I believe VW lowered the rating on the 2009 Sport Wagon's towing capacity and rated the capacity differently based on the engine and transmission combination:
- 1,500lbs for the 2.5L gas engine and manual transmission
- 1,000lgs for the 2.5L gas engine and automatic transmission
- 1,000lbs for the TDI engine and manual transmission
- Not recommended to towing with the TDI and automatic transmission
The way the ratings look it would seem like the automatic transmission is a weak link. I believe 2009 was the first year the TDI engine was available and there seems to be a history of some automatic transmission failures with this combination. I would imagine due to the higher torque output of the diesel engine.
I also think it would be rare to have this car with a factory installed hitch and highly probable that the hitch on your car is an after market installation. As you can see in the picture there is not much to bolt the hitch on to. The primary use for a hitch on this type of vehicle is typically for items such as a bike rack.
A 13 foot BW with trailer, fuel, battery and engine will be in the range of 700 to 800lbs, so as noted above local towing in a responsible manner should be ok. Two things to keep in mind:
- Do not over pack you wagon full of items and people and also tow. Pay attention to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVRW) which is defined as: “The maximum a vehicle can safely weigh when loaded, including the vehicle itself, occupants, cargo and optional equipment"
- Front wheel drive vehicles on steep and slippery ramps may lose traction when you add the leaver effect of the tongue weight. With the result that the boat being pulled out of the water will lift the front end of the car causing the tires to lose traction and slip. A car equipped with the automatic transmission - which seems to be one of the weak components - may over heat causing premature transmission failure.
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