to tow safely and legally.