A Tampa woman says a tow truck hauled her red Tesla Model 3 away by its rear wheels while she was inside Chipotle, and that the car came back with warning messages on its dashboard. Makyla Monroe, who posts as @makylaamonroee, says Target Towing charged her about $185 to get the car back, according to Motor1’s report. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Autoblog and Yahoo Autos have also covered the story.
Monroe alleges the company “completely ruined” the car. Target Towing has not been quoted in the reports we reviewed, so every claim about damage and cause is still one side of the story. What makes the dispute worth tracking is the hardware question underneath it: Tesla tells owners and tow operators to move a Model 3 with all four wheels off the ground, and the images in this case show something different.
This sits alongside other Tesla hardware stories this week, including the Cybercab delivery race against NHTSA’s Oct. 30 deadline. A tow-truck dispute is a smaller story, but it touches millions of ordinary owners far more often than a robotaxi does. This analysis separates what the reporting confirms from what remains unproven, walks through Tesla’s published towing guidance, and tests the $185 figure against Hillsborough County’s published fee schedule.
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Tesla Model 3 Towing Dispute: What Happened in Tampa
According to Motor1, Monroe came out of a Chipotle and saw her Tesla being towed. She said the tow happened “in the beginning of the month,” though the reports do not name the month. The red Model 3 was shown on the hook by its rear wheels, which means the front of the car was lifted and the rear tires rolled on the road.
Monroe then went to the towing company’s yard. She said she had to miss work to get there and that an employee would not release the vehicle until she paid. She recalled the fee as “I think $185 dollars or $183 dollars,” so the exact charge is not settled even in her own telling. Her main complaint at the counter, she said, was that the car had been towed the wrong way.
Once she had the car back, she photographed two dashboard alerts. One read “Park Assist Unavailable.” The other was a “safety restraint system” warning that stated “service is required.” Monroe linked those messages to the tow and told the outlets she believed the vehicle was damaged. No shop diagnosis, Tesla service record or independent inspection appears in the coverage.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Not
News about vehicle damage moves fast on social media, and details blur as outlets repeat each other. The table below sorts the claims by how well the available reporting supports them. Anything marked unconfirmed should be read as an allegation or a gap, not as a finding.
| Claim | Status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Monroe’s red Tesla Model 3 was towed in Tampa, Florida | Reported | Monroe’s account, covered by Motor1 and others |
| The tow company was Target Towing | Reported | Monroe’s account |
| The car was towed by its rear wheels | Shown in images | Footage and photos described by Motor1 |
| Fee paid was about $185 | Unconfirmed | Monroe said $185 or $183, quotes conflict |
| Employee withheld the car until payment | Reported | Monroe’s account only |
| Dashboard showed Park Assist and restraint warnings | Shown in photos | Photos from Monroe |
| The tow caused the warnings or damage | Unconfirmed | No independent inspection published |
| Month of the tow | Unconfirmed | “Beginning of the month” only |
| Target Towing’s response | Not documented | No statement in the available reports |
The pattern is clear. The towing method and the warnings are backed by images, while cause, fee, timing and the company’s side are not. Any reader deciding who is at fault should hold that line until a shop report or a company statement arrives.
What Monroe Says, in Her Own Words
Three statements from Monroe carry the whole complaint. She said: “My car got towed by Target Towing in Tampa, Florida in the beginning of the month and they completely ruined my car.” That sentence is the damage allegation, and it is the one claim no outlet has verified.
The second quote is the technical argument. Monroe said: “I drive a Tesla and it cannot be dragged, it has to go on a flatbed because of it being an electric vehicle, right?” The trailing “right?” matters. She is asking a question as much as making a claim, and Tesla’s own guidance, covered below, largely backs the direction of her point even if it does not prove that harm occurred.
The third is her account of the confrontation at the yard. She said: “I was telling her that they improperly towed my car.” Combined with the fee she paid before getting the keys, it frames a dispute that many drivers will recognize. You pay first, argue later, and the evidence you need is already in the vehicle.
Why Tesla Model 3 Towing Rules Differ From a Gas Car
A conventional front-drive car in neutral can often roll on its rear wheels without much concern. An electric car is built differently. Its motors connect to the wheels without a conventional gearbox that can be shifted to neutral, which is why manufacturers publish specific instructions for moving a dead or impounded vehicle.
