Trailer towing -> Introduction for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

Trailer towing  
¤ Introduction  
In this section you’ll find information about:  
Technical requirements  
Hitching up and connecting a trailer  
Loading the trailer  
Driving with a trailer  
Ball mount  
Retrofitting a trailer hitch  
Maximum permissible trailer weight  
Obey country-specific requirements about trailer towing and trailer  
hitches.  
Volkswagen does not recommend installing a trailer hitch on your  
vehicle. Your Volkswagen was mainly designed for carrying passen-  
gers. If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember your vehicle will be  
performing a job for which it was not primarily intended. The addition-  
al load will affect durability, handling, fuel economy, and performance,  
and may require the vehicle to be serviced more often.  
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the vehicle, it calls for  
more concentration from the driver. Always follow the operating and  
driving instructions given, and use common sense.  
Under winter conditions, install winter tires on the vehicle and the  
trailer.  
Tongue weight  
The maximum permissible trailer tongue weight exerted on the ball  
mount should not exceed 200 lbs (91 kg).  
More information:  
Power locking and closing system  
Anti-theft alarm system  
Lights and vision  
Tires and wheels  
Braking and parking  
Saving fuel and helping the environment  
Starting assistance systems  
Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications  
WARNING  
Riding in a trailer is dangerous and may be illegal.  
WARNING  
Improper use of the trailer hitch can cause accidents and inju-  
ries. An improperly installed, incorrect, or damaged trailer hitch  
can cause the trailer to separate from the towing vehicle and  
cause serious personal injuries.  
Only use an undamaged, properly mounted trailer hitch.  
Never repair or modify the trailer hitch.  
To reduce the risk of injury in rear-end collisions, and the risk  
to pedestrians and cyclists when the vehicle is parked, always  
remove the ball mount when you are not towing a trailer.  
Never install a “weight distributing” or “load equalizing”  
trailer hitch on your vehicle. The vehicle was not designed for  
these kinds of trailer hitches. The trailer hitch attachment can  
fail, causing the trailer to tear loose from the vehicle.  
WARNING  
Improper trailer towing can cause loss of vehicle control and  
serious personal injury.  
Driving with a trailer and carrying heavy or large things can  
change the way the vehicle handles, increase the distance it  
needs to stop safely, and cause accidents.  
Always secure the load properly with suitable and undam-  
aged straps so that the load will not shift.  
Always adapt your speed and driving to the heavier load and  
the weight distribution in the vehicle. Take road, weather, traf-  
fic, and visibility conditions into account as well.  
Reduce your speed even more than you otherwise would  
when going downhill and under unfavorable load, weather, or  
wind conditions.  
Trailers with a high center of gravity tip more easily than  
trailers with a low center of gravity.  
Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.  
Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.  
Reduce speed immediately if the trailer shows the slightest  
sign of swaying.  
Never try to stop the swaying by accelerating.  
Always obey speed limits. In some areas, the speed limits for  
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for vehicles without  
trailers. Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h; under excep-  
tional circumstances 60 mph - 100 km/h) when towing a trailer.  
This applies even if the local speed limit is higher.  
If you are driving a new vehicle or a vehicle with a new or rebuilt  
engine, do not tow a trailer during the break-in period, about  
600 miles (1000 km) Parts, accessories, repairs, and modifica-  
tions.  
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need maintenance more  
often because of the extra load it has to move.  
When you are not towing, remove the trailer hitch ball. This helps  
keep the trailer hitch from causing damage to your vehicle and to oth-  
ers if your vehicle is hit from behind.