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Perfect for light-duty towing, this custom, vehicle trailer hitch receiver features fully welded, gloss powder coated steel construction. Drawbar sold separately.
Features:
Specs:
At etrailer.com we're committed to the products we sell, and to our customers. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff are available via both phone and email to address your questions and concerns for the lifetime of your hitch. The technicians at etrailer perform hitch installations on a daily basis, making them a valuable resource for do-it-yourselfers. The one-on-one, personal service you'll receive comes straight from an expert in the towing and automotive field. We've installed it, we've wired it and we've towed with it, so whatever your question, we can answer it.
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Well, it's doing its job. Once I looked at the parts and how to install it on the Subaru I decided to let a shop do it, as it looks a bit awkward to install.
I am delighted with the hitch for my 2015 Forester, from ordering over the phone to prompt delivery, to unpacking and discovering it is made in America and of high quality. Installation took longer than expected mainly due to the slow and awkward process of enlarging the center access holes on each side with a rat tail file. Additionally, I was able to retain the heat shield, intact, by mounting it OVER the hitch mtg flange with just the addition of a couple of 1/2" holes (location dimples already there) and some light shaping with a hammer (pix attached). I elected to remove the muffler for installation, an easy job. Installing wiring harness was straight forward, once how to loosen the side panel was understood. The installation looks great! Thank you eTrailer.
Sid
6/30/2014
Thanks for the info. I wasnt looking forward to losing the heat shield.
Jeremy C.
7/20/2014
Great advice on putting the heat shield over the mounting flange, and calling out the dimples in the heat shield, I appreciate it Ian! Its just a shame the Forester cant pull more than 1500 lbs.
Constantin
12/7/2015
As I expected that the process of enlarging the access holes would be more tedious, I experimented an alternative way to install the rig without fishwire. It turned to be much easier for me at least. You get better access to the frame if you remove the bumper entirely. It is less complicated than it seems. There are a couple of screws that hold the plastic cover and after you remove them just snap the cover out. The next is to remove the bumper bar which is hold together by 6 big bolts 3 each side. You remove them with a regular tubular hex key dont remember the size and the bar goes out. You gain full access to the interior of the frame and if you not have big hands you can fit the hitch bolts with your bare fingers or you may still use the fishwire. Anyway, you fit the bolts through the open end of the frame bars instead of through an enlarged hole. Then is a matter of few minutes to put the bumper back. I think it is the same procedure that is employed by the dealer shop.
Great little hitch. Compact in appearance but good tongue and pull capabilities. I saved over a lot using etrailer and towpro. Very pleased and wish I would've discovered the site before having a hitch put on the van at the place that sounds like youhaul.
Scott C. 
12/31/2015
I havent had any issues with it. Looks good and not too bulky.
Product shipped immediately and arrived 3 days later - Great
Directions provided were good but the video's answered all questions I had. Took 3 hours to install and had no problems. Chose the true no-drill option of completely removing the full bumber, crash bar, rear lights and muffler. No issues. A truly quality product and the price can not be beat.
Re: No-Drill Process - See Reviews where a good discussion and comments describe the method. This is my 3rd purchase from etrailer and it always is a positive experience.
Pete S.
9/4/2018
Trailer hitch is great. I continually recommend your site to friends.
Install was pretty straight forward, I used the larger hole in front of the mount holes and only had to cut small grooves in it to pass the bolts and flange. Took about a hour to do entire job.
Daniel
8/29/2021
Works great, no issues.
Rather than spending nearly $500 for the factory hitch for my Subaru Forester, I bought this one from etrailer for a fraction of the price. I am very pleased with the hitch. I like the way it looks because the main part is hidden behind the bumper, and the receiver is readily accessible for my bike rack. Installation was very easy and straight forward. The instructions are spot on and easy to follow. My only issue was that my grinder bit was old and it made enlarging the holes a longer process. But that was my problem, not the design.
The hitch fits perfectly under the twin exhausts on my 2014 XT Touring. The bike rack attaches easily. Etrailer was very prompt with their shipping. When I need another hitch, I can see me buying from them again. I am very pleased with their customer service.
I ordered late Saturday night, got an email it shipped (for free) on Sunday, received it on Wednesday and installed it on Thursday!
The price/value cannot be beat. The dealer priced hitch and wire harness for my 2018 Forester at $500 UNinstalled and $864 installed. I paid way less for hitch and harness through Etrailer and installed myself. Saved $325-$689 depending on if I had decided to have them install or not.
I backed my vehicle up on 2 x 6's stacked 2 high. That was perfect clearance for me to fit under but not too high to reach. I dropped the exhaust but then decided to just remove muffler all together (2 bolts) as it is the most obstructive in the project. Not sure but probably could have gotten away with just removing muffler without dropping whole exhaust. Sprayed some old white grease in a can I had laying in the garage on the exhaust hangers and everything came off with little effort. Used a Dremel with a round grinding bit to oval out the holes closest to front of vehicle for the hardware. The "fishing wires" for the hardware work great! As others suggested I saved the heat shield by doing a bit of modifying with a few holes and a notch for the hitch bracket. I was prepared to use the two floor jacks with a 1x2 method to hold the hitch up to install but a friend had dropped by so they held it up while I secured the bolts. The hitch install probably took me 1½ - 2 hours and the wiring install took less than 15 minutes. Watch the install videos and read the review comments for the easiest install methods and tips!
