How to Determine if Your Car Is Front or Rear Wheel Drive

Last Updated: March 24, 2023

Automobile drive trains come in 3 types: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and 4-wheel or all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive cars tend to be smaller, easier to steer and offer better traction in snow or mud, while rear-wheel drive cars tend to be larger, accelerate more quickly, stop more easily and offer a smoother ride. To determine if your car is front- or rear-wheel drive, follow the steps below.

Steps

1
Locate the engine. Most cars have the engine at the front; these cars may be either front- or rear-wheel drive. Cars with the engine at the rear, such as the Volkswagen Beetle, are always rear-wheel drive cars.
2
See how the engine is mounted. If the engine is transverse-mounted (that is, mounted sideways), with the belts facing one side of the car, your car is most likely a front-wheel drive car. If the engine is mounted longitudinally (front to back), with the belts facing the front grille, your car is most likely a rear-wheel drive car.

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3
Look for a differential. The differential is a large, pumpkin-shaped housing that transfers power from the driveshaft to the wheels. If there is such an assembly on the car's rear axle, the car has a rear-wheel drive. On front-wheel drive cars, the differential is integrated with the transmission in a unit at the rear of the engine called a transaxle, and the wheels are connected to the driveshaft by constant velocity (CV) joints.

Community Q&A

Question

Can you tow a rear wheel truck?

Community Answer

Yes, but you have to have the front wheels on the ground and rear ones off the ground.
Question

How do I determine if my SUV has 4WD?

Community Answer

The easiest way would be to type all the information about your car into Google (make, model, year, etc.). You should be able to find out that way if your car has 4WD that way. You could also check your owner's manual.
Question

Is a 2005 Audi A6 all-wheel dive?

Community Answer

All generations of the A6 have offered either front-wheel drive or Torsen-based four-wheel drive, marketed by Audi as their quattro system. Second- and third-generation A6 models have shared their platform with the company's Allroad models.