Why are only two wheels turning in my AWD?

Asked by Cecilia Jan 04, 2016 at 09:22 PM about the 2009 Ford Escape XLT AWD

Question type: General

It is a Hybrid. Does that make a difference?

1 Answer

14,385

A popular misconception about 4wd is that it's actually all 4 wheels. You have 2 driven axles with open differentials so its 1 wheel per axle at a time. Awd such as with an audi delivers traction to all 4 wheels as needed through advanced limited slip differential design. If it was actual 4wd then all of the wheels would spin at the same speed and the car wouldn't be able to turn. Imagine a pencil with equal size disks on each end that don't spin independently. One of the disks would roll normally and the other would have to loose traction to remain at the same speed.

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Bratts
    Reputation
    4,460
  • #2
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    3,990
  • #3
    KenF
    Reputation
    3,600
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford Edge
84 Great Deals out of 3,785 listings starting at $3,995
Used Ford Explorer
63 Great Deals out of 2,041 listings starting at $6,990
Used Toyota RAV4
124 Great Deals out of 3,046 listings starting at $4,999
Used Honda CR-V
183 Great Deals out of 4,989 listings starting at $440
Used Chevrolet Equinox
92 Great Deals out of 3,307 listings starting at $1,695
Used Nissan Rogue
141 Great Deals out of 4,951 listings starting at $2,995
Used Ford F-150
314 Great Deals out of 13,742 listings starting at $3,800
Used Ford Escape Hybrid
18 Great Deals out of 673 listings starting at $7,990
Used Ford Fusion
28 Great Deals out of 452 listings starting at $1,995
Used Ford Focus
13 Great Deals out of 503 listings starting at $2,995
Used Toyota Camry
46 Great Deals out of 1,149 listings starting at $2,500
Used Hyundai Tucson
113 Great Deals out of 2,797 listings starting at $3,455
Used Honda Civic
198 Great Deals out of 4,034 listings starting at $440
Used Subaru Forester
38 Great Deals out of 1,388 listings starting at $3,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.