Looks great, it is just a bit recessed under the bumper. It had a couple of scratches when received but I touched them up with some black Rustoleum which matched perfectly. I have only towed with it once but worked awesome! I am very satisfied! Thanks ETrailer!!
etrailer is doing it right. The install videos were very helpful for a first-timer. The ones showing dimensions were especially helpful to assure the products would fit. Great selection, great prices, clear instructions, a follow-up email came within hours of receiving the package, and etrailer’s correspondence included an actual person’s name! The reviews were really helpful for purchasing and for installation. I chose the 1 1/4" size to carry a Thule 2-bike rack. As noted in other reviews: I put the bolts and plates through the larger 4th hole (less grinding and the fishwires reach), used spray lube on the rubber exhaust hangers (disengaging them was the trickiest part of the installation), trimmed the heat shield, had a helper hold the hitch, and blocked the car up just a bit. The Curt hitch receiver is robust and fits my 2016 Forester perfectly. Pretty painless installation all in all.
Quick delivery. Easy to select the right hitch on website. Installation not difficult. Very satisfied. Thanks.
Michael M.
8/3/2017
After a years use by my outdoors person daughter the hitch has worked great. Occasional small loads with nearly full time bike hauling has resulted in no problems at all. Would do it again good price, easy install, works as advertised...good value
eTrailer helped us a great deal as we were trying to determine which hitch would fit our car (a 2015 Subaru Forester), with additional instructions when we had questions during installation, and with the purchase of an adapter for our second vehicle. For 2015 Foresters, Subaru required a specific hitch, but they did not sell the hitch. eTrailer figured it all out for us. Plus the customer service people we spoke with were very, very nice and super helpful.
Great company service. As important as the product
Great hitch and electric connection kit was a "no brainer" to install. I watched several installation videos and installed accordingly. etrailer.com had the lowest price I could find anywhere and I received the hitch, wiring, and ball in a couple days. Did I mention free shipping? All in all, I'm a very satisfied customer! Thanks etrailer. Ana
My daughter installed the hitch for me today. She was very impressed with the ease of the installation. She had no problems at all. She also installed the wireing, the only thing we need there is an adapter kit to take it from a 4 wire to a 7 wire adapter, which we will be ordering today. The hitch cover is beautiful I love it,the only problem I had with it was it was the wrong size. I got the 2in instead of the 1 1/4 in. but no problem I will just send it back for an exchange. I don't have any pictures to post, but I have a kawasaki mule that I will be hauling on a small trailer to differant areas. Thanks again for your product.
Donna E.
3/14/2015
Have had absolutely no problems with the hitch. Our trailer pulls so easy on it that we forget its back there sometimes. Very happy with it
The whole process was EXCELLENT !!
Using the web site was easy and got me to the product I wanted with little fuss. It did give me options, but they were options that made sense for the hitch I was looking for.
The item was in stock and shipped quickly as promised.
The web site also had a video which showed in great detail how to attach the hitch purchased to the vehicle it was purchased for. This certainly gave me and my friend some excellent insight into how to go about the work.
The hitch is now attached and is just what I was looking for. I think all Curt hitches are built right and how easy it was to install just makes me feel that when I may need another I know where I will look: etrailers on line and Curt!!
This was a very positive experience and I would highly recommend using etrailers to anyone who may ask !!!!
Donald
8/26/2019
After one year the hitch is working as well today as when it was first installed. I expect it will last as long as I own the vehicle as it shows no sign of not being able to do so. Again, great service for a great product!!!
The C12100 was a perfect fit with detailed easy to understand instructions as well as a video on the web site. The only modification I did was instead of cutting the heat shield as aggressively as the instructions I made a smaller cut then mounted the shield over the hitch adding flat washers under the nuts to prevent distortion while torquing the fasteners. This gives the shield better support and is less likely to have a rattle at a later date. The entire project took 1.5 hours.
Neil P.
4/4/2018
Everything is working fine.
The product and service are great. The Curt installation video was perfect. Easy enough to understand written, but the video is even easier! My package didn't come with Tabasco, but the hitch was already painted black (watch video to understand).
BTW - you need a good $20 carbide grinder bit (for your drill). The frame will eat Dremel bits alive!
Chris B.
11/2/2017
Still great. I did not have a need to wire up the trailer lights last year because it was just used for a bike rack. I needed to wire it up this summer and so went to the video for that, which again was great. Cars have so many hidden interior fasteners, someone needs to show installers the secret handshake to remove panels safely - and that is what your videos do. As a side note, I was discussing this with my trusty auto-parts store while buying some trailer hardware and they said: yeah, thats why we like Curt too.
The hitch fit perfectly but the directions were not as clear as I believe they should be. However, I went to [online] and saw a hitch install demo that was done by etrailer on a similar car as mine. Once I viewed that, everything became clear. Also, I believe your directions are wrong. The hole on my car that is supposed to be enlarged is the one that is most forward with the remaining 3 holes staying the same. This is not what the written directions indicate. Additionally, the directions do not explain how to reinstall the heat shield which the [online] video does. The reinstall of the heat shield, I believe, is an important step..
