Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

by: Jim D10/05/2018

Thanks for all the interesting reviews/comments on hitch installation on Subaru Foresters! Great service by etrailer folks. A few of comments that might be of interest to future DIY hitch installers. 1) An inquiry to etrailer help line about the heat shield: They recommend definitely cutting out a portion of the heat shield as described it the instruction video. Interposing the aluminum heat shield material between the frame and the hitch attachment site may pose a problem with torque. Basically, just follow the installation video and all will go well. Some may dispute this but I will go with etrailer recommendations. 2) If you don't have the proper tools, find a willing relative/friend who does or have a mechanic install the hitch. A torque wrench will run you $50-$60 and the step drill bit cost $45. The step drill bit did work extremely well and I'll use both tools in the future. But buy a few more tools and you will soon match the cost of professional installation. 3) Safety. Work with the car on a flat hard surface. Cement garage floor is perfect. Make sure the car gearshift is in PARK and put on the car's emergency brake. Elevating the car on lifts or jacks is not necessary and adds unnecessary risk for the occasional DIY. Wear safety glasses or better yet goggles. Expect your face as well as the rest of you to be covered with road dirt that falls down on you while working under the car. The stepped drill will cause small hot pieces of metal to fly everywhere...Eye protection glasses very important! Use gloves while cutting the aluminum heat shield to avoid cuts. Only time I did not use gloves was fishing the bolts thru the car frame. Gloves will prevent a lot of nicks, cuts and scratches to your hands. 4) Collect all tools ahead of time and make sure they are all available next to the car. (see photo below). With the muffler removed from your car, its hard and noisy to drive your car to the store to pick up an extra tool. Likewise, check to make sure all the parts are present and all nuts thread into the bolts. 5) A good light source and heavy pad to lay on will make it an easier and more comfortable installation. 6) Figure out ahead of time how you will raise the hitch to bolt it on. An extra set of hands is ideal, but other reviewers offer many ingenious one-person methods. I zip tied a square piece of wood to the center/bottom of the hitch (see photo) and slid an additional number of square boards underneath the hitch until the pile of boards raised it to within an inch of the bolts that had been inserted in the car frame. Then a slight lift up to secure the initial bolt on each side. Zip ties cut off to released initial board after hitch attached to frame 7) Before you start installation check out the underside of the car and get oriented. The installation video is from the perspective of a car on a lift with the instructor STANDING underneath the car. You will be LAYING on your back in a confined space looking up...a much different perspective. 8) Finally, Subaru Foresters are not really vehicles for towing...1000 lb max (1500 with electric brakes). Hitch is great for larger bicycle racks. Besides a bike rack, I will buy a small 5X8 ft lightweight trailer for moving the occasional bulky items that don't fit in the back of the Forester but nothing really heavy (think screen door replacement or a few sheets of 4x8ft plywood). Also, small 400 lb.utility trailers are typically rated for 45mph max speed limit so I will only use the trailer for short distance drives on secondary roads to local stores. Rent a truck for bigger/long distance moves and avoid disasters. Good luck with your next DIY and other adventures. 571986

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by: JC04/09/2017

The package delivered five days after the free-shipping online order was submitted. It arrived in good shape; all parts and instructions were included. Outstanding! The hitch receiver was installed in 2 hours. The parts are the perfect match for the 2015 Subaru Forester and the final product looks great! The photos are worth more than a thousand words. Thank you eTrailer Team! 364762

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by: designprof08/01/2016

I installed this Draw-Tite 2” hitch (#75876) on my new 2016 Subaru Forester. Here are a few hints. Two years ago I installed a similar hitch on my 2014 Outback. Reader suggestions mentioned that access to the hitch holes under the car could be done from above, in the trunk area. This turned out to be true for the Forester as well and made threading the wires, plates and bolts into the holes super easy! To start I jacked up the car and put it on stands just to provide a little more clearance. I recommend completely removing the muffler. It was a lot easier than trying to drop and suspend the pipe and muffler together. Besides it gave better access to the hitch location. Liberally apply WD-40 to the rubber shock mounts to shimmy the muffler off. After that remove the heat shield. Then remove the rubber plugs that cover the six hitch mounting holes. This next part you can actually do standing up! Remove the panel and foam inserts from the trunk area. Remove the black circular sticker from the hole near the rear of the car on each side (see photo). This exposes an oval hole just above the middle hitch hole underneath. I used a step-drill to enlarge this hole just enough to allow the plate and bold head to slide through. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the chips (or a magnet works too!) Threading the wires (with the plates and bolts) into each hitch hole was extremely easy and you don’t have to crawl under the car to do this. I vice-gripped the hitch to my hydraulic jack which made it easy to position. After the bolts were lined up I jacked the hitch up into place and threaded on the washers and nuts. Don’t forget to torque the nuts to 50 ft. lbs. as indicated in the instructions. I used the same circular black stickers to cover the two access holes when I was finished. I reinstalled the heat shield after cutting away a rectangular section that fit just around the hitch plate. That left three mounting screws instead of four...but the shield is still quite secure. After that, reinstall the muffler. Now, since everything in the trunk was taken out, it was easy to install the trailer wiring harness behind the panel on the driver’s side. The eTrailer video shows all the necessary steps. All worked out perfectly and, as before, I am a really satisfied eTrailer customer. Hope these hints help your installation too. 278101

