Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

I really like the look and quality of the hitch. I'm giving the review 4 stars for 2 reasons. The first has to do with the hitch itself. When I received it and started to install I put on the passenger side first and went over to the driver's side and it hitch was very much misaligned to the holes on the frame, the furthest being nearly 5 inches off. I called etrailer and they sent another. The second showed up and was a little bit better. When I emailed, the etrailer customer support sent me some instructions on how to stretch the thing. I used a 2-ton jack and a 2x4 to stretch it and after a few tries I got it on. the less than 1-hour install, all told, took probably about 3 to 4 hours. Based on that experience I probably would have rated it lower. The second bit is etrailer's customer support is excellent. When I called I was treated very well on the phone. Their email responses were timely and well written. My only complaint is I probably would have benefited from a disclaimer about stretching the thing and getting the .pdf instructions on stretching on the first email. Overall my experience has been very good and that's mostly because etrailer has very very good customer service. That right there makes me very happy with my experience even though it took longer than expected.635235

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One year on and the hitch is working exactly as expected. Ive had zero issues and it still cosmetically looks great. Still would recommend.

Derek - 04/27/2020

74306

OK, expect this to arrive bent and in need of adjustment. That's not a criticism, just expect this and then you can perform a straightening step prior to installation and save needless frustration. My box arrived with damage from UPS, contents were fine but the hitch clearly was dropped on it's end. It was obviously bent beyond the point where installation would have been possible without adjusting the hitch frame ahead of time. See picture.

A worrier, I called etrailer and the helpful associate walked me through the simple process to bend things back into shape. She talked me through it, send a detailed email explanation, and sent me a nice PDF instructions with pictures showing the techniques involved. To get the arms parallel took literally a minute. Then I was ready to install.

Process was smooth and very straightforward. I have a 2001 Highlander and was concerned about the step to remove and install underbody trim pieces. Well, I have a base model, so those parts didn't exist so I could commence installation directly. Videos were incredibly helpful here just to understand the process. Get a friend to help with installation OR some jack stands to assist with supporting the hitch during install. Also, have some clamps ready to make final "adjustments" to align the mounting holes. You'll need to do this even if your frame arrives in perfect condition out of the box. Took about an hour to complete.679561

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I have linked the help article you mentioned on correcting hitch flex for reference.

-- Victoria B - 08/07/2019

58744

My Trailer Hitch Doesn't Fit

Shipped and received promptly.
Heavy duty! Waiting for a warm day to install!
Shipping box was in bad shape on arrival from the hitch
bouncing around in it. No damage.1489976

Prompt service with efficiency in processing and speed of delivery. With difficulty in procuring a hitch through other sources, etrailer should have been my starting point.1128107

I have continued to use the product without any hitches. When I could not find a hitch through other sources, getting it quickly when needing it quickly was greatly appreciated.

Peter - 08/20/2022

146896

by: Huntabsarokee 08/17/2017

2016 Honda Pilot

Nice product and great price at etrailer. Install was about 20 minutes. Hardest part on our 2016 Pilot was removing the plastic cut out in the bumper where the hitch sits. Once that was done my wife lifted up 1 side and I lifted the other while getting the bolts on. 421504

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Still great after 1 year. Good purchase.

Huntabsarokee - 08/17/2018

42472

by: Brent04/23/2022

Hitch has been great and was very simple to install. It is a little tricky to get the holes to align with the vehicle's. Just need to be creative and you can get it figured out pretty easily. I just used a F style clamp to squeeze it over to where I needed. I recommend this hitch!1289281

It sounds like your hitch was a little flexed but you made it work out. Here are other ways of fixing it in this help article:

-- Sierra K - 05/06/2022

138497

My Trailer Hitch Doesn't Fit

A couple of years ago I bought a Curt hitch from etrailer.com for my old minivan and was completely satisfied with the product and service. When it came time to put a hitch on my newer SUV, I didn't think twice about a return purchase. Unfortunately, the hitch they sent this time didn't fit. I had to reschedule a planned bike trip because of that, so I was a little PO'd, but the courteous folks at etrailer.com walked me through and expedited the whole return process. Within two weeks I had the replacement on my rig and a big, stupid grin on my face. Perfect fit, perfect condition. Kudos to all those at etrailer.com for having such a high level of customer service excellence, especially George J in shipping, Amy H in returns, Carol C in marketing, and Kimberly R, who was the point person handling my online transaction. Job well done! Sorry if I whined too much.1034146

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by: Megan01/23/2023

It was a gift to my son-in-law who actually picked it out. However, it still sits in its box in the garage as he has never found the time to have it installed.

I’m sorry I can’t provide more information1505717

Excellent product , got it on time , easy installation , take me 60 minutes to install.
Thank you all, keep working this way !!
I will recommend etrailer .806031

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Still working great , still like new we give a good use for the past year great product I will recommend 100 satisfied !!