Tesla’s Model 3 owner’s manual says the car should be transported with all four tires off the ground, and that the tires must not spin during transport. It names a flatbed truck or a comparable transport vehicle as the recommended method. If a flatbed is unavailable, Tesla says wheel lifts and dollies must be used so that all four wheels stay clear of the road. It also warns against transporting the car with its wheels on the ground.
The manual adds two procedural points for operators. Before winching the car onto a flatbed, the operator should activate Tow Mode, and a properly installed tow eye should be used to avoid damage. The tow eye is stored in the front trunk and screws into an opening behind a cover. None of that is obscure, and a trained operator with the manual open has no excuse to skip it.
The rear-wheel hook in Monroe’s images conflicts with the “all four tires off the ground” instruction. That mismatch is the strongest verified element of the story. What it does not do is prove the tow damaged anything. Guidance exists to prevent harm, and a violation of guidance is a risk factor, not a diagnosis.
Flatbed vs Wheel Lift vs Dolly: Tow Methods Compared
Tow operators use several methods, and only some of them meet Tesla’s published requirement. The comparison below uses the manufacturer’s guidance as the yardstick. It does not rate how fast or cheap each method is, because the reports give no figures for that.
| Tow method | Wheels on road | Meets Tesla guidance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flatbed truck | 0 of 4 | Yes, recommended | Tow Mode and a tow eye are needed before winching |
| Wheel lift plus dollies | 0 of 4 | Yes, if a flatbed is unavailable | All four wheels must stay off the ground |
| Wheel lift on front axle only | 2 of 4 | No | Rear tires roll, tires must not spin |
| Hook on rear axle only | 2 of 4 | No | The method shown in Monroe’s images |
| Dragging or pulling with all wheels down | 4 of 4 | No | Tesla warns against wheels on the ground |
The takeaway for owners is simple. If a driver stands next to a tow truck and sees the rear wheels rolling, the method fails Tesla’s own test. Whether the damage is real depends on distance, speed and what the car’s electronics did during the tow, none of which the reports measure.
Park Assist and Restraint System Warnings Explained
The two alerts Monroe photographed deserve careful handling because they involve different systems and could have different causes. Reading them as proof of towing damage would overreach, and dismissing them would ignore what a driver actually saw.
“Park Assist Unavailable”
This message means the car’s parking-assist function is not working at that moment. Such messages can appear for many reasons, including a sensor fault, a software state or a cleared and re-initialized system. The reports do not say whether the message appeared before the tow, right after it, or days later. Without a timeline, the alert cannot be tied to a cause.
“Safety Restraint System” Service Required
The restraint warning is the more serious of the two, because it concerns the systems that protect occupants in a crash. A message stating that service is required means the car has logged a fault that a technician should read. It does not say what the fault is. A diagnostic scan at a service center would show the stored codes, and that scan is the single most useful piece of evidence missing from this story.
Anyone who has followed Tesla crash investigations knows how much rides on stored vehicle data. We covered that logic in our look at the Vallejo crash and the hardware evidence behind it. A towing dispute is far smaller, but the same rule applies: the car’s own logs beat anyone’s memory.
The $185 Fee Against Hillsborough County’s Published Caps
Tampa sits in Hillsborough County, which publishes maximum towing rates. According to the county’s published schedule, the Class A maximum for a non-consensual or trespass tow is $160. Mileage can be added at up to $6 per mile, capped at 10 miles for a trespass tow. After the first 30 minutes at the scene, the schedule allows up to $30 per additional 15-minute block. Certain difficult recoveries may carry a maximum labor rate of $125 per hour, calculated in half-hour increments. County material also states that a drop fee cannot exceed half the towing rate.
| Charge type | Published maximum | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Class A non-consensual or trespass tow | $160 | Base rate |
| Mileage | Up to $6 per mile | Capped at 10 miles for a trespass tow |
| Additional scene time | $30 per 15 minutes | After the first 30 minutes |
| Difficult recovery labor | $125 per hour | Charged in half-hour increments |
| Drop fee | Half the towing rate | Ceiling, not a base charge |
| Fee Monroe reports paying | About $185 | She also said $183, unconfirmed |
A fee of $185 sits above the $160 base figure, but that gap proves nothing by itself. Mileage, scene time or another permitted add-on could account for the difference. The reports also do not say whose lot the car was in, whether signage was posted, or which vehicle class the company assigned. The county schedule should be checked against the actual invoice, and no outlet has published that invoice.