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by: JS08/15/2016

The item arrived in perfect condition no damage to the packaging with no missing parts or extra parts for that matter. I installed this on a 2016 Forester 2.5i, I took my time so the installation took me a few hours by myself. Following the advice of reviewers I removed the muffler this was a definite advantage and allowed me to perform the install without raising the vehicle at all - much safer left on the wheels. I used a heavy piece of cardboard similar to what an appliance or even like this hitch came in with to lay on, this gave me enough head room to work, a creeper would have been too high. If you’re thinking I’m skinny, for your reference I’m 5’8” 180lbs (not thin) so you can extrapolate to your size. After reviewing the installation video I was prepared to enlarge the forward most hole in the frame in which to pass the wire threaded plate and bolt through, happily this was unnecessary, the forward most frame hole with the plastic plug removed was large enough to accept the plate and bolt without modification. Another reviewer mentioned removing the cargo area foam witch gives you access from above to make it easier but it was real easy to thread the plate and bolt through from underneath. Following the advice of another reviewer I used the small dimples on the muffler heat shield to center a hole saw bit, these dimples do match up perfect as a previous reviewer mentioned. I would advise anyone else who does this to not go above a 1" hole and ideally use a 3/4" bit to create the hole. Once drilled I was able to install the heat shield on top of the hitch plate and use the hitch bolts to double as heat shield bolts and still clear the top of the muffler. I was prepared to use a floor jack to support the hitch bracket but because I didn't raise the vehicle there wasn't much room to do this, once I grabbed the bracket and laid down under the vehicle it wasn't difficult at all to support the bracket on my body this really shortened the distance it had to be lifted, I threaded the wires through the mounting holes, used one hand raise the first side up and the other hand to get a nut and bolt started, then I just slid over to the other side threaded all the wires through and repeated the process by getting another bolt started - nothing to it. Getting the muffler off and back on was pretty easy everything is metric of course, I used 2 small ratchets one with a deep well socket and one with a shallow socket this made it easier to find and hold the blind nut side. I plan on using the hitch to pull a small boat and for a bike rack for which I also purchased the J-pin W/barrel Lock & Anti-rattle. All in all I'm very pleased with the hitch it is very heavy duty high quality item much better than the OEM version. I usually don't write lengthy reviews but I wanted to include all the details for anyone with doubts about purchasing and installing. 284049

by: Gary B.07/11/2014

I bought this product for a 2014 Subaru Forester XT Touring model. I am very pleased with it. I choose this particular hitch for several reasons (the Draw-Tite and the Hidden Hitch for this vehicle are the same hitch with different product stickers). While I have no intention of towing the weight this hitch is rated for as that would exceed the recommendations for my vehicle, I wanted the 2" receiver for my platform style bike rack. Also, while I realize it is unlikely, I didn't want to be close on the tongue weight if I loaded several bikes onto a 1 1/2" receiver. For a few extra dollars I don't have that concern. There were two other things that sold me on this hitch. One was that the competitors hitch recommended an additional strap from the bike platform back to the car or their warranty is voided. Draw-Tite does not require this for their product. I called them to confirm that this was not needed. I guess it might make a difference if you travel rocky / off road. Platform bike racks are typically not recommended for that type of travel. The other selling point was that Draw-Tite provided instructions on how to trim the muffler heat shields so that they could be kept in place. The competitors instructions called for those shields to be removed. Might be another "peace-of-mind" issue, but my feeling was that those shields were installed for a reason. I just felt better keeping them there. I am sure someone more mechanically inclined could figure that out with the other products (by even just using the instructions for this product) but I was having mine installed by a mechanic that deals with Subaru vehicles and I thought it better to have those instructions to provide them. Very pleased with the product, the instillation and how it looks on the car. I would recommend this hitch receiver. 140822

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Gary mentioned that he did not do the installation himself, so he might not be able to tell you if the frame holes were needed to be enlarged. Although, according to the instructions this is not needed. The only trimming that is needed is for the for the heat shield. Thanks again to Gary for the review and photos.

-- Rachael H - 7/21/2014

by: BM03/09/2015

This is the 2nd trailer hitch I have purchased from Etrailer. I spent $7 for the upgraded shipping at the hitch arrived 4 days after I ordered it. I installed this hitch on my 2015 Subaru Forester XT. The installation video was dead on, I followed step by step and it took about 45 minutes using a cordless impact, a few deep well sockets and a couple wrenches. -I used my floor jack to raise the hitch and align the bolts. A must if you don't have a second set of hands. -Using the hole saw saved a lot of time to trim the heat shields. I used the dimples as suggested and it was close enough to re install the shield. I bought the hole saw at Home Depot for under $10. -I used a lot of penetrating oil on the muffler hangers, made it a lot easier to remove and reinstall. Reinstalling the mufflers was the most time consuming step, but was well worth it to have the access to get the bolts. -The hitch is tucked under the bumper, my thule bike rack fits perfect and is much more rigid than when I had it installed on a 1 1/4 receiver on my old car. -There is no visual obstructions in the rear when the bike rack is installed. -I saved about $300 using this setup over the factory hitch. I would highly recommend Etrailer. The customer support is excellent and this hitch was a perfect match for my bike rack. Thanks Etrailer! 177592

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From April to October, I had the bike rack installed on the trailer hitch and used it almost on a daily basis. I took several extended road trips with my mountain bike, and the hitch performed excellent. I remove the bike rack during ski season, but once the trails are snow free again, I will be using the bike rack and hitch on a daily basis. I am still super happy with the hitch I purchased from ETrailer and will definitely be buying towing products from this outstanding company.

BM - 03/08/2016

by: Michael P.11/11/2014

Hitch arrived as promised and fit my '15 Forester perfectly. 2 words of caution before you start the project. I watched the video several times, assembled the tools mentioned and then had to go to Home Depot twice during the project to get additional tools (probably not an issue for most folks planning on doing this on their own who likely have a better tool selection at home than I do). 1) The instructional video states that removing the muffler is optional. You really have to take it completely off (do exactly what the technician did in the video). There's just not enough room to work if you just loosen the hangers. 2) Tools needed. You will need a deep well socket (14 mm) to remove the muffler. A standard one won't work (believe me, I tried). Also, the hitch itself requires a deep well socket to put on the large bolts (my second trip out during the project----my fault, I know) if I recall correctly it was 11/16ths. So, here's a complete tool list of what I used: 1. Socket wrench 2. Deep well 14 mm socket 3. 14 mm box wrench 4. 10 mm nut driver (on an electric drill) 5. 6-inch extension for socket wrench 6. Electric drill with 1 inch hole saw 7. Deep well 11/16ths socket 8. Torque wrench Overall, I'm happy with the result, and would recommend the product and etrailer.com to anyone who asked. 160440

Still looks great. No problems. I use it for my bike rack frequently, and occasionally a cargo carrier.

