Arrives before Christmas To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
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Looking for an easy-to-install hitch that maintains your vehicle's sleek appearance? The Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver takes the hassle out of installation with its straightforward bolt-on design, eliminating the need for welding. Its concealed cross tube ensures that only the 2-inch receiver shows, keeping your Subaru Crosstrek looking clean and stylish.
Worried about rust and corrosion? This hitch features a powder-coated steel construction that maximizes durability and offers superior rust resistance. Its glossy black finish not only looks great but is also designed to withstand the elements, promising long-lasting performance even in harsh weather conditions.
Need to tow confidently? The Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver is rated for a maximum gross trailer weight of 3,500 lbs and a maximum tongue weight of 525 lbs. Whether you're hauling bikes, a small trailer, or recreational gear, this Class III hitch provides the heavy-duty support you need.
Want peace of mind when towing? Curt extends its commitment beyond the product with lifetime technical support. Their experienced staff offers invaluable advice and troubleshooting help, ensuring that any hitch-related questions get quick, expert answers, and making DIY installations a breeze.
You drive a Subaru Crosstrek because it perfectly fits your lifestyle—shouldn’t your hitch do the same? This custom fit hitch was designed specifically for your Subaru model, ensuring a snug fit that aligns perfectly with your vehicle’s framework, enhancing both performance and aesthetics.
Rely on proven engineering for safety and reliability. The precision, robotic welding maximizes strength and improves fit, maintaining performance under load. This robust construction ensures that whether on a weekend getaway or a daily drive, your hitch remains dependable, meeting the high-caliber standards set by enthusiasts and professionals alike.
With e-trailer it is easy to find what I need for towing. The Curt trailer hitch is solidly constructed and moderately easy to install. DIYers should be prepared to use a Dremel or similar tool to slightly notch out one hole on either side to be able to insert the backing plates and bolt heads.
Straight forward install, easy to follow instructions. The box it was shipped in had multiple holes in it, but the hitch was still in good shape.
Extremely easy to install ! Biggest hassle was widening the bolt holes, but it still took me only 1 hour to install. And did it alone without raising the vehicle
First I want to say that trying to design a hitch to fit around a muffler on a small crossover is not an easy task. The construction of the hitch and receiver are heavy gauge and we’ll constructed. The fish wires worked like a charm and were integral for the installation. I did run into an interference with the muffler isolation rods welded to the frame. After placing the hitch, I had to hand tighten the nuts before tightening incrementally each bolt as the rods were pushed away during the tightening process. Dropping the muffler would not have helped here as the welded ends were the issue (see photos) Other than that, I am pleased with the result and would recommend to other Crosstrek owners.
Kevin H.
12/5/2023
After one year, this hitch has made hauling our bikes around worry free. Combined with the Kuat bike rack and locks, our bikes are secure no matter the road conditions. Before purchasing this hitch I investigated mounting to the roof. This proved impractical since I couldn’t mount them while in the garage plus who wants to lift bikes over their heads to stow these. Not happening… love the hitch and rack setup. Peace of mind and just plain easy. Plus the hitch looks like I just installed, no rust and no movement even after many uses this year. Plus, I’m rough on stuff and I’m confident it will last for many enjoyable years to come.
Mike L.
12/5/2023
I am very pleased with this hitch! My husband is an automotive tech, and it took him about 45 minutes to install (without lifting the car.) It is definitely do-able if you don't drop the exhaust, but it would be easier if you do. You can barely see it, which is nice! I can see why so many people recommend Curt.
I was also very pleased at how quickly it shipped! I will definitely buy from etrailer again (:
Gwendolyn Y.
6/6/2025
It looks great on your Crosstrek, Katie! Your husband did a great job. What do you plan to use the hitch for?
Product arrived quickly (two days). Hitch is well made and bolts right up to our 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness. Enlargement of the forward two holes on the car is required to get the bolts and backing plates into position. Easily done with Dremel tool. I would have given 5 stars except that the hitch busted through the box in three places during transport and knocked the paint off in several spots on the hitch. I don't understand why the ends of the hitch are not wrapped with bubble wrap or cardboard. The hitch would still easily fit into the box and prevent this sort of unnecessary damage. Instead, I had to spend and extra hour sanding 5-6 dings, cleaning and painting (two coats) to prevent rust on the exposed bare metal. Touch-up paint was an extra $12 at the automotive shop. Come on etrailer, wrap the ends/edges of the hitches. Others have mentioned the same issue in their reviews.
E C.
1/24/2025
Its not been a year yet but as a follow up to my previous review of the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver, the folks at etrailer contacted me regarding my comments about the damaged paint. They apologized for the scratched paint and also credited my account for the paint and inconvenience with what I consider to be a fair amount. Thank you for not ignoring my review and making the situation right etrailer.com. Good customer service is not something one finds every day.
Jerred H.
