Towing Capacity

What towing capacity actually means

Maximum towing capacity is the heaviest trailer a vehicle is engineered to pull, as published by the manufacturer for one specific configuration. It is not a single number per model. Two trucks that look identical on a dealer lot can be rated hundreds of kilograms apart because of engine, axle ratio, cab and bed length, drivetrain, and whether a factory tow package was fitted.

Three other ratings decide whether a tow is legal and safe, and they are the ones owners most often overlook:

• GCWR (gross combined weight rating) caps the vehicle, trailer, passengers, fuel and cargo together. You can be under the tow rating and still over GCWR.
• Payload is what the vehicle itself can carry, and tongue weight counts against it. A 500 kg tongue load consumes half the payload of many mid-size trucks before a single passenger sits down.
• Tongue weight should sit near 10-15 percent of trailer weight for a conventional hitch. Too little causes sway; too much overloads the rear axle.

How to confirm the rating for your exact vehicle

• Read the certification label on the driver door jamb. It carries GVWR, GAWR and, on many vehicles, a payload figure specific to the unit as built.
• Match the VIN to the manufacturer towing guide for that model year. Trim names change between markets; VIN-level data does not.
• Check whether the tow package was factory fitted or added later. A retrofitted hitch does not raise the rating.
• Confirm the hitch class and ball mount rating separately. The lowest-rated component in the chain sets the real limit.

Practical margin

A percentage below the advertised tow rating does not establish that a combination meets its other limits. Match the manufacturer configuration and check the loaded weights against every applicable rating. The calculator is a planning aid, not a safety certification.

Most jurisdictions also require trailer brakes above a threshold trailer weight, and many vehicles need a brake controller for that to work. Check local regulations before assuming the vehicle rating is the only limit that applies.

Common mistakes

• Using the highest figure published for a model when the vehicle in the driveway is a lower-spec version.
• Forgetting that passengers, fuel, tools and cargo all come out of the same combined budget.
• Assuming an electric or hybrid version matches its combustion sibling. Battery mass raises kerb weight, which often lowers the usable payload and shortens range under load dramatically.
• Ignoring the difference between a conventional hitch rating and a weight-distributing hitch rating. They are separate numbers.

What these pages contain

Each model-year page below lists the towing figures we hold for that vehicle, broken out by configuration where the manufacturer publishes them separately. Where a number applies only with a specific package or axle ratio, that qualifier is shown with the value rather than averaged away. Figures come from manufacturer documentation; our sourcing and correction process is described in our methodology and editorial policy.

These pages are a reference, not a substitute for the certification label on your vehicle or the owner manual for your market. If a figure here does not match your documentation, your documentation wins, and we would like to hear about it through our contact page.