Michael P - 11/11/2015

by: Dennis06/23/2018

Intended use of the hitch is for a Thule 4 bike rack and for a small, 5' X 8' trailer to bring sheet goods and other bulky and items that cannot fix inside of the Forester. Installed on a 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i, which is three years old. Order was placed on Wednesday and arrived on Saturday. I appreciate e-mails of the status of my hitch. The hitch and wiring arrived sooner than expected and the box, as others have noted, was damaged but everything was okay. I followed the installation video and the instalation of the hitch was easier than I expected. The list of tools that I used were: Eye protection, silicon spray (for the rubber exhaust isolators), 10 mm short socket (for the exhaust shield bolts), 18 mm long socket (for the hitch nuts), 3/8" ratchet, 3/8" 6" extension, ratchet strap to hold exhaust system, torque wrench (to secure the nuts of the hitch to the uni-body), 1/2" hole saw, drill and an angle grinder with a 4" metal cutting disc. I did not raise the rear of the Forester and working around the hanging exhaust was cumbersome but do-able. I used basic hand tools and although I have pneumatic tools, I did not find that I needed them during the installation. I did not remove the muffler as others have suggest because living in the "rust belt" I did not want to take my chances on the muffler bolts/nuts breaking due to rust. I could see the benefit of removing it and would have removed it if the Forester was brand new. I used a hole saw to make a hole in the dimple of the exhaust shield as other reviewers suggested. After the hitch was installed, I checked the clearance of the exhaust shield and discovered that the shield slightly interfered with the hitch. I could have installed the shield and it would have molded to the hitch (it is very soft aluminum) but I elected to cut a small section to eliminate the interference (and possible future rattling noise). Don't forget to reinsert the front most hole plugs and then install the exhaust shield. I torqued the nuts securing the hitch as specified. Overall a very pleasant experience and if I need a hitch in the future I will not hesitate to purchase my hitch from etrailer. 525961

by: Richard S.06/03/2016

First I must commend the order department for their quick and friendly service. Shortly after I placed my order I found the same hitch at a lower price at another website. After I sent in the information, I was quickly reimbursed, as the price pledge says. I also note that they now have the hitch advertised for the new lower price. Great Job!! The hitch arrived mid-day on the estimated arrival day (right on time). The only issue was that the hitch had torn a hole in the container. It seems that the box might not be quite large enough for this hitch. However, there was no damage and all parts arrived safely. The installation took me about 2.5 hours, not the suggested 40 minutes. But I am older, installed it single-handedly, and without a lift. Since I did not have a lift, I thought removing the muffler would provide me with more room to work on the right side of the car. But those plans were abandon when I was unable to remove the nuts that connected the muffler flange. So I reverted to plan B, lowering the exhaust system. This required more work deep under the car and detaching the exhaust system from the hangers proved more difficult than expected, even with the spray lubricant. Once the system was lowered, fishing the hardware into place went smoothly. I rested the hitch on a small stool and was able to attach one bolt on each side to hold it while I then attached the other bolts. Using the deflection torque wrench was very challenging. It was hard to get the needed leverage and see the gauge while lying on my back under the car. But I got it done. I would recommend marking the heat shield for the section that will be cut out before it is removed. This will reduce the chance of cutting the wrong section, as I did. I was left with only 2 screws to hold the shield on and I fear it will rattle. Replacing the hangers on the exhaust system proved easier than taking them off. I used the stool under the system to help hold it in place while I worked on the hangers. Job complete and the hitch looks great! So a 67-year-old amateur can install this hitch single-handedly, and without a lift. But it takes much longer. 256645

Thanks you for the follow-up. The hitch and wiring harness is working great. I have had no problems.

Richard S - 01/23/2018

by: Kevin10/09/2018

After pricing hitch installations locally ($700 at Subaru—nearly fainted??), I watched a few videos and decided to purchase the #75876 hitch for our 2015 Forester and do the job myself. The cost savings were significant and I had all the necessary tools so why not? I’m so glad I did! Once my tools were lined out and vehicle positioned on ramps the install took about 90 minutes (yes, it really does go that fast). The etrailer videos are very helpful and describe the step-by-step procedure perfectly. Some notes on my install: I chose to remove the muffler only and left the tailpipe in place. It was easy to remove and provided plenty of working room. It is unnecessary to enlarge the 4th service hole (which some videos say you must do) since plate and bolt fit right through the existing opening (very happy to see this). Feeding the wire and hardware through was super-easy. For raising the hitch I chose to use a floor jack and this worked fine. My wife assisted by simply stabilizing the hitch on the jack while I raised it to the bolts. It was aligned easily with the first two nuts going on. At that point, the jack was removed and all other nuts/bolts tightened and torqued to specifications. Next, I trimmed out the heat shielding and placed back on. Finally, the muffler wash reinstalled and....Presto! It looks great and is ready for our hitch bike rack. I highly recommend this product for DIYers who have the basic tools. Installing this hitch (in my case, on a Forester) was easy and fun to do! Thanks etrailer! 572999

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by: Daryl09/08/2018

My installation went pretty much as everyone else's. The hitch arrived with one end sticking out of the box a little. Some extra packaging inside the carton would be a good idea to keep the hitch from moving around inside the box. A couple areas on the mounting brackets were missing paint, so I covered those spots with some black spray paint I had. I backed the Forester up on a set of car ramps to give me some extra room to maneuver. I didn't have any help so I used a couple 5-gallon buckets to hold up the hitch when I was ready to install it. You'll need a 10mm socket to remove the heat shield and an 11/16" deep socket for the hitch installation. I chose to remove the muffler to get more clearance. A 14mm deep socket and open ended wrench is needed to do that. It's a good idea to wear gloves as the flange where the muffler connects to the exhaust pipe is very sharp and I cut 2 fingers removing the bolts from the flanges. Lesson learned. I also cut the heat shield as shown in the video. I mainly referred to the video for instructions, but make sure you also follow the packaged instructions as well. I didn't and made the mistake of reinstalling the heat shield with all 4 screws. You should only use 3 as one of the screws will be in the way of installing the hitch. I learned the hard way then sweated it out while lowering the hitch to remove that screw. Making sure the hitch bolts don't get pushed back up into the car was my concern with dropping the hitch again. Once installed, the hitch looks great. We don't plan to tow with it, but will use accessories such as a bike rack. Our bike rack has just enough clearance when installed, so no extender needed. 562879

