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How do I know if my car is 4-wheel drive?
I'd love to know if I can do light off-roading in my 2017 Ford Explorer, how do I know if I have 4-wheel drive?
Matthew Macgugan · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Great question. You can figure out if you have four-wheel drive (4WD) by consulting your car’s manual or investigating yourself.
You can usually find the answer by:
- Looking for badging on the liftgate or sides of the car that indicates it has 4WD. Automakers love to market their car’s features, so your Explorer may have “4WD” written somewhere on the car.
- Checking your car’s manual.
- Using your vehicle identification number (VIN) to get a vehicle history report from a website like CarFax.
- Asking a service technician at your local Ford dealership.
If you want to investigate yourself:
- Check to see if there is a front- and a rear-drive axle on the underside of your car. You can look up pictures online to get a sense of what these look like.
- Check the engine. Engines on 4WD vehicles are mounted longitudinally (front-to-back), with belts on the front.
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