1/25/2025
The installation videos on etrailer guided me step by step and made the install manageable even without being on a lift. I was able to complete the installation on ramps with the help of my wife just to lift the hitch up. If you're not using a lift, taking off the muffler completely really helps and it's pretty easy to do so. I'd also like to mention that Odelia from customer service who helped me with the purchase was wonderful. She helped me cancelled the hitch that was on backorder and picked one that has the same features and price point. She was easy to work with, professional, and courteous which made me feel like I am a valued customer. I can't say I have the same experience with other companies I've dealt with. This is the 3rd hitch I've purchased from eTrailer and I've got to say, every experience was very pleasant.
Adrian
1/15/2022
Still rock solid after one year. Didnt expect anything less.
This is the 2nd Curt Trailer hitch I've installed on a 2nd Subaru. Both were easy to install with bolts and nuts supplied. They come with great spring' like things that make feeding the bolt in from the top of the frame hole easy. I use the 2" receivers for bike racks only, no towing. For hauling 2 bikes they receiver works great, even 2 fat bikes in winter. I would recommend these receivers 100%.
Phillip K.
8/29/2021
One year in and Hitch is still great. Even use it to jack up the back of the car for tire rotation. But mostly used for bike rack.
So far so good. Going to mount my kuat nv 4 back rack on it today to test it out. Prepping the car was simple, was able to just lay underneath not jack stand needed. And I’m not small. The install video is quite helpful. I learned to not use duct tape to hold the spacer, the bolt won’t go through very easily. After I installed the hardware my 13 year old daughter helped me feed the fish tape through the hitch and get nuts started. I did not move the exhaust, I had a hinged ratchet that gave me plenty of ability to access all four bolts. Solid rack, simple install, love it.
Also this was installed on my 2021 Crosstrek Sport
Stildo
11/6/2021
Still love it. I found out I put it on a little crooked. Totally my fault. Easy fix with putting a ball on it to see when it was square, then re tighten the bolts. I am planning to get the same hitch for our mini van and Subaru Accent when we get it.
I like the build design. Installation was easy, but you will need the right tools. I watched an etrailer video on YouTube and installed it myself in about an hour. I will say two people would have made the installation waaaay easier!
Very easy to install. 1 person who’s remotely mechanically inclined can do it easy. A second person is nice just when you’re holding the rack in place to start the bolts. Hardest part was torquing the bolts to spec with the limited room, but I am also not that big and only had a torque wrench with too long of a handle to fit well. The video describes the process perfectly.
Easy to install and great directions. Only thing that caught us off guard was the bolt size for the back were kind of short because of the welding that was on the frame of my 2020 Subaru cross trek. Eventually we got it in perfectly fine. But maybe bigger bolts would help others in the future. Great product! Thank you
Hitch came with everything I needed and was incredibly easy to install. With the help of one other person we knocked it out in about an hour fifteen.
I am happy with the hitch for my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. I would definitely order again. Also I appreciate the good customer support and documentation that etrailer has.
Cheers
Austin N.
1/13/2022
Still wonderful baby! Hauling sh*t all over the place.
This hitch is very well made very sturdy. Thank you for instruction video helped a lot. The only thing I did wrong was pull on guide wire when pulling through frame. It took awhile to get them off bolt. I am very pleased with ordering and how quickly it arrived. Looking forward to doing more business with your company.
Kenneth W.
6/17/2020
Excellent very reliable
Just got it in the mail and installed today. The installation video was a great help and definitely made it a faster and smoother process than it would have otherwise been. I didn’t know end up using the little spacer plates as I think that would’ve put the receiver at too much of an upward angle and possibly would’ve made it so I couldn’t fold up the bike rack. As is, it looks great and the bike rack folds up nicely. Thanks!
I mounted this receiver hitch on my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek by myself which was much more difficult than expected. The video directions are very good, but, the installation was a real challenge. To be fair, I did not lower the exhaust and did not jack up the car. I used a circular bastard file to make the forward holes about 1/4" larger to accommodate the bolt backing plates and threaded the backing plates/bolts as instructed with the threaded wires. Be careful as I poked myself in the eye (that's why you use safety glasses). I had to tilt the entire assembly to position it around the exhaust. I used some nylon straps attached to the exhaust brackets to carefully lift up the receiver assembly one side at a time, so I could thread the nuts onto the bolts. I needed to use a screwdriver to put lateral pressure on the end of the bolt while screwing on the nut so that the bolt didn't push upward. The job took about 90 minutes, mostly to twist and position my hands to the appropriate place to reach the assembly while under the car. It is awkward but doable, just be patient or have an assistant. I highly recommend this product; it is 1/4 the price of the dealer installed hitch and 2" compared to the manufacturer 1 1/4" hitch.
Item was easy to install and is a perfect fit. Made of very strong material. Installed on a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek.