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by: Bridget F10/01/2017

Easy installation on our 2018 Subaru Forester. I found the written instructions confusing, but the video link from the product web page was excellent. We reviewed the whole video first, then replayed it, pausing as we went along with the installation. Really appreciate that the video mentions the size of each tool. Just as my husband was trying to figure out what size to use, the video called it out. Most of our tools are old, but a bicycle tool kit had a wrench that was 14mm...perfect! A quick trip to Home Depot (a block from our house) to get a countersink bit for metal, MUCH cheaper than a step drill bit, did the trick to make the middle hole bigger. It was very easy to then feed the plates and bolts through the holes from the bottom using the supplied wire, as the video clearly depicts. It took two of us, lying on our backs under the vehicle, to hold the hitch in place while we screwed on the nuts. We had removed the muffler but attaching it back went smoothly. We had sprayed a little WD40 on the rubber "hooks" that the muffler hangs from, which made the process easier. Thank you for a great product with excellent video instruction. We are looking forward to using it with our bike and cargo racks. 438251

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by: Steve B.09/27/2015

The Draw-Tite trailer hitch is everything it's advertised to be. Installation could not have been easier. I attached the hitch to a Subaru Forester without using any power tools. I backed my vehicle up onto a pair of old car ramps I had from back when I use to change my own oil. This gave me sufficient clearance to lower the exhaust and complete the installation. The video on available on etrailer was invaluable in showing how easy it was to install. I'm not a craftsman by any stretch, but was able to install the hitch in less than an hour. I also purchased a MaxWorks Aluminum Cargo Carrier, Model 70108. "Some assembly required" certainly applies. The finished product is excellent, but putting it together was more work than I expected. The instruction manual has you attaching the top and lower frame before attaching the hitch tube. In my opinion, the hitch tube should be attached first because attaching the top frame to the lower frame first hinders your ability to square up a screw driver to tighten the small bolts and lock nuts. I had to run to the local hardware store to replace four of eight bolts/lock nuts due to stripping the bolt head. Other than this, this is a nice product. 228017

As good as when I bought it a year ago.

Steve B - 09/29/2016

by: Karl T04/23/2015

Hitch and accessories were delivered in a timely manner and in perfect condition. I really appreciate the great communication and shipping info. Installation took a little longer than expected, but there were no problematic surprises, the install video let me know exactly what to expect. Some difficulty was in doing the install entirely by myself, using a plastic bucket type container for support that allowed the hitch to rest a couple inches below the final position made this possible. An extra set of hands for only three minutes really would make this easier. One of the bolts seemed a bit longer than the others and didn't seat into the square washer easily. I did not notice this until the bolts were in the hole (seating) and then when tightening (length), it was just enough longer that my socket wrench would not stay on the nut. This was a minor thing but it might be worth examining the bolts closely before installing the so you know what to expect. The crooked manufacturer sticker is a visual bother to me, but I will remove it and save for the info on it. I will most likely take all stickers off, I would prefer that the hitch was as little noticed as possible. 187699

Working as expected, no problems

Karl T - 04/25/2016

by: Jon12/25/2014

The box arrived with the hitch protruding through large holes. Despite this everything was accounted for and worked fine. Another customer mentioned losing a wiring harness this way but mine was securely taped to the hitch itself. I had watched the videos for the hitch and wiring harness several times and loaded them on my phone to have as a reference. There were no big surprises. Like a lot of others we removed the muffler completely. On a car this new it's easy and clean, but like someone else said you DO need a deep-well 14mm socket. The "bolt leader" wires work great. We used a jack to hold our hitch in place until we had the middle nut fastened. Don't skimp on the torque wrench. The nuts are locked by toothed, domed washers that deform at a specific torque. The wiring harness worked fine. I wish there was the option of wiring through the bulkhead like the factory option hitch, where there is a flat-4 always at the hitch. The wiring harness video is okay but glosses over the details of those trim panel connections. The bottom wear plate around the hatchback latch uses two different connectors that require different motions to undo them w/o damage. The left foam tray under the cargo floor has a plastic latching snap that is very easily damaged. And so on, you just have to go slow and try to peer in to see what you're up against. I was quoted 800usd for a class I hitch from the dealer. I got a class III instead and I installed it myself so I can trust it, for about 200usd. Shipping was really fast, 3 days. One extra layer of cardboard in that box would have been great, but the powder coat was tough and it was fine. 166935

by: Cory L.03/14/2018

This hitch was installed on my 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited. The website is fantastic and makes finding the correct products for your vehicle very easy. The hitch arrived in only a few days and came complete with all the necessary installation accessories. The hitch comes with fish wire for the frame bolts so you don't need to fuss with buying fish wire. Some reviews stated that you can go in from the inside of the vehicle but this is totally unnecessary and more work. Just follow the instructions, with exception of the muffler heat shield. You can drill 1/2" holes through the heat shield in the dimpled areas corresponding to where the instructions tell you to cut out the heat shield (see some of the other reviews for more detail on this). These holes allow you to securely fasten the heat shield over the hitch using the hitch bolts. Make sure you have a torque wrench and an 11/16" deep socket to tighten the frame bolts. I would also recommend removing the muffler which is very simple. Lube the muffler mounts with WD-40 to facilitate the removal of the muffler. You will save at least $300 installing this yourself. 484848

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by: Perry D.10/18/2017

I installed Drawtite hitch # 75876 on my 2015 Subaru Forester. It arrived in good condition and there were no parts missing. The installation went without a hitch (pun intended) and it fits perfectly. I think the key to my successful installation was the instructional video on etrailer's website. It was very clear and concise. There is however one thing I would like to add for an even better installation. Instead of trimming the heat shield to allow for bolt access and have it dangle, I drilled two holes in the shield, threaded the bolts through it and clamped it between the car's frame and the hitch. If you're concerned that the heat shield will somehow interfere with secure bolting, it won't. Subaru intentionally marked the heat shield with two small dimples for drilling position. I drilled holes 1/16" larger than the bolts and the hole position was perfect. I should mention the dimples are very small, so wipe the heat shield to help find them. There's an R and an M on the shield and the dimples are within those letters. (See photo.) Lastly, this hitch is rated for heavier towing than a Forester can handle so choose wisely. I'm using it only for my bike rack and cargo carrier, so I will never exceed 2500 lbs. of towing weight. Thank you etrailer for the excellent video! 443694

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Its working out very well, thank you. Whats important is that I noticed other installers used my review to locate the two dimples on the heat shield for a more secure installation. It helped me and Im thankful it helped others. On another note, I did just notice a typo in my review that you might want to correct if you can. In the next-to-last sentence I state 250 lbs. of towing weight which should read 2500 lbs.