Florida law requires counties to set maximum fees for private-property towing and other non-consensual removals, and Hillsborough County says only rates set by its governing resolution may be charged. Rates and rules can change, so owners should confirm the current schedule with the county before disputing a bill.
Target Towing’s Silence and the Missing Evidence
The available reports contain no response from Target Towing. That means any admission, denial or offer to repair the car is unconfirmed. It also means a reader cannot know the company’s version of the tow: where the Model 3 was parked, how long it had been there, which truck was used, and whether the driver followed any Tesla procedure.
Tesla, for its part, reportedly advised Monroe to send the towing company images showing the approved method (transport on a flatbed) and the prohibited one (towing with the rear wheels on the ground), according to Motor1. That is advice relayed through Monroe, not a statement published by Tesla. No separate Tesla comment on this case appears in the coverage we reviewed.
Several pieces of evidence would settle the matter quickly:
- A Tesla service diagnosis listing the stored fault codes for parking assist and the restraint system
- The tow invoice showing the fee class, mileage and any add-on charges
- Photos or video of the car’s state before the tow, including any earlier dashboard warnings
- Target Towing’s own record of the truck type and the route driven
- Any signage photos from the lot where the car was parked
Why Proving Causation Is the Hard Part
Monroe’s account has a logical shape that feels airtight: the car was towed the wrong way, then it showed warnings. But sequence is not cause. A car that logged a fault before the tow would show the same warnings after it. A car that was fine until the tow could still have an unrelated sensor problem that surfaced days later.
Proof would likely come from a Tesla technician who can read stored data and inspect the drivetrain. If the service record shows faults time-stamped at the moment of the tow, Monroe’s case gets much stronger. If it shows older codes, the tow becomes a side issue and the improper method stays a procedural complaint. The Model 3 can hold up over long distances, as our report on a Model 3 that reached 250,000 miles with one part replaced shows. A sudden pair of warnings after a single event stands out against that backdrop, but it still does not identify the cause.
Beyond that, the legal path matters. A dispute over a fee and a dispute over vehicle damage run on different tracks. A fee complaint can be raised against the county’s published schedule. A damage claim needs an inspection, a repair estimate and usually the tow company’s insurance carrier. Which route Monroe has taken, if any, is not in the reporting.
Market Impact: What EV Towing Disputes Mean for Owners and Operators
No outlet has put a price on the damage in this case, so there is no dollar figure to project. The broader point is structural. Electric cars arrive at tow yards in growing numbers, and the equipment on many trucks was bought for a fleet of conventional vehicles. Wheel lifts and hooks are cheap and fast. Flatbeds and dollies cost more to buy and take longer to load.
For tow operators, the incentive is to keep using the fastest method on the truck they already own. For owners, the risk lands after the fact, when a repair bill and a fee dispute collide. Insurers sit in the middle. A policy may cover damage from a tow, but a claim needs proof of the method used, and that proof usually depends on a bystander with a phone.
Also, Tesla’s volume amplifies the issue. Our look at Tesla’s 2030 outlook of 5 million vehicles shows how fast the company wants its fleet to grow, and every added car is another potential tow-yard guest. We could not source a current U.S. fleet count for this article, so we are not quoting one.
Historical Context: Tow Trucks Meet the Electric Fleet
Towing rules for electric cars are not new, but public awareness lags behind. Owner’s manuals spell out transport methods, but a towing chapter is easy to overlook until the day a car needs it. Tow operators serve every make on the road, so model-specific rules are hard to keep straight.
Tesla’s cars add a wrinkle because owners expect the software and sensors to handle everything. A Model 3 can park itself, update over the air and report faults to the driver, so the idea that a simple tow could upset the electronics feels foreign. The manual says otherwise, and that gap between expectation and reality is where disputes like this one begin.
Readers who follow the company’s newer hardware, such as the Cybercab rear camera update that arrived two weeks after Tesla promised it, know that even the maker’s own timelines slip. A tow yard’s shortcuts get less sympathy.
What Tesla Owners Can Do Before and After a Tow
Nothing here replaces advice from Tesla or a lawyer, but the reporting and the manual suggest practical steps. Most of them cost nothing and take minutes.