Julio
6/15/2019
Still working strong after a year
Quick and easy install, I had the hitch under the car and ready for a torque wrench in about 20 minutes with the help of an ATV jack. I used an air powered die grinder to slightly open up the holes to get the plates to feed through. I installed it just laying on the ground because my hoist was taken at the time but I feel that was probably easier than trying to lift the hitch over my head.
I really like how tight it is to the bumper and doesn't hang down further or stick out to find my shins. Shipping was really fast and packing was really good, took me longer to remove all the staples from the box to be able to recycle it than to actually install the hitch.
My biggest complaint on this hitch is the stinger fits a little looser than previous hitches I've installed. This is not a safety or usage concern but more of an irritant if you leave the stinger in the hitch all the time it rattles and the first time it'll really catch you off guard making you wonder what broke. I added a couple of layers of duct tape around the stinger I use the most to keep the noise to a minimum. I've only towed a small 5x8 trailer and it did fine. This car has no sound deadening installed so if you are towing a trailer that is traditionally loud it will seem louder!
I coupled the install with a curt 7 pin bracket that clamps onto the hitch to hold the wires nice and clean. Without that bracket you almost wouldn't know there is a hitch under the car.
This is my third hitch purchased from etrailer. All three arrived quickly and with no damage. For this one on my 2018 Crosstrek I also purchased the Curt 4-pole wiring harness which installed in about 10 minutes. I found this hitch the most challenging of the 3 to install but with two people it was ok; it was the first hitch install to require snaking through wires to pull the blocks and bolts through. That went pretty smoothly though after using a file and dremel to widen the two forward holes. I used a helper to hold up one side while I removed the snake wires and hand threaded on the bolts.
After tightening the bolts (due to the spacer blocks) the forward bolts did not extend through the nuts. On the passenger side the bolt was flush with the bottom of the nut and on the drivers side the bolt was not even to the end of the nut, it was recessed up in at least 2 threads. That was no good. Looking at the hitch from the rear and verifying with a level, the hitch was not level and actually angled up a bit - I calculated about 1/4" (about the same thickness of the spacer blocks...).
Also note that the drivers side forward nut is partially blocked by the exhaust. I removed the 3 rear rubber hangers which allowed me to move the exhaust just enough to the right to get the socket straight on to tighten it up.
So, I did the same as another reviewer (William 04/11/2020) and removed the spacer blocks. The hitch now is perfectly level with plenty of thread protruding through the forward nuts.
These videos should emphasize that those spacer blocks are optional and use only as necessary. But I guess the only way you will know if you do not need them is to first install with them and see how it goes.
It arrived in a box. There were two holes in the box, where the bolted to car parts were scuffed as they must have been dragged around during delivery. I filed them just to remove burrs. The center receiver (visible after installed) was well packaged and avoided any damage.
I grinded the hole into the car frame to allow fishing bolts and spacers into the car with the pictured tool. It was less material removal than I feared. But be careful you make the hole large enough for both spacer and the bolt, because I had trouble fishing the bolt in one hole that was just shy of the right size. A light hammering helped it in. But I made sure the hole was big enough before putting away the air tool.
I did not need to lower the muffler, but it was much easier to wiggle the thing into place with the fished wires with my wife assisting. It only took 10 minutes of her time. From raising the car onto jackstands, installing the hitch receiver, to lowering it, I was done in 2 hours.
Fittment was good, 1 bolt was defective I had to get a replacement from the hardware store. Not that big a deal. I chose to remove the bumper to access the holes rather than grind a slot in the frame. It took 20 min to disassemble, 30 min to reassemble. As usual another great product from e- trailer.
Michael
6/6/2019
Hitch works well
2nd hitch purchased. Easy install due to video help Fantastic. Really easy! thx etrailer!!
After looking at the Curt and Drawtite hitches, I decided to go with the Curt hitch because it appeared to be more concealed under the car and I did not need the increased tow capacity of the Drawtite hitch. I placed my order on a Tuesday afternoon and my hitch was delivered on Friday, which was awesome.
Installation was straightforward and easy as described on Etrailers website,
I took my time and even spray painted around the holes that needed to be enlarged to get the bolts in the frame. Total install was 1hr 15 min.
Very happy with fit and look.
Hitch worked perfectly on 2020 Crosstrek. The hitch crossbar is SLIGHTLY visible below the rear fascia, but only if you really crouch down to hitch level. It's not detracting. My Crosstrek is black, so it's even less noticeable. If you have a different color and you're really picky, maybe consider the etrailer hitch as it MIGHT be more invisible
Also, watch the installation video before starting. Don't rely on the printed instructions alone as they skip the step of scraping some adhesive or sealant off of the vehicle frame near the front access hole. If you don't scrape it off, the hitch will not sit flush and the front bolts are not long enough to thread on the nuts. If you scrape the sealant, then everything works great.
As others have stated, it can be done without lowering the exhaust, but it's a little more awkward to file the access holes and to torque the nuts. I was able to use a long extension to torque them properly with the exhaust in place.
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Jeff
11/13/2025
fantastic!