Most Popular Class III for 2014 Subaru Outback Wagon

I had my mechanic install (2015 outback) so I can’t speak to that but it looks good and towed a 2K trailer so I’m a happy customer

As always I am very happy with the prompt service and shipping as well the quality of the product. My only disappointment is, I chose this Draw Tite hitch because it had the extra hole for the J-Pin (anti rattle device). Mine did not come with it. That was a let down

Went with the Curt 13206 for our 2014 Outback after researching prices and weighing options for factory vs. aftermarket hitches and wiring. Our intended uses -- some light trailer and camper towing, plus cargo carriers and bike racks -- were a good match for the Curt's ratings (which exceed the Outback's ratings, just a bit of extra assurance). We also liked the more-rearward placement of the hitch opening. The hitch and accessories arrived quickly from etrailer, with no shipping damage. We were pleased with the aesthetics of the Curt hitch in person (rounded tubing, good finish, quality welds). It might not be the most "stealth" offering out there, but appears very solid and not at all conspicuous once installed. The installation was fairly straightforward, got it done solo in the garage in a couple of hours. The hitch was a tight fit around the spare tire well, had to scrape down a bit of the factory undercoating on each side to get it into place (something a few other customers mentioned). The rubber exhaust hangers also took some awkward wrestling -- probably would have been easier if I'd had access to a lift. Also installed the Curt 56040 wiring harness and Tow Ready mounting brackets (18140 + 18144) for the flat-four plug. Again, relatively easy jobs with the how-to demos on etrailer. Since I had the rear flooring pulled out to put in the wiring, I decided to enlarge a couple of existing taped-over holes in the cargo area to fish the hitch mounting hardware into place (rather than enlarging holes on the underside of the vehicle), as suggested by previous reviewers. Similarly, I routed the flat-four harness down through an existing rubber plug in the spare tire well (added some split-loom), and connected it to the Tow Ready brackets on the hitch. I thought this would be a cleaner and more convenient solution than running wiring through the rear hatch when towing. Have to say that the how-to videos and notes from etrailer, along with the tips, tweaks and suggestions from other customers, made these tasks much, much easier and saved a lot of time. Thanks again for the thorough product selection and documentation, and great service.

Our Curt Hitch from etrailer.com fits my 2014 Subaru Outback perfectly. It doesn't stick out too far, hang too low and it has the right clearance from the bumper for the bike rack.

I think this will serve my purpose. I wish to pull a 4x8 utility trailer with 4-wheeler. My son hopes the bolts are strong enough as intended. I thought the hitch would be more hidden but it will be ok as is. Less expensive than the dealership price. The wiring instructions have it going thru the back and out of the hatch door. Not a good idea so we installed wiring underneath.

Just exactly as the youtube installation video said it would go. My Dad and I noted that the written instructions, hardware kit, and youtube install directions were all in perfect alignment. Excellent quality product that actually went in exactly as it was described! (shocking to us). My Dad was so impressed he's thinking of buying a hitch kit for "Grandma's SUV". Great website, great product videos, great shipping/tracking, and great product! So easy we did it right in the driveway!

Great hitch and delivery came as promised, very quickly. It was a bit tricky installing - being careful and thorough, it took 2 hours. The hitch is strong and will hold 400 pounds, plenty for the 73 pound e-bikes we have.

My Outback had a 1.25” hitch forever. With the 2” adapter, it stuck out 6” from the bumper and probably reduced ground clearance for the bike rack. This is recessed a few inches under the bumper, and will fit a proper 2” rack, so it’s fantastic. I wish I had gotten it sooner. Look up some videos of how to disconnect the rubber muffler grommets with a pair of channel locks and some lube. That’s the hardest part. Everything else installed pretty smoothly with only a little cussing, and no bashed knuckles. I can’t say how long it took since I had to remove the old receiver first so the underside was perfectly set for the new one once I got to it. Probably 2 hours total and at least an hour of that or more was fighting with the rubber grommets and the wrong tools.

Easy install, great video on the process. Works great!

Love the way this fits. Not a overly hard install. Be careful of the shavings from step bits, they burn like welder zparks.

The hitch arrived via UPS yesterday, Oct.17,2024. The box had a gouge in the cardboard, but the hitch was not damaged. I have not begun to install it. In fact we had snow today and I will be working outside when I perform the installation. At this point having taken the hitch out of the box I can only say that it looks good in its shiny black coating and it appears to fit the bolt pattern on the rear bumper mounts of my Outback.