I would suggest that your directions should include viewing the etrailer [onlined] videos.
Jenny N.
6/28/2022
I checked with our video installation on a 2014 Subaru Forester and yes, the instructions advise to use the middle hole however we did find that using the forward hole worked better for easier installation. You can see that in the video install link below at timestamp 4:45. We didnt reinstall the heat shield however you are welcome to do so.
Install was easy and have used the hitch frequently for hauling my bikes. Love it and will be buying another hitch for my Santa Fe
Exact fit! Installation was a breeze thanks to the video provided by E-trailer! Item arrived in a timely manner and was packaged very well. Will definitely use E-trailer for future needs!
Hans
7/19/2023
After a year of use, the hitch is still a wonderful addition to my vehicle. I’m able to transport bikes and kayaks via a trailer thanks to having this hitch! Still very pleased!
I had a local shop install it on our 2017 Subaru Forester and was told that it installed easily and as advertised. It is very solid and works with our Allen bike rack. My only negative comment is that the receiver seems to be too large for the male portion of the rack so that, when our 2 bikes are on the rack, the bikes lean slightly. It is merely annoying, not unsafe but the fit is less tight than it was with our hitch on our old Forester. I have tried shimming it but have not solved the "problem". Other than this comment, I am pleased with my purchase, both the hitch and the service.
Installation went quite well. This was on a new 2015 Forrester.
I didn't have a lift as shown in the video -- used ramps instead. I removed the muffler (two bolts and two suspenstion mounts) rather than just the mounts and dropping the whole thing down. This gave much more room to work with on the muffler side. Hardest part was enlarging the holes -- I used a combination of drill and file. If I were doing it again I would try a step bit since the overall hole size had to be elarged, not just one dimiension. I used a floor jack to lift the mount in place. I reinstalled the aluminum muffler shield by drilling out two holes (detents on the shield pre marked when the holes went) and mounting it under two of the nuts (and used three of the four original fasteners as well)_. After mounting, a little use of a hammer formed the soft shield around the hitch support structure.
Overall it worked out better that I expected.
This hitch was the last of several i've bought from from etrailer. the shipping was PDQ (pretty damn quick). It arrived so soon that I had to hide the gift.
Ive ordered and installed hitches for all my kids, my now EX, and my much younger girlfriend. Easy to install and those who are impressed by anything mechanical assume it is a major task. The truth is installation is easy as pie, but dont tell anyone. My girlfriend was very APPRECIATIVE of her gift. Ive installed hitches on VWs, Lexus, Subarus, Dodge, and a Chevy.
100% satisified.
I'm old and retired and for my last solo hitch install, I used a floor jack to hold hitch in place while i bolted it in.
Part numbers # c12100 and c56040 install on a 2015 Subaru Forester.
e-Trailer has done their homework ! Hitch went on without a hitch. As scary as it was removing the muffler was not any problem at all. I did use ramps for this task which made the job a lot easier. I even installed the hitch by myself using a pump jack. Small modifications made on heat shield and then re-installed before muffler was put back on. Perfect fit on my 2015 Subaru Forester. The wire harness also was perfect ! worked just like the video predicted. Absolutely no surprises.
When drilling the hole larger to get the bolts into the frame do not drill the center hole where the hitch attaches. Just forward of the three hitch holes you will find another hole. Remove plug and drill a 3/8" hole that will interconnect with that hole. Use a file to take off the rough edges and paint after putting your hardware into the frame through that hole along with reinstalling the rubber plug. The steel is much thinner at this location and the 3/8" drill goes right through it.
Have fun and enjoy your hitch !
Thank you e-Trailer !
This is my fourth install and they keep getting easier. Great product. Great price. Great service. I especially appreciate the installation videos. Very reassuring to see how easy it really is!
This is a great product! Having said that, the install was far more difficult than I had anticipated. One of the most difficult aspects is re-attaching the exhaust system to the rubber hangers (yes, I used lubricant). In the videos and in the literature, they suggest a prying tool such as a prybar. However, in most cases, there is nothing to pry against. There is probably a specific tool for this task. Just know going in YOU WILL struggle with getting the hangers back onto the exhaust system! I used a ratchet strap for one and another one required my wife to play tug-o-war with a cord attached the rubber hanger while I manipulated the hanger onto the metal post. Additionally, I would HIGHLY recommend watching the install videos for both the 2017 AND 2018 Forrester and combining the directions of both videos. In my opinion, this results in a much easier install which allows you to KEEP the heat shield, DO NOT remove the muffler, and drill out the FOURTH larger hold and leave the three mounting holes intact. The right tools are absolutely essential, and if you've never done this before (like me) plan for the better part of a day.
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Bryan
5/10/2025
The rack is working fine. Its sturdy, yet light enough take take on and off. Easy bike clamp system and the rack can be tilted down for access to the back of the car while the bikes are on it, although if you are moving large items into the back, you would probably want to take the bikes off first.