Perry D - 10/18/2018

by: Christopher07/08/2018

Perfectly dimensioned hitch to fit around my 15 Forester's spare tire well, leaving a non-obtrusive mount point. Straight-forward installation, although it did take me quite a bit longer than 40 minutes. I expected this because I'm not a gear-head, and I like to take my time to do things right. I liked this hitch because any novice tinkerer could install it and no mods to the frame were required. The installation videos from etrailer definitely gave me the confidence to be able to install without any issues. I went with this one over the Curt, since I read that the Curt requires the use of stabilizer straps to maintain the warranty. One star off due to poor manufacturer's quality control. I ordered 2 of these from A->zon, and had to return both immediately because they had severe gouges and chips in the paint through to the bare metal. One even had a rusted weld. The gouges were all in the exact same spot on the inside plates, which would be impossible to occur during shipping. The one I received from etrailer was the best of the bunch, although it did still have small marks in the exact same spots. The marks were small enough that I just hit them with some Rustoleum to prevent my new hitch from rusting out immediately. Since they are on the inside face (facing the tire well), no one will ever see it. I do appreciate that etrailer repackaged the hitch into a better box so that the sides and socket didn't also get scratched in transit. 539209

by: Corey05/02/2016

I received my Draw-Tite 2" hitch receiver shortly after placing my order. The box was a little battered from the shipping process and the two mounting flanges had cut through the cardboard but the hitch was in perfect shape. It is a very solid, well-engineered piece. I watched the installation video to make sure I had all of the necessary tools to knock out the job before getting started. I watched the step about the fish wires a second time to make sure I understood what was going on. Then I gathered up my torque wrench, metric deep socket set, small socket set (for the heat shield), a long-shanked Torx driver (to use as a pry bar for the muffler hangers), and my tin snips. The installation was straight-forward. The hardest part is getting the hitch into position without a helper. I didn't feel like there was enough room to use my floor jack to support it so I just wrestled it into place and threaded one nut on each side of the hitch to hold it steady. Then I installed the remaining nuts and torqued them to 50 lb-ft. Once installed, the hitch is rock solid and barely noticeable on my 2014 Forester. I quickly installed my 4-bike tray-style bike carrier. Super happy with the end result! 248138

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by: steve l.11/17/2014

the hitch is just what i was looking for. there is plenty of room under the 2015 forester so you don't have to raise the frame or body. 1 person installation took 50 minutes (not a mechanic); the video is very helpful, follow the video instructions and you won't have any problems. the only suggestion when installing by yourself, I used a small stepstool (6") to elevate the receiver tube, this made a 1 person installation easy since the major part of the hitches weight is balanced on the stool, not the installer. NOTE, use of the silicone lubricant for the removable of muffler from the hangers made that job easy (both on and off). 161351

Works great, installed on 2015 Subaru Forester. Easy installation, very helpful video, install went exactly as video described. Great product and customer service. I use the product to haul my drift boat and utility trailer.

steve l - 11/20/2015

by: Brian S.07/21/2017

The hitch is every bit as sturdy and high quality as you would expect. I put a Curt on my other car a few years ago , but decided on a Draw-Tite this time. They both seem quite similar, but the Curt mentioned needing a stabilizing strap in some cases, whereas the Draw-Tite did not. I don't know if this is an actual difference of just a perceived one on my part. I watched the installation video on etrailer.com a few times, and went to work. I'm reasonably handy around the house, but not particularly inclined toward automotive stuff. Still, it was a breeze. I finished in about an hour and a half. I did buy some specialty tools to help make the job go more smoothly (e.g., deep socket set). Otherwise, it went exactly as shown. I was even able to do it myself, though having an extra set of hands to hoist it into position would have been helpful. Since I didn't, I left the wires on the end of the bolts, and fished them through the holes in the hitch, to make sure I didn't accidentally push a bolt into the frame. I only pulled them off right before I was ready to add the washer and nut. I also did it on flat ground with no lift. A little tight, but no big deal. I wouldn't have had the confidence to do this without the etrailer video as a guide. But it really helped and went exactly as they demonstrated. 408752

by: Brian & Cali06/05/2015

Great product, good price, helpful customer service, fast and free shipping, exactly as described. The installation went off without a hitch. bada bum. I used part of the box to cover the ground when completing the install, and followed the instructions just like in the video. There was no need to jack up the car at all as there was plenty of room. A second pair of hands was extremely helpful to raise the hitch and get one bolt on each side. After that a quick hit with my impact driver and then torqued to spec the hitch was secured. Why buy any of the other hitches when when this one installs without any modification to the cars frame/unibody. The heat shield needs to be trimmed with tin snips or removed all together to complete the install as indicated in the videos. The hitch is made from very heavy steel approx 3/8" thick and is assembled in Mexico however, I knew that before I bought it because their customer service staff was excellent. I have no doubt this hitch will outlive the rest of the car. Thanks etrailer.com for offering a great product and all the support & research that comes with it. 200998

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by: Bob R.11/04/2016

Installed on a 2016 Forester XT. Shipping box was banged up, but the hitch receiver was undamaged and all parts were accounted for. The reviews from others were very helpful and the install took a couple of hours, I was in no rush. With the dual mufflers the install was a little different than the video. I removed both mufflers and did not undo the hanger on the exhaust pipe from the header. No need for a strap and there was enough flex in the pipe to wiggle the mufflers free. The two hangers on each muffler are a tight fit and required fingers, I couldn't see a way to use a tool. I found it was easier to free the rear hanger first, then work on the forward hanger. And with the re-install of the mufflers I attached the front hanger first. The rest of the install went like the video. Rather than trim the heat shields, I drilled out the heat shields with a 1/2" bit so the two bolts from the receiver poked through the shield. I used two extra 7/16" nuts and fender washers over each shield to secure the shields a little better (not that it really needed it) . The length of the bolts was sufficient to add a second nut and washer. The only nit was the Draw-Tite sticker...it was really crooked. I peeled all three stickers off for a cleaner look. Very happy with receiver and ease of installation. 313850

