Ford Maverick towing capacity, 2026 and earlier
Choose your Maverick's engine, drive and package: the checker reads that line of Ford's 2026 towing guide and tests your trailer, passengers and cargo against it.
2026 Ford Maverick: can it tow 3,000 lb?
Within, little margin
Rating for this configuration: 4,000 lb, GCWR 8,130 lb. 2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 28.
| Trailer vs trailer weight rating | 3,000 lb of 4,000 lb ✓ |
| Tongue weight share | 12.0% (10 to 15%) ✓ |
| Load on the vehicle vs payload | enter your door-label payload |
| Vehicle weight vs GVWR | enter GVWR and curb weight |
| Truck plus trailer vs GCWR (curb implied by the rating) | 7,405 lb of 8,130 lb ✓ |
| Heaviest trailer with this load (set by GCWR) | 3,725 lb |
No curb weight in the Ford guide: the GCWR test uses GCWR minus the rating minus the 300 lb of people the rating assumes.
Compiled by Radif Partners · Sources and method · Ford documents read October 20, 2026
Ford's 2026 RV and Trailer Towing Guide gives the Maverick two possible ratings and nothing in between: 2,000 lb or 4,000 lb. The higher figure needs the 4K Tow Package (53Q) and all-wheel drive, and both engines can have it in 2026: the 2.0L EcoBoost I4 on the 3.81 axle and the 2.5L I4 Hybrid on the 3.37 axle. Every front-wheel-drive Maverick is rated 2,000 lb, and so is an all-wheel-drive one without the package. Ford's note is blunt: any trailer above 2,000 lb requires the 4K package. The receiver that comes with it is rated 4,000 lb and 400 lb of tongue load. The package raises the GCWR by exactly the rating difference, 2,000 lb on the EcoBoost. The hybrid has qualified since the 2025 guide; in 2024 it was rated 2,000 lb only. Ford counts a 150 lb driver and passenger in each rating.
Two ratings and a package between them
The Maverick table has 7 lines in 2026, and only two numbers appear in the rating column. 2 lines carry the 4K Tow Package (53Q) and read 4,000 lb; the rest read 2,000 lb (2026 guide, p. 28). No engine, axle or trim gets anything in between. The package is the whole story, and it is offered in this table only with all-wheel drive.
The GCWR shows what the package does. On the 2.0L EcoBoost I4 with all-wheel drive, Ford prints 6,130 lb without it and 8,130 lb with it, a difference equal to the extra trailer weight allowed. The truck itself is unchanged as far as the rating is concerned; the package certifies the combination for more weight, with its own hitch receiver. Ford also assumes a frontal area of 29 square feet for trailers without it and 40 with it, so a taller trailer belongs with the package even when it is light.
Maverick: trailer allowed by the GCWR
Heaviest trailer the GCWR allows
3,725 lb
| GCWR | 8,130 lb |
| Vehicle as loaded | 4,405 lb |
| Hitch hardware counted | 75 lb |
Hybrid or EcoBoost
For years the choice of a Maverick hybrid meant giving up the higher rating. The 2024 guide lists the hybrid only with front-wheel drive and 2,000 lb (2024 guide, p. 33). From 2025, an all-wheel-drive hybrid with the 4K package is rated 4,000 lb, on a GCWR of 8,315 lb, a little above the EcoBoost's 8,130 lb. If you shop for a used hybrid, the model year and the drive decide whether 4,000 lb is possible at all.
The axle ratio comes with the engine and plays no part in the rating: the EcoBoost uses 3.81, the hybrid 3.37, and both reach the same figure. The axle ratio guide explains why that is unusual.
Small trailers still need brakes
A 2,000 lb limit sounds like a utility trailer and nothing more, but Ford asks for separate trailer brakes on any trailer over 1,500 lb loaded, well under the Maverick's own ratings. A small teardrop camper or a jet-ski trailer with fuel and gear can cross that line. The tongue load should be 10% of the trailer, 400 lb at the top rating, which matches the receiver's 400 lb. Check the trailer below, and see the trailer brakes guide and the travel trailer weight guide for what a loaded camper really weighs. The Ranger is the next step up in Ford's range.
Maverick: does this trailer need brakes?
Does this trailer need its own brakes?
Yes, for some of their models
| Ford (all models in its towing guide) | required above 1,500 lb |
| Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe | not required up to 2,000 lb |
| Other Chevrolet models (Colorado) | required above 1,500 lb |
Ford Maverick towing capacity by model year
| Model year | Highest rating | Lowest rating | Configurations | Highest payload | Maker document |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 7 | not printed | 2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 28 |
| 2025 | 4,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 6 | not printed | 2025 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 28 |
| 2024 | 4,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 5 | not printed | 2024 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 13, 33, 40 |
| 2023 | 4,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 5 | not printed | 2023 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 17, 37, 44 |
2026 Ford Maverick by engine
| Engine | Highest rating | Lowest rating | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L EcoBoost I4 | 4,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 4 |
| 2.5L I4 Hybrid | 4,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 3 |
Every configuration of the 2026 table (7 rows)
| Configuration | Rating (lb) | GCWR | GVWR | Payload | Curb or base | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L EcoBoost I4 · AWD SuperCrew · 3.81 axle · 4K Tow Package (53Q) | 4,000 | 8,130 | 28 | |||
| 2.5L I4 Hybrid · AWD SuperCrew · 3.37 axle · 4K Tow Package (53Q) | 4,000 | 8,315 | 28 | |||
| 2.0L EcoBoost I4 · AWD SuperCrew · 3.81 axle | 2,000 | 6,130 | 28 | |||
| 2.0L EcoBoost I4 · AWD SuperCrew · 3.81 axle | 2,000 | 6,255 | 28 | |||
| 2.0L EcoBoost I4 · FWD SuperCrew · 3.81 axle | 2,000 | 5,945 | 28 | |||
| 2.5L I4 Hybrid · AWD SuperCrew · 3.37 axle | 2,000 | 6,315 | 28 | |||
| 2.5L I4 Hybrid · FWD SuperCrew · 3.37 axle | 2,000 | 6,090 | 28 |