The hitch is awesome and bolted up perfectly to my 2014 Outback. Took me 3 hours to install it solo. The second video on the product page is very helpful. I watched it about 5 times before starting. I also recommend buying a bag of new push fasteners in advance of starting the installation. The cut out in the bumper cover to clear the hitch ended up being 3 5/8" wide x 5 1/4" deep, and dead center on the center mounting tab hole. That less than 1/4" gap all around. Check the fit over the receiver and the bottom push fasteners before completely re-installing the bumper cover. Awesome product!

Installed this hitch last week and used it to haul bikes to the races this weekend. Hitch worked as advertised. Looks nice installed on my outback, I would recommend this product.

Install was smooth on my 23 outback and matched the install video. Appreciated the higher tongue weight capacity without removing bumper!

Installed easily and took just under 2 hours to install. Will say video is very helpful but it does leave out the hardest to reach bolt which is the one next to the exhaust, need to hold it to the side while tightening the bolt.

This hitch is solid. Installation couldn't be easier, with the help of etrailer videos, that are top notch. This thing took probably 90min to install, including setting up all my tools, installation, cleaning up, all while pounding beers between steps.

Great instructions and product delivery arrived fast, and unscathed. Install was straightforward and measurements to cut fascia on the bumper worked well.

Fit my Outback pefect, well hidden. I only use it for bike rack. Would definitely endorse for others

Just finished installing this a few moment ago and I have to say that it really looks good on our 2014 Outback 3.6R. The low profile of the receiver barely extends beyond the line of the mufflers. I dont think it will be as much of a consideration when backing into a parking stall as other systems that I have seen. There were minor issues that I ran into with the install, so it took me about 3 hours to get this mounted at home with no extra help. I also decided to do the bumper removal method. I felt comfortable removing the trim, and it had the added bonus of giving me more room to work. If you dont have an extra set of hands to help align the hitch to the bolts, you can use a ratchet strap thrown around the hinges for the rear hatch. Hook into the loops where you normally place your trailer chains and take up the weight of the hitch. This will allow just enough support so you can have both hands to start aligning the bolts to the hitch. Lastly, I decided to torque everything down and suspended the muffler before I reattached the bumper bar and trim. The part that was the most difficult for me was getting the dual exhaust remounted onto the rubber bungs. I ended up having to grind off about 3/4-1 inch of the rearmost post on the muffler to get it back into the bung hole. I look forward to pulling a trailer and seeing how everything holds up down the road.

Great product! We have used this hitch for several road trips and it has been very useful. I was looking for a 2" hitch for our 2011 Subaru Outback that was hidden well and this did the trick. I would normally install my own hitch, but this time I had a shop do it because the amount of modification justified using a proper lift to do it right.

Follow the installation video and you can't hardly go wrong with this receiver hitch. It was intimidating but very straightforward installation. Very happy with the final product, I just wish it would have been packed better. A little bubble wrap around the sharp edges would go a long way.

Easy instal, looks great!

This thing is heavy duty! Following the videos to remove the rear bumper facia made this a quick and simple install. I have a Subaru Outback Wilderness edition - so it has two exhausts, and although installing the bolt on each side with the fishwire was easily done; it was a bit challenging to torque the corresponding nuts which required a deep socket (and required some manipulation of the mufflers to try to get a straight path for proper torque). Other than that - it was a smooth and straightforward install. I love the fact that this hitch is hidden, only a small (and unseen) section needs to be cut out of the facia (unlike the factory hitch), and the receiver alone barely sticks below the facia (which maintains maximum ground clearance). I even designed and 3-D printed a TPU cover with the Subaru logo to finish it off (Goto MakerWorld - 2 inch Subaru Hitch Receiver Cover)

Perfection!! Super high quality powder coat. Simple installation and no BS, just the stuff you need. So glad I went with this instead of OEM. Fantastic value for the money

Pretty simple install and very good instructions! I just used the hitch for the first time carrying a bike rack and it works perfectly and everything is snug!

