TOWING DAMAGE HELP

[SoCalSubie09]

Today my Subie got towed by a standard tow truck about 100 feet due to being in a timed parking zone I got there just in time to catch it before they got too far but after they dropped it , I drove out of the way and immediately heard a crunch like sound come from either rear diff or Center diff , got to a parking a few feet away to see if I see anything hanging or anything , but nothing , so I drove away  and started to hear a low growl from the back under the car somewhere , parked it for now,  do I sue the company and is that small claims or to where , any one know a reputable place for awd mechanics or subaru repair specialist  I'm SoCal preferably i.e area or if not LA is fine too preferably somewhere in between , I was already due for a diff fluid change so should I continue or let them handle it?

[silverton]

is your car manual or automatic?  100 feet shouldn't damage anything for you to immediately hear a crunch

[SoCalSubie09]

A bystander stated they heard a crunch like sound but they thought it might have been the rocks under the tire 

[SoCalSubie09]

It's automatic 

[NORULZleggy]

What tow driver is such a moron to not know it was AWD lol. 

[SoCalSubie09]

Apparently they thought it was a civic , but when I mentioned the fact it was a awd subaru his facial expression dropped and was like I got to go cause he had gotten another call supposedly 

[NORULZleggy]

Naw you need them to fix it. Go back to them and talk to the owner. I understand it was their job to tow, but they have to do it and not damage the car. I used a dolly for the rear wheel or hooked it up and they could have charged you. Now they need to pay. 

Your full STI drivetrain and trans is messed up now. 

[SoCalSubie09]

So update I finally had time to put the car on jacks haven't driven it since the incident but when I had someone hold one of the front tires , I rotated the rear the rear 2 were able to rotate with each other but the front 2 tires didn't rotatalong with the rear , I have a mechanic appointment at a nearby subaru performance does who helps the local subaru dealership occasionally we'll see what they say , but I'm not to happy on what I noticed, I just happen to take apart the rear wheel hub and the bearing are toast luckily I had a spare but could the hub assembly Crack due to the drive train being pulled?

[silverton]

your rears will rotate independently of the fronts when the vehicle is off as there is no hydraulic pressure to the 'center diff'.

[KZJonny]

On 6/28/2025 at 11:59 PM, SoCalSubie09 said:

about 100 feet

Not saying you won't find something wrong, but this isn't exactly a long way. The diff still allows the rears to move even if the front wheels are held stationary by a tow truck. If it had been towed across town to an impound yard in that state, I would be concerned, but much less so it the car just got 'moved down the block.'

 

On 7/16/2025 at 12:33 AM, SoCalSubie09 said:

I just happen to take apart the rear wheel hub and the bearing are toast luckily I had a spare but could the hub assembly Crack due to the drive train being pulled?

I can't fathom how. Your wheel bearings just rotate freely with the drive splined into the hub... Even if you have opposing forces acting on the wheels and the differential at the same time, nothing about that is acting on the bearings?

I mean, maybe if you have your parking brakes on, and the car was dragged long enough for the heat to have some effect, then maybe? But that is pur conjecture, and the car only got pulled 100 feet? I've driven further than that with my parking brake left partially on, to absolutely no effect.