by: Andy S09/20/2018

I'm very happy with the hitch so far on my 18 Forester XT. It's more visible than the ecohitch, but it looks good. I had never really done any work on a car, had no lifts, etc, and was able to do the install. A couple notes on install: 1. Prying off the exhaust hangers was really hard. I couldn't do it. As others have suggested, for an Forester XT (dual exhaust), I definitely recommend just removing the mufflers. They come out of the hangers much more easily, and you don't have to use a strap. It's more steps, but I really can't imagine having room to get the hitch up with that stuff in the way. 2. Lifting the hitch was difficult, but not impossible for one person (assuming the mufflers are out of the way). 3. It seems like the only really annoying mistake you could make (I almost did but caught it in time) would be to either let the fish wire slip into the frame after you have the hardware on the wire, or, after you've removed the fish wire, let the carriage bolt get knocked up into the frame as your putting the nut on. So watch out for that. 4. Gloves and eye protection made things much better. So, the video make sit look quite a bit easier than it was for me, but I'm glad it did, because otherwise I wouldn't have tried it, and it went just fine. 566923

by: NJ - Ned05/02/2017

No need to look anywhere else!!! eTrailers.com makes it extremely easy for you to get a quality product and save yourself a lot of $$$$$ I only needed a hitch for a Thule hitch mounted bike rack for my 2017 Subaru Forester. I got quotes from the local National Hitch/Truck Rental Store and my local Subaru dealer. Even though it was a lot more money I felt comfortable ordering and having my local Subaru dealer install my hitch. I made the appointment only to find they ONLY sold hitches with a 1 1/4 inch receiver. I really wanted a 2 inch receiver because it offered more options for hitch mounted accessories. I will never tow a trailer. I went to my local Bike shop where I am buying my Thule and they recommended that I buy my hitch from eTrailer.com. I wasn't excited about installing this myself even though eTrailer.com has GREAT videos that make it look stupid easy. My local bike shop gave me the phone number for a local auto repair center who installed the hitch for $80. eTrailer.com and the independent local auto repair center saved me more than $500. If you are not comfortable installing this yourself ask your local independent auto repair center or auto body repair center to do it for you. You can't go wrong. 375250

1 year in and I stand by my original review

NJ - - 05/02/2018

by: Larry12/31/2014

The hitch was delivered inside a crushed box. (see pics) I was worried but when I opened the box there was no damage, because you had stapled the smaller box to and inside the bigger box. Good job packing! The hitch easily installed as shown in your video on my new Subaru Forester Touring. (see pics) My best friend and grandson helped me install it and we used the install as bonding and installing time. 167372

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by: Paul R.07/16/2015

The trailer hitch and wiring assembly for my 2015 Subaru Forester went in just as shown in the videos. The videos were absolutely invaluable in detailing the job, and in convincing me that I could do it to save a considerable expense on labor. The most difficult part, as expected, was awkwardly lifting the heavy hitch into place, while aligning the 3 bolts simultaneously on each side. But with the help of a board, two small car jacks, and an assistant to balance everything, it went into place and fit perfectly. A day later my hitch mounted bicycle rack arrived and now my wife and I can easily transport our bikes to ride our favorite trails. My daughter and husband are coincidentally looking for a trailer hitch, so I sent them my order receipt of parts. They expect to order from etrailer soon. 212214

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by: Jordan H08/30/2016

In case anyone is curious, this hitch fits the 2014+ Forester XT that has the dual exhaust. I attached a few pictures that show the clearance between the hitch and exhaust. Install: the hitch was fairly easy to install. I installed the hitch successfully by myself with the assistance of 2 jack stands. No widening of the holes was necessary either. Overall, I'm happy with the hitch. I've only used it with my platform bike rack thus far (Swagman Chinook...see the product page for my review. Fitment was perfect on the Forester) and the hitch has been completely stable. 289374

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by: Colin W.06/23/2017

Third hitch and wiring harness I've purchased from Etrailer (3 different vehicles). Most difficult hitch to install. Easiest wiring harness to install. Just myself and didn't jack up vehicle. Took 3 hrs. The muffler was the hardest to remove and put back on. Pretty much followed the videos for installation. Hitch doesn't stick out beyond bumper. 398225

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by: Claude D08/02/2016

After viewing the video installation instructions I was able to install the hitch receiver to my 2016 Forester without an extra pair of hands. I did have to remove the muffler in order for the one man (63 yr old) installation. Also, rather than snip off part of the heat shield, I used the two small dimples pre-stamped on the heat shield to center a 1" hole cutter and cut out two holes for the Hitch's carriage bolts to slide through. The cutout holes matched up perfectly with the carriage bolt locations. After the hitch was installed I was able to reinstall the heat shield with 3 of it's 4 original screws without cutting off any of it. All-in-all installation was a breeze. I am very happy with the product and my installation results. 278353

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by: George H06/02/2015

As others have noticed, my box arrived torn and taped up, but the hitch and mounting kit were undamaged. I installed this hitch on my 2014 Subaru Forester by myself in my garage in about 2 hours. There's just enough clearance to lay beneath the vehicle without the need for ramps or jack stands. The only thing I changed on the installation is that I only used three bolts to reinstall the modified (cut) heat shield, because there was no hole in the hitch mounting plate for the fourth bolt and it would have prevented the hitch from laying flat against the frame. To set the hitch on the six mounting bolts, I first lifted the drivers side so the bolts just protruded through the holes to set the washers and nuts on the bolts. I then lifted the other side over the mounting bolts, installed the other three washers and nuts, then finger tightened all six nuts and checked the overall fit before tightening them fully with my torque wrench, making sure to leave enough room for the exhaust system hook located directly against the hitch mounting plate. Overall, an excellent fit that holds my Thule bike rack nice and level!! 199983

by: Piranha210/13/2016

Draw-Tite 75876 installed on my 2017 Forester Premium. Followed etrailer's online instructions and was done in a little over an hour. I took off the muffler, cut the heatshield, pulled the bolts through, lifted the hitch into place and torqued to 50ft/lbs. Project was performed with car on the ground. I chose etrailer because they do the test fit and provide the detailed video instructions. Shipping was 2 days. This hitch is used mainly for my bike rack and doesn't require the cross supports like other hitches. 306547

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by: James P.01/01/2018

I installed the hitch on a 2016 Subaru Forester. We went with a class III hitch for the increased tongue weight so a cargo carrier or bike carrier would be no issue. The install was easier than what the video showed. I'm not sure if Subaru increased the access holes, but I did not need a pry bar or a step drill bit to increase the hole for the bolts. The nifty wires included were really trick and worked great. I did remove the muffler so I would have easier access and I did not to have the exhaust system being held by a strap. The most difficult part of the install was holding the hitch up, but a floor jack and jack stands helped to make a one person job. The install took around 90 minutes, but that included researching the torque specs for the exhaust system. Follow the video install, but check to see if the access holes will accommodate the bolts because you might save some time and energy. 464175

