Image Credit: babyblue_e92 / TikTok.The truck did the towing. The Subaru did the damage. To itself.If you have ever watched a car go by and thought, "that driver has absolutely no idea what they just did," you now have company. A TikTok video posted by user @babyblue_e92 is racking up views and comments after it captured what appeared to be a perfectly normal roadside tow. Captioned "who's gonna tell him he just totaled his car," the clip shows a Chevy pickup hauling a Subaru Impreza WRX STI behind it with two wheels still rolling on the ground. The Subaru looks completely fine on the outside. That, unfortunately, may be the most misleading part of the whole situation.The video sparked an immediate reaction from the car community, with viewers rushing to explain exactly why what they were watching was potentially a very costly mistake. The Subaru did not crash. It did not catch fire. It did not even look scratched. And yet, according to many of the people in the comments, the invisible damage happening underneath that car could add up to thousands of dollars in repairs. All from a tow that probably seemed totally routine to whoever was behind the wheel of that Chevy.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe clip quickly turned into a debate, a comedy show, and an impromptu automotive education class all rolled into one comment section. Some people were horrified. Some were skeptical. And at least one person pointed out that the Subaru was technically pushing the truck, which, honestly, is the kind of observation that deserves its own article.Why Towing a Subaru the Wrong Way Can Wreck the DrivetrainThe comment that really set things off came from user @LastGoodSleep, who laid out the core issue clearly for everyone who was confused about why a visually undamaged car could be considered totaled. Subarus use what the brand calls a Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, which means all four wheels are mechanically linked to the transmission at all times. Because of that constant connection, if any wheels are left spinning on the ground during a tow, those spinning wheels send motion back through the drivetrain. The transmission, center differential, and AWD components are not designed to handle that kind of input without the engine actually running, and the result can be overheating and serious mechanical failure.This is exactly why Subaru, along with most other manufacturers running full-time AWD systems, recommends using a flatbed tow truck. A flatbed lifts all four wheels completely off the ground, which means nothing is spinning, nothing is feeding back into the drivetrain, and the whole system stays exactly where it should be: untouched.The Manual Versus Automatic Argument That Split the Comment SectionHere is where things got a little more complicated and a lot more heated. Several commenters pushed back on the idea that this tow was automatically catastrophic, pointing out that Subaru's own documentation makes a distinction between manual and automatic transmissions. According to what commenters cited, a Subaru with a manual transmission can reportedly be towed with wheels on the ground without the same risk of damage. Automatics are a different story, with any real distance on the ground being a potential problem.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat nuance turned the comment section into a debate club, with people arguing back and forth over whether everyone panicking was overreacting. The problem is that nobody in the video or the comments actually confirmed which transmission this particular WRX STI had. The WRX STI has historically been offered with a manual, which would change the risk calculation significantly, but without knowing for sure, the jury is still out on whether this specific tow caused any harm at all.What This Viral Moment Can Teach Every Car OwnerRegardless of how this particular situation ends, the video is a useful reminder that towing is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Different drivetrains have different rules, and assuming the standard two-wheel-up dolly method works for every car is the kind of assumption that can quietly destroy an expensive component without leaving a single visible mark.If you own an AWD vehicle, the safest move is always to request a flatbed when calling for a tow. It costs the same or close to it in most cases, and it eliminates any risk of drivetrain damage entirely. It is also worth knowing your transmission type, because as this comment section demonstrated, that detail actually matters when it comes to what your car can handle. Knowing the specs of your own vehicle is basic ownership 101, and moments like this are a good reminder that it pays off.The Comment That Won the Whole ThreadWhile the mechanical debate raged on, one commenter stepped back from the technical argument entirely and offered a different perspective: the Subaru was actually pushing the truck. It is a joke, obviously, but it is also the kind of comment that lands perfectly in the middle of a very serious discussion. The WRX STI has always had a reputation as one of the more spirited and capable cars on the road, so the idea that it was simply refusing to be towed passively and was instead doing the driving is very on brand. Subaru people will understand.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe video is still circulating, the owner has not publicly responded, and the car's transmission type remains unknown. Whether this ends up being a genuinely expensive lesson or a completely harmless tow that just looked sketchy from the outside, it has already done something useful: it got a lot of people talking about AWD systems, flatbed towing, and why understanding your own car matters more than most people think.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.