High quality hitch I just installed on a Subaru Crosstrek 2017. I followed all the instructions and viewed install videos. My only suggestion.... small one.... in the 2016 install video, it shows the fishwire kept on the driver side bolts, which I did while I struggled with getting the passenger side nuts on the bolts. This proved to be very helpful in preventing the driver side bolts getting accidentally pushed into the frame. The 2017 video does not show this and the guy uses an pneumatic die grinder. I used a Dremel with a stone wheel that did the job very nicely. Rust-oleum paint on the bare metal. I purchased a 1/2" torque wrench for this install.... wow!... glad I had it, but my arms are a bit sore now. After that experience, I hope others realize that just a ratchet and socket are not going to be enough. The hitch is solid in place and I'm very happy with the purchase.

Installation went very well on my 2014 Outback! Only thing I would mention is that the cutout for the hitch is dead center on the bumper, which other reviewers have mentioned as well. A 4" wide by 6" deep cutout did the trick for me.

Perfect fit for the Subaru Outback 2013. The instructions are a bit sparse, but this is the same as the Curt Hitch:so all the videos there work for this as well! Quick tips: 1) The cut out in the fascia needs to be much deeper than 4.5". We had to unfit and fit the bumper 5 times trying to get it as close as possible - something close to 6". Furthermore, the instructions say it should be off center the center push pin tab, but in fact, it should be dead center! 2) You will need deep sockets (along with socket extension) to get to the bolts on the back. The bolts stick out quite a bit so it's not possible with normal sockets. We couldn't find a 14mm, so we opted for a 9/16th inch instead and that worked like a charm! 3) Plastic trim pry/removal tool is most essential. Have not used the hitch yet, will post a review when I use it the first time. Installed on a 2013 Subaru Outback

Exactly as described! I have an older 2011 Honda Odyssey that I needed a hitch for and didn’t want to spend a ton of money for the minimal use it would get. When I researched hitches etrailer kept coming up with great reviews. Their site rated the install at 3 out of 10 stars and the reviews said 1-2 hours doing it alone. It was super easy. No ramps or special equipment or fancy tools needed!

Great quality hitch. Easy install. I used jack stands and a cinder block to hold it in place while I bolted it on. No rust on it yet which is good for living in New England.

Well made, well finished and heavy duty product! If you are even halfway handy, you can install this yourself. Like anything, fitting is exact.

Great quality and easy installation on our 2015 Subaru Forester. We have 10 recreational acres in beautiful Brown County, Indiana and a tiny cabin that we are renovating. We will use this hitch to use a trailer in hauling supplies, for transporting the ATV, and also for a bike rack. Hubby is very pleased.

This is the third hitch I have purchased from etrailer and each purchase has gone smoothly. I will say the two Curt Hitches did install and line up better than another brand I purchased from them but don't recall the brand on that one.

Tricky to install. Not for the feint of heart. I had to borrow a competitor's install guide to get more information on exactly what to do with the car. Their guide just covered their stuff. You will need a girthy torque wrench. Came with some paint flaking off already, but that might have been on the shippers. I needed to buy additional chains so I could reach all the way back to the holes. Otherwise, its been working out great! Its totally hidden and has been able to tow a bunch with out an issue. The rattle reducing pin is a must have. I think some parts of it are wearing in because the connection is not quite as tight as it was at install, but it still feels very sturdy. I've had it installed for about 10 months now and hav towed over 1000 miles with it. I've been towing motorcycles with a total weight of about 1500 lbs, mostly. Would recommend to other budget conscious outback owners with moderate mechanical DIY skills.

I eventually received the right item, Etrailer sent the wrong item and it cost me 1 extra hour of labor. it took 1 hour to discover they packed the wrong item in a box marked correctly

First towing experience went well with a 2012 Subaru Forester towing a U-Haul trailer helping someone move. Install was smooth and eTrailer videos made everything easy.

This was exactly what I needed. This high quality hitch was very easy to install. Instructions were pretty easy to follow. The YouTube installation video was a lot easier to follow. Now I can move up to 4 mountain bikes on this bike rack with confidence to any place I want to go. Thanks etrailer.com!!!

Easy install on 2015 Forrester with no drilling or cutting. Evergthing fit perfectly, took about an hour. Not the case on the 2015 Outback below...

I watched numerous instructional videos before installing. Fortunately, the nut/bolt parts package was well secured, as the box was damaged in transit. I had a little damage to the heat shield plus stripped retainer bolts — but I just connected the two frozen bolts with some support hanger wire. Whether you have a hitch lift or not, you should probably have second hand available to at least get the first nuts threaded. It’s a very substantial and nicely designed accessory. It’s secured and ready for the bike rack or some trailing.