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by: Raynard M.08/07/2017

Quality products. The hitch and wiring harness installed easily because of the quality detailed installation videos you provided. I couldn't be happier. I saved $ 300 by doing the installation myself. I plan on using the hitch for a bicycle rack and to pull a motorcyle trailor. Since I don't have a pickup it is really convenient to be able to tow a utility trailor when needed. Thanks etrailer! You have a good thing going. Keep up the good work. 417094

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by: Russ10/05/2018

The packaging was not sturdy enough and the box arrived with one end having been taped up by USPS. One end of the hitch had broken through the box and the paint chipped off from being exposed during shipping. The box seemed too big for the item. I would suggest etrailer (or the drop shipper) bubble wrap or use cardboard for the ends of the hitch and then have the hitch pull-tied down inside the box so it stays in place during shipping and won't come loose and bust out of the box. Otherwise it fits as described on my 2018 Subaru Forester. NOTE: Pay close attention to the instructions, **On the Forester you have to remove and trim the muffler heat shield. DO NOT replace all four (4) heat shield bolts when you go to attach the hitch, leave the rearmost bolt out** The hitch will hold the shield on and if you replace the rearmost heat shield bolt it will interfere with hitch mount and the hitch will not sit flush on the frame. The installation video does not cover this, but the written instructions do, so it can be confusing. 571764

by: Art Nelson04/17/2016

I ordered an 87654 Class III, 2" hitch for my new 2016 Subaru Forester along with the electrical harness. They both arrived quickly and in good shape. I'd already watched each installation video a couple of times so I installed both between sandwich bites yesterday. Couldn't be much easier. Brought home a full trailer load of lime today and everything worked fine. Contrary to the video (it's only inaccuracy) there is no need to adjust the access hole size - the pieces all fit just right when you pull the rectangular washer and the bolt in without putting the bolt through the washer first. As a structural engineer for 30 years, it's a good, solid hitch (which I suspect is quite a bit stronger than the Subaru frame). The electrical harness 118467, is just as well conceived - the car and harness parts of the connection snap together decisively and effortlessly and each of the lights work as they should. It's also $211 cheaper than having a local store do it and you work with a much better crew. Nice job etrailer, 5 stars. 245769

by: Corky Hill12/26/2014

Currently waiting to have the hitch installed. What awesome service I received. Initially I gave you the wrong car model, called you to inform you of my mistake and Ricky S. took care of my mistake in a pleasing, professional manner which was greatly appreciated. This is the third time I have purchased hitches and accessories from etrailer and each time I have been treated in a professional, courteous manner that is special to me. Great product and even better service. 166975

Exceptionally well

Corky H - 12/26/2015

by: Rudy K.11/17/2014

I installed this hitch on a 2015 Subaru Forester at much less cost than dealer added. The installation was flawless. Instructions provided were clear and comprehensive, and the video provided by E-Trailer was excellent. I installed in without a helper to hold the hitch. To assist me I haywired the hitch to my floor jack and carefully raised it in place. See the photo. The hitch looks good and it's out of the way. I would note that the shipping container was damaged when received it, apparently loosing the wiring harness and adapter included with the order. Customer response was immediate and great. I had the replacement items in a few days. Excellent customer service. I was kept informed of the shipment progress by email and phone. This was a perfect 10 project. 161276

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by: Mark C K11/27/2016

I really appreciated the follow-up email that included a link to the products I ordered that put the product description, installation videos and reviews all on one webpage so that I could find them easily. I watched the videos twice and had read the reviews before I ordered, so it all went smoothly. I have the 2015 Forester XT Touring with dual mufflers so taking both mufflers off and setting them off to the side made it go a lot easier under the car. One tip I haven't seen mentioned previously is to fish the bolt wires in the order shown in in the video, farthest hole first, middle hole second, etc., because the curve in the spring steel wires makes them naturally seek the bottom side of the frame rail if you twist them correctly and the tips will easily find the bolt holes, but it you block the bottom of the rail by putting the closest bolt and plate in first, that bolt and plate obstructs the natural course of the spring wire and makes it MUCH harder to pass . 320041

No issues after one year. Everything is secure, no strange noises, etc. Great product and even better product support.

Mark C - 11/27/2017

by: Christian04/02/2017

My product review is more towards the installation process and what they recommended. -You don't need a step drill, if you have a forrester 2017. An existing hole, closest to the front end of the car exists allows for perfect opening for the fish tape bolt and lock. The manufacture most likely did this for the sole purpose of preventing rust and what not. - a can of WD-40 is the way to go in order to get the exhaust off. just spray it on the hook/rubber and you'll take it off with ease. This also goes for the flange/neck of the exhaust. -If know someone with a small 1/2 torque wrench you'll have an easier time locking the bolts after mounting the hitch. Not a lot of room ratcheting down the bolts to [specs]. -get a needle nose pilers. as long&narrow as possible, you'll find getting the fish tape a lot easier. -took me about 1 1/2 hr from start to finish. Fish tape took the longest due to luck involved. As for the product, its great, no problems. 361696

by: Jason08/31/2018

So the shipping was fast, I really like the video tutorials it make the install easy well it would have been, all the mounting hardware was there but I found the 1 nut was the wrong size!!! Very frustrating when you drop your exhaust, fish all the bolts through the frame, hold the hitch in place to find 1 nut wont fit. So what to do? Remount the exhaust, secure the bolts with Zipties so you don't lose them to drive down to the hardware store to buy the correct size to come home, let the exhaust cool to drop it again to finish the install. I was pretty upset to waste a couple of hours for this simple mistake. From my previous order, I was shorted a bolt, so I thought I did the right thing and did a hardware count before the install. Next time I will make sure all hardware is proper size. These are supposed to be the same size. As far as the quality of the hitch, its great. welds look solid, the paint is nice and thick and the holes lined up perfect. 560397