Angel - 06/01/2021

114684

by: Christopher05/02/2022

The installation was pretty straightforward. It would be a lot easier to do a second time knowing now how it is installed. Also, make sure you have access to a torque wrench for the installation.
The hitch receiver works like you would expect.1293088

Installed on my 2012 Highlander and my experience just like many others indicated the holes did not align on the driver side. It took me more than two hour and at the end the wife said why can't you use the car jack. So, that's it. The car jack will take care the issue. You would use the car jack between the spare tire and the other end of the hitch, push it out until the holes line up and you can insert the bolts. And as others mentioned with a small custom cut on the driver side cover panel, you can re-installed it. The passenger side panel can go back in without any modifications.526594

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I have a 2013 Highlander Limited. I decided to buy and install a hitch myself as opposed to going to the Toyota dealer in an effort to save some money. The price on this hitch was right (on sale) so I went for it. Shipping was fast and the hitch arrived in good shape with all the parts and an instruction sheet. I rented a torque wrench from the hardware store ($10 / day) and bought the right size sockets and an extension (be sure to buy a socket to remove the existing tow hooks ... I could not get mine off without using the torque wrench).  As reflected in many of these reviews, installation was very difficult. The video makes it appear that you can just bolt this hitch on, but not in my particular case. The 3 bolt holes did not line up on the driver's side, (even with the passenger side bolts loosely on). They were off by at least half an inch. Ultimately I was able to get all the bolts on, but really had to work at it. Based on feedback in this forum, I purchased a 6" C clamp and used a couple 2x4's and a pry bar to spread the hitch wide enough to get the driver's side bolts in. This was a two person job (one person pushing down the pry bar down with all their might and another working the bolts in). On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate installation difficulty at a '10' (extremely difficult). Other than that, the hitch is really nice and very heavy duty. Overall I think it's a good hitch for the money, but you need to be really handy and up for the potential installation challenges. Time for an ice cold beer!278008

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Installed without a hitch. Definitely a two person job due to weight and the holes weren’t perfectly aligned. Once one side was fastened, I just had to press on the other with my feet while my helper threaded the bolts in. Would purchase again without question. 515700

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This is a nice hitch and installation was ALMOST as easy as the instructions state. I had two problems: The hitch sides needed to be bent slightly to get the mounting holes to align properly. And one of the threaded nuts on my vehicle was not threaded.

I used my heavy duty jack to very slightly bend the side plates for proper hole alignment.

I'll have to either buy a metric tap for the unthreaded nut or have a mechanic do it for me.212878

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by: Jessica 07/24/2022

Hauled a trailer and luggage rack with this so far. Easy to hook up.1336669

Product arrived bent or badly manufactured? It is a full 1 1/4" out of alignment with the necessary bolt pattern.Contacted etrailer and was told to bend it which will not work? Five days of emails and false promises. This company likes to talk but not do anything to back there product.1263902

I will have our customer service team reach out to you. It sounds like that the side brackets were knocked out of alignment which can happen while in transit to our facility or to you. If it under one half an inch off then many times the bracket can be moved back into place. We do have a FAQ that can assist with moving the side brackets of the hitch back into alignment to allow for installation.

-- Jenny N - 02/22/2022

133358

My Trailer Hitch Doesn't Fit

I have installed hundreds of hitches over the last 35 years as a certified Master technician and this one did not go well.
The vertical plate on the right side of the hitch was welded on at the wrong angle which made it almost impossible for the left side to be mounted. The rt side plate holes lined up but since the plate was tilted towards the frame at the top it pushed the whole hitch to the right. The holes on the left side were off by 1 1/2"s. I had to use a 8 foot pry bar to pry the left mounting bracket over in order to align the slotted holes to the mounting nuts in the frame.This would have been impossible without being on a rack.
I was able to get it mounted but a 30 minute job turned into 2 hours with a lot of frustration and sweat.1188074

It sounds as thought the hitch may also have been flexed out of alignment. This can happen while in transit to our facility or to you. You have already flexed it back to install the hitch as we would suggested. Please see the link below for other ideas on how to flex it back.

-- Jenny N - 10/27/2021

123381

My Trailer Hitch Doesn't Fit

Like many, my hitch had busted through one end of the box when I received it. Fortunately, it was not bent. Perhaps an extra layer or two of corrugated should be added to the bolt-on areas of the hitches for shipping? Install was easy. I did it in 50 minutes. Curt's instructions are very clear and etrailer.com's videos really helped. The hitch fit great and looks good. Etrailer.com's service was excellent. Very helpful on phone prior to order. Arrived fast.21874

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Product did not line up to factory holes, maybe due to shipping/shortage and bending slightly. Installed driver side first then used leverage to bend/adjust hitch to line up to factory holes. Took much longer to install because of this issue. Overall this is a great bolt on hitch.223472

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by: Rob T. from CT05/01/2022

Toyota Highlander

Product was delivered quickly, fit my Toyota highlander perfectly, with easy install instructions.
Towing an 18' ski boat with no problems. Highly recommend etrailer1292666

by: Robert05/31/2021

Easy to install and works like it should. Been pulling my boat for a year without so much as a loose bolt.1051880

Great

Robert - 05/31/2022

140977

by: Moshe07/09/2022

perfectly fit for my Toyota Highlander 2010 Pretty heavy and strong for towing .1323634

Hitch installed without a problem! Watching YouTube video about installing the wiring and hitch was a great help. New 2012 Highlander is ready for around the house utility trailer needs and putting boat in at the Lake. 47288

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I can't say enough about etrailer. Great products. Speedy, accurate, well-packaged delivery. Great installation instructions and videos. My Curt receiver looks great and was easy to install. 140 bucks, an hour of time, and I saved hundreds.546620

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Review after installation; haven't used the trailer hitch yet, so I can't comment on the quality of the product. It does appear to be very well made.

Hitch arrived quickly. Item was reasonably protected in the shipping box, and arrived undamaged. Installation instructions were clear and easy to follow, although the directions for cutting the plastic trim pieces to accommodate the hitch were not clear. I ended up trimming, checking, retrimming, etc. a few times to get it right.851118

After a year of occasional use, Im still happy with the hitch. No issues at all.

Glenn - 07/27/2021

118079