Most people don’t think much about towing until they’re standing on the side of the road, or walking out to an empty parking spot, wondering what just happened.
That’s the problem. By the time towing becomes relevant, there’s no time to research. Drivers make decisions based on things they half-remember hearing, and those assumptions often turn out to be wrong in ways that cost real money. In California, where towing regulations are specific and your rights as a vehicle owner are clearly defined, misinformation creates unnecessary stress, unnecessary fees, and sometimes unnecessary damage to a vehicle that deserved better handling.
This post covers the most common towing myths we hear from drivers across Ontario and the Inland Empire, and replaces them with what’s actually true. Consider it a reference you can read now, before you ever need it.
Myths About What Tow Companies Can and Can’t Do
Myth: Any tow truck can tow any vehicle.
This one gets vehicles damaged more often than most drivers realize. The truth is that towing method has to match the vehicle, and not every truck is equipped for every situation.
All-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles require flatbed towing. When those vehicles are towed with two wheels still on the ground, the drivetrain keeps moving even though the engine is off. That rolling movement creates internal conflict between the drivetrain components, the center differential, transfer case, and clutch packs, and can cause serious, expensive damage. Electric vehicles carry the same requirement. Because EV motors are directly connected to the drive wheels, dragging them with the wheels rolling risks damaging the motor, inverter, and braking systems. Low-clearance cars, motorcycles, and collision-damaged vehicles all have specific handling requirements too.
A wheel-lift truck has a genuine and useful role for certain two-wheel-drive vehicles in the right situations. But the assumption that any truck works for any car is one of the more costly towing myths California drivers carry. Before authorizing a tow, ask whether the equipment matches your vehicle.
Myth: You have to pay everything upfront before you can access your belongings.
This is false, and California law is clear on it. You have the right to retrieve personal belongings from an impounded or stored vehicle without paying the full towing and storage balance first. That means medication, documents, car seats, and other personal items cannot be held hostage behind an unpaid bill. If an impound yard refuses access to your belongings before full payment, that’s a violation worth documenting and reporting.
Myth: You have no recourse if you think you were overcharged.
You have several options. Start by requesting an itemized invoice, you are entitled to one, and reviewing it line by line often surfaces the specific charge in dispute. If you believe a tow company violated the terms of a TSA or California towing law, you can file a complaint with the California Bureau of Automotive Repair or contact the City of Ontario Police Tow Administration Office directly. For broader fraud or consumer protection issues, the California Department of Insurance handles complaints at 800-927-4357. Document everything, receipts, photos, written communications, before making contact.
Myths About When and Why Cars Get Towed
Myth: Police can only tow your car if you’re parked illegally.
Not true. Under California Vehicle Code §22651, law enforcement has authority to tow a vehicle for a range of reasons that go well beyond a parking violation. A vehicle parked legally can still be towed if the driver is arrested, if the registration has been expired for more than six months, if the vehicle has five or more unpaid parking citations, or if it has been parked in the same location for more than 72 consecutive hours. The law gives officers significant authority, and the reasons behind a tow are often not obvious to the owner until after the fact. Understanding why police tow cars in Ontario is one of the clearest ways to avoid an unexpected impound.
Myth: Your car can’t be towed from private property without warning.
Private property towing is legal in California, but it comes with specific requirements that protect vehicle owners. Under California Vehicle Code §22658, a property owner or manager must have proper signage posted, signs that meet specific size, placement, and content requirements, before a tow company can remove a vehicle. Written authorization from the property owner or manager is also required before the tow proceeds. When those requirements aren’t met, the tow may be improper and subject to challenge. If your vehicle was removed from a parking lot, apartment complex, or shopping center without visible signage, that’s worth examining more closely. Predatory operators who patrol private lots looking for minor violations, a wheel slightly over a line, a permit slightly askew, are one of the more common towing scams in Southern California.
This one is actually TRUE: A tow truck must release your car if you return before it leaves.
This surprises a lot of drivers, but it works in your favor. Under California law (AB 2210), if you return to your vehicle before the tow truck has left the property, the driver is required to release it immediately, and can only charge up to half the normal tow rate for the hook-up. They cannot demand full payment, and they cannot refuse to release the vehicle. If a driver refuses to drop your car under those circumstances, you have the right to call local law enforcement to enforce the law on the spot. Knowing this one ahead of time can save you hundreds of dollars.
The Truth Is Worth Knowing Before You Need It
Misinformation about towing costs California drivers real money every year, in fees they didn’t have to pay, damage that didn’t have to happen, and rights they didn’t know they had. The truth about towing isn’t complicated, but it isn’t widely taught either. Most people learn it the hard way, after the fact, when the bill has already landed.
That doesn’t have to be the case. The more you understand about how towing actually works, what companies can and can’t do, what fees are regulated, and when the law is squarely on your side, the better position you’re in no matter what happens on the road.
En Remolque Foglesong, we’ve served Ontario and the Inland Empire since 1982 with transparent pricing, licensed and insured drivers, and a straightforward approach to every call. We’d rather you know your rights than be surprised by someone else’s fine print. If you have questions about a tow, a bill, or what to do next, we’re available 24/7, and we’ll give you a straight answer.