If your car is being towed right now
- Photograph the truck, the hook position and the wheels before the car moves
- Tell the driver that Tesla requires all four wheels off the ground
- Ask whether a flatbed or dollies are available
- Record the company name, truck plate and the time of the tow
After you pick the car up
- Ask for an itemized invoice and compare it with the county’s published schedule
- Photograph the dashboard, any warnings and the car’s exterior before you leave the yard
- Book a Tesla service diagnosis and keep the written report
- Contact your insurer about whether a tow-damage claim is possible
Monroe said she paid before she got the car, which is a common pressure point. Paying under protest, and saying so in writing, keeps options open that silence would close. That is general consumer advice, not a ruling on her case.
Competitive Angle: How This Compares With Other Tesla Owner Disputes
Tesla owner stories tend to fall into two camps. Some involve software and driver-assist behavior, and others involve the physical handling of the car by outsiders, such as tow crews, valets and body shops. This one belongs firmly in the second camp, and it is the type where Tesla’s documented guidance gives owners the most leverage.
Compared with a software complaint, a handling dispute has a clear standard. Tesla publishes the right method in writing, so a deviation can be pointed to without a technical debate. Compared with a crash investigation, though, the evidence is thinner. Our report on a man trapped in a self-driving car for 14 minutes shows how incident stories depend on logs and company statements, and this tow story has neither yet.
Buyers weighing the Model 3 against rivals should treat this as a data point about ownership friction, not about the car’s build quality. We compared the car with a premium rival in our Model 3 vs Mercedes CLA price gap analysis, and towing rules for every electric car deserve a line in that decision.
Predictions: Where the Tow-Yard Debate Goes Next
These are our own judgments based on the reporting, not facts. Each could be wrong.
- Target Towing will likely respond if the story keeps spreading. Companies facing viral allegations usually issue a statement or an offer within days, though none is documented yet.
- A Tesla service diagnosis will decide the damage question. If Monroe publishes one, expect the debate to shift from outrage to evidence within a week.
- Fee scrutiny will follow. Viewers can compare any invoice with the county schedule, so the $185 figure will draw its own attention once an itemized bill surfaces.
- Tow-operator training will become a talking point. Industry groups and local regulators often react to viral EV cases with reminders about model-specific procedures.
- Owners will carry the manual’s towing page. Expect more drivers to save Tesla’s towing instructions on their phones, which costs nothing and gives them something to show a driver.
The one outcome we would not predict is a quick legal resolution. Fee disputes and damage claims move slowly, and nothing in the reporting says a formal complaint has been filed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Makyla Monroe and what does she claim?
Monroe, who posts as @makylaamonroee, says Target Towing in Tampa, Florida towed her red Tesla Model 3 by its rear wheels after she left a Chipotle. She says the company charged her about $185 and that it “completely ruined” the car. These are her allegations, and no independent inspection has confirmed them.
Did Target Towing respond?
No response or acknowledgment from Target Towing appears in the reports we reviewed. Any admission, denial or offer of repair is therefore unconfirmed.
Can a Tesla Model 3 be towed with its rear wheels on the ground?
Tesla’s Model 3 owner’s manual says no. It calls for all four tires off the ground, names a flatbed as the recommended method, and allows wheel lifts with dollies only when no flatbed is available. It warns against transporting the car with its wheels on the ground.
How much can a tow cost in Hillsborough County?
The county’s published schedule lists a $160 Class A maximum for a non-consensual or trespass tow, with mileage up to $6 per mile and scene-time and labor add-ons. A $185 total could fit within permitted add-ons, but the invoice has not been published, so we cannot say. Check the county’s current schedule before disputing a bill.
What do the dashboard warnings mean?
“Park Assist Unavailable” says the parking-assist function is not working, and the restraint warning says service is required. Neither message names a cause. A Tesla diagnostic scan would show the stored fault codes and when they were logged.
When did the tow happen?
Monroe said it happened “in the beginning of the month.” The reports do not name the month, so the date is unconfirmed.
What should I do if my Tesla is being towed?
Photograph the truck and the hook position, tell the driver that Tesla requires all four wheels off the ground, and ask for a flatbed or dollies. After pickup, get an itemized invoice, document any warnings and book a service diagnosis. More hardware coverage is in our hardware section.