by: Al S.09/18/2016

This review is for product fulfillment and installation on a 2015 Subaru Forester. 1) Selecting and purchasing were straightforward and surprisingly low cost. 2) Delivery was as expected for a bulky, heavy item. 3) The installation video made the installation much easier. 4) Those fish wires made the bolt threading *so* much easier. I chose to remove the muffler - because I believed removing the muffler bolts would not be difficult and the extra space would make the rest of the installation easier. In my case that turned out to be true. However, if the bolts has been rusted or fused to the nuts - the trade off would have been different. I did this with no extra person. A little 5/16 inch line allowed me to suspend the hitch - allowing one hand to position and the other to install the lock washer and nut. I reused the line to suspend the muffler while I attached it to the rubber hangers. Definitely worth the price and effort! 296214

by: George V10/22/2016

Product very good. Installation exactly as described. Took me about 1hr. Followed advise of other people in the reviews that deviate from the video and worked great. No need to enlarge the holes No need to cut the heat shield (the manufacturer's instructions show what you have to cut just two slots - some people just drill 1" holes on the heat shield). Draw tite instructions suggest putting the heat shield after you cut the grooves and before you secure the hitch. I did not do this as I thought it will make the installation uneven. As an afterthought, I am not sure if we should be installing this on Subaru Foresters (2016 mine). The vehicles are rated for 1,500 lbs, the hitch for 3,500 lbs. So we install a heavy duty hitch on a vehicle that should not be used to be pulling even half that weight. I understand the safety factor argument, but people should be aware that the vehicle defines the pull strength and not the hitch. 309733

by: Martin B09/04/2017

As others have noted the box arrived via UPS completely trashed. It was torn up with a corner blown out, distorted, and with the hitch poking thru in 2 spots on the bulging side of the box. Some of the black coating was chipped off in a few (at least 3) spots right out of the box, I'm not sure if it was due to the box failure or other damage. Those will probably the 1st spots to rust down the road. The install was straight forward and the fit was good. The video was very helpful- the only thing I would add is that on my 2016 Forester, there was no need to enlarge the access holes in the frame (which I was happy about). The bolts and plates fit thru it just fine with the fish wire. If it wasn't for the bad packaging and damage I'd give it 5 stars (although I haven't used it yet). Happy with the product and the turnaround time. The price also dropped right after I bought it (and cheaper elsewhere too)....will look to get some cash back. 428827

by: John W.10/22/2017

Ordered hitch listed above and electrical harness for 2018 Subaru Forester. Product was received in a reasonable time. Box was damaged, but product okay. When box was opened, discovered the wrong instructions had been included. Very prompt response and I had the correct instructions in about 5 minutes via email. Then discovered the wrong parts bag had been shipped (correct for wrong instructions). New parts bag shipped and arrived in about 4 days. Instructions shown for installation of electrical harness have the connection clip in the vehicle in the wrong spot (behind driver side panel in back rather than under the spare tire access (found on You-tube video for different supplier). Hitch was able to be installed from above without jacking up vehicle. As an "old guy" of 71, it took me about 1.5 hours overall to install the hitch. Did have to use a floor jack to lift it up, but did the entire installation without help. 445172

by: David P.07/23/2017

Decided on a hitch mount bike rack for my 2017 Forester, and to save a lot of money, I decided to buy and install the unit myself. After some comparing I bought this hitch. I followed the etrailer video and attaching the hitch was pretty straight forward. Because of the weight of the unit, around 45 lbs., I would suggest a floor jack if installing this yourself or better yet, like me, get someone to help. The biggest problem installing was to widen one of the bolt holes on each side. I wanted a step bit as shown in the video but they are way to expensive for a one time use so we used several grinding bits, they wore down pretty quick so we had to use 1 per hole, and some hand files which took a while but we got them done. Everything else was pretty easy. I'd say we put in about 2 hrs to do the installation and least 30-45 minutes were spent on the holes. All in all not bad and the hitch fits and works just fine. 409516

by: Kenny K.09/14/2018

This was my first order from etrailer.com and I'm very pleased with the experience. The hitch and wiring harness were easy to identify for my 2017 Forester and the videos were a big help in getting it installed correctly. Best of all, the price was excellent and I was able to select a shipping option to get it all here quickly. Some hitches for the Forester require you to remove the bumper - this one didn't and was a big selling point since I did the installation myself. It's a stout build and there's no reason to think I'll have any issues whether I'm towing the boat or taking our bikes out to the trail. Overall, it took about 2 hours from start to finish for the install on the hitch and harness. The only issue was that the box was damaged on delivery. That's a shipper problem, not etrailers. There was no damage to the product so no harm, no foul. I won't hesitate to order from here again. 565155

by: Alex04/28/2018

Hitch Receiver was ordered on Wednesday, arrived on Friday, with free shipping! Box was damaged, but the hitch was in good shape when I went to unbox it. Install video on the Etrailer website was very helpful when in came to installing. It is possible for 1 person to install this as long as you have some blocks of wood and WD40. It was still a balancing act at times to get the hitch up into place. Our Subaru has dual exhaust which made it a little more difficult to get the hitch into place but it fit as is should with a little monkeying around. Overall I am very satisfied with this receiver hitch for just over Probably took about 2 hours to install. Would recommend to anyone looking at buying one!! 502009

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by: Norm Sailor11/25/2016

As for product performance - it's a 2" receiver hitch, and so far it does everything a hitch is supposed to do. About the only difference I noticed among the different brands was how far the receiver extended from under the bumper. Each owner will have their own needs and preferences for this. The installation took about twice as long as the estimate. Partly because working on a garage floor isn't as easy as a lift as is shown in the video. Some of the exhaust mounts were quite hard to reach and took some time to unhook. Also, the instructions say to remove and discard the exhaust heat shield. I chose to keep it by punching holes in the soft aluminum (for the hitch mounting bolts) and left it sandwiched between the hitch and vehicle frame. So far, 1 year of towing light trailers (less than 1000 lb.) and mounting accessories, all is working well. 319557

by: Jamie03/18/2018

As advertised, 2018 Forester, I did not want to take off the muffler, to preserve the gasket, not sure that was worth the trouble, but it can be done. Torque spec probably suffer with a wobble head extension. Took the heat sheald out and as others have stated the dimples were perfect for step drill enlargement. I did not have to enlarge any holes, as Subaru made an access hole large enough to fish bolt and backing plate into place. Took me about two hours, no lift, used a small bottle jack to help put it up, a helping hand would have made that un necessary. All in all a fairly painless process, always think I should be able to do it faster but 2-3 hrs. Unless you are a seasoned do it yourselfer, and pay close attention to the how to video. Great how to video so watch that no matter what your skill level is. Great company great service!!! 486411