2014 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE trailer

Trailer towing
Important information
For technical reasons, the vehicle body structure is not designed for the installation of a trailer hitch.
Never install a trailer hitch on your vehicle. Installing a trailer hitch will do considerable damage to the
vehicle ⇒ .
WARNING
Installing a trailer hitch on the vehicle can cause an accident and serious personal injuries.
x Never install a trailer hitch on the vehicle.
x A trailer hitch can fall off while driving or rip loose or while pulling a trailer causing the trailer to separate from the vehicle.
NOTICE
Installing a trailer hitch of any kind will cause expensive damage to your vehicle that will not be covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty.

WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
x Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
x The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be able to stop the vehicle in a safe distance.
x Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly, including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control and a crash.
x Always make sure that the total load being transported – including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a loaded trailer – does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining the correct load limit

NOTICE
x Things like trailer draw bars, thin rods, fences, trees, narrow painted vertical poles, posts, or a rear hatch that is opening may not be detected by the Park Distance Control sensors and could damage the vehicle.
x If you continue driving closer to an object that the Park Distance Control has already detected and reported, the object may disappear from the sensor range and may no longer be detected. This is especially true for low or high objects. The system will no longer sound warnings about these objects. Ignoring signals from the Park Distance Control system could result in serious damage to the vehicle.
x The sensors in the bumpers can be damaged or become misaligned in low speed impacts and parking maneuvers. Damaged or misaligned sensors cannot accurately detect or report objects that might be within range of the PDC system.
x To help make sure that the system works properly, always keep the sensors in the bumpers clean and free of snow and ice; do not cover the sensors with stickers or other objects.
x When cleaning the sensors with power washers or steam cleaners, only spray the sensors directly for a very short time, and always keep the washer nozzle at least 4 inches (10 cm) from the sensors.
x Noise from rough roads, cobblestones, other vehicles and the surrounding area, for example, can prevent the Park Distance Control system from accurately detecting and reporting people and objects that may be within range of the sensors.
x Aftermarket components such as bicycle racks can impair the function of the Park Distance Control system.
Volkswagen recommends practicing with the Park Distance Control system in a location or parking space with no traffic in order to become familiar with the system and how it works.
Applicable only in the United States
Park Distance Control (PDC)

Fig. 129 In the front bumper: Park Distance Control system sensors.

When not to tow your vehicle
In the following situations, the vehicle cannot be towed and must be transported on a flatbed truck or trailer:
x If transmission fluid has leaked out of the transmission.
x If there is little or no oil in the transmission because of damage to your vehicle, it must be moved with the drive wheels off the ground.
x If the front and rear wheels cannot turn.
x When the vehicle battery is dead, because the steering may remain disabled and it may not be possible to release the electronic steering column lock.
x If you have to tow an automatic transmission vehicle more than 30 miles (50 km).
Towing other vehicles
x Obey all legal requirements
x Read and heed all towing information in the owner's manual for the other vehicle.
A vehicle can be towed only if the electronic steering column lock is released. In case of a power loss or malfunctions of the electrical system, the engine may have to be jump-started in order to release the electronic steering column lock.
Installing the front towing eye

Fig. 183 In the right front bumper: Removing the cover.