Ruined manual transmissions

A friend of mine had a 2020 Ford Focus w/manual tranny. The Ford dealer showed them the manual that said it could be flat towed is properly set up. They had the dealer set it up and took off for AZ. They got about 100 miles and the tranny locked up. The dealer installed a new tranny, they took off and got about 100 miles and the tranny crapped out. The dealer bought the car back from them.

rlw999 wrote:

I'd be much more worried about the engine in that case than the transmission -- if you hit highway speeds, the engine was almost certainly over-revving. I'd think that the transmission could handle that better than the engine.

How did you discover it? Noticed too much drag from the toad?

Exactly. I was still in town, felt the rig was dragging unusually. Never having gotten above about 30 I think was what saved it all.
It was interesting to me that the little CRV "dragged" a 23,000 pound DP!

obgraham wrote:
I pulled my '06 CRV, manual tranny, about three miles while it was in first gear. Obviously, because I screwed up.
I figured I had fried the tranny. But in fact it never turned a hair and ran another 40k flawessly till I sold it.
Seems to me that a manual is more forgiving than an auto.

I'd be much more worried about the engine in that case than the transmission -- if you hit highway speeds, the engine was almost certainly over-revving. I'd think that the transmission could handle that better than the engine.

How did you discover it? Noticed too much drag from the toad?

in addition to "ruined", you should include reducing the life expectancy of the transmission which may not show up and be experienced until the vehicle goes thru several different owners.
bumpy

I pulled my '06 CRV, manual tranny, about three miles while it was in first gear. Obviously, because I screwed up.
I figured I had fried the tranny. But in fact it never turned a hair and ran another 40k flawessly till I sold it.
Seems to me that a manual is more forgiving than an auto.

I don’t have a manual. But I know the manual trans needs to be put in gear if it has a transfer case.
If it’s just rear wheel drive it needs to be in N. However some rear drive manual transmissions are not flat towable.