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Fully welded Subaru Forester trailer hitch is strong and durable. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. The combination of an e-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.
Features:
Specs:
Draw-Tite's Tested Tough program provides testing standards far superior to those outlined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the go-to source for engineering professionals.
Each Draw-Tite trailer hitch receiver undergoes extensive fatigue testing and static testing with the ball mount that is either supplied or recommended for use with that particular hitch, thus ensuring results that are applicable to real life use. Fatigue testing is also conducted on hitches rated for use with weight-distribution systems.
In addition, Draw-Tite performs static testing on a simulated automobile, as opposed to the rigid fixture used for SAE testing, resulting in a more true-to-life scenario.
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.
Tech Tip
No drilling through vehicle frame required for installation , Underbody panel(s) and/or fascia must be temporarily loosened or removed. Trimming may be needed to reattach panel or fascia. , Exhaust must be temporarily lowered for installation , Heat shield must be modified or trimmed for hitch installation
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Complete Towing Package for 2021 Subaru Forester
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Hitch arrived quickly with minimal damage to the box. Installation was simple and a bit time consuming. Feeding the little guide wires with the bolts into the frame was tricky but eventually worked out. Hitch is well made and sturdy. It hugs the contours of the car really well. Draw tube does not project past the edge of the bumper face which is why I choose the Draw-tite over the other available brands.
This really is as easy to install as they say it is. I just backed my Forester up onto a set of ramps and there was plenty of room work. I watched etrailer.com’s installation video multiple times and it helped tremendously. For what it’s worth, I found that you don’t have to completely remove the plastic underbody tray on the driver’s side (at least not on my 2024), just the two small bolts where it attaches to the subframe (10mm). So you can save a little time there and not have to fiddle with reattaching all the panel fasteners. Even dropping the exhaust wasn’t that bad. Just strap it (or use a piece of rope) like they show in their video, a medium prybar is perfectly adequate, and silicone spray is your friend.
I have waited until now to purchase a hitch for our 2022 Subaru Forster (Wilderness Edition). Previous hitches on this site for this vehicle required one having to cut away the lower portion of the bumper cover which I did not want to do.
I installed this hitch by myself, but it was an absolute mo-fo to install. I highly recommend having a second person to help. The hitch is a perfect fit and looks great.
The instructions are poor, but if you have installed hitches in the past, it’s not too hard to figure out. You need to remove the (3) exhaust hangars first and support the weight of the muffler with an object. I used a jack stand. Next remove the (4) screws holding the heat shield in place above the muffler. Using snips, you need to trim away the portion of the heat shield shown on the instructions. (It shows it with white lines and it’s hard to see.)
Next unscrew the (2) bolts on the rear left holding the black plastic box to the left lower frame rail. You will need to also remove the black plastic clips on the bottom of the black plastic box so you can move it around more. The two bolts you removed will later be reinstalled into the black box and into the trailer hitch. After you have completed all these steps you will see (3) small plugged holes and (1) large on each the left and right side of the frame rails facing down. Remove all (8) of the black caps with a screwdriver.
The kit comes with (6) wires with coiled ends. Screw all (6) screws into the coiled ends of the wires. Then insert the free end of the wire into the hole of the rectangular plates which came with each screw. Feed the wire into the large hole in the frame rail which is closest to the front of the car. Then feed the wires out of each of the remaining smaller holes on each side pulling the rectangular plates into place and pulling each screw down through the holes so it hangs down. (Do not remove the wires yet!)
After you have fed all six wires with a rectangular plate and screw on each one into their respective holes, you should have (6) screws hanging out of the frame rails sitting though the rectangular plates you pulled in as well.
Next screw the heat shield back in. You will only need (3) of the (4) screws you removed because the screw hole closest to the rear will be gone after you have trimmed the heat shield.
Now here’s the part which is brutal. Using stuff laying around in my garage, I lifted and supported the hitch up underneath the back of the vehicle and fed all (6) wires through the hitch holes. DO NOT remove these wires until you have placed the hitch against the frame rail otherwise you may push the screws back into the frame rail and you will be “screwed” pun intended.
After you have pressed the hitch against the frame rail, keeping the hitch pressed against it, remove one wire at a time and then loosely place a washer and nut on each one to keep the screws from going back in the rail. Once you have placed a washer and nut on all six, tightened them all up against the frame rails.
Next use the two larger black plastic plugs you removed previously to cover the two holes you fed the screws and plates through. Screw the black plastic box back into place as well as putting its black plastic clips together.
Remove the cardboard from the tubular bars, and reattached the (3) muffler hangars. Voila, you are finished and have earned yourself a drink!!
The hitch and harness were GREAT. Instructions were complete direct and precise. Installation took about 2 hours or less by an amateur with my tools. Job was completed with out jacking up car.
It was just like the same job on a 2000 Forrester
I bought this hitch a year ago, and its performed greatly on my 2019 Subaru Forester Sport. I only had to slightly bend a exhaust heat shield to install it, but over all was easy to attach to my vehicle. I use my hitch for Bike Racks and a Rear Cargo Basket.
I haven't towed with it yet however as my tow rating is very low for an SUV, but standing on it, plus with the cargo basket having my huge Ice Chest on it feels very stable and secured, even when Off Road.
Marcial B.
5/16/2021
Still working Perfect after a year. it outlasted the pandemic.
It's a good sturdy hitch. Installation is easier if the mufflers are removed (just two bolts for each, 2 on my WRX), the instructions don't say to do that. None of the videos show it being installed on a WRX with its two mufflers. The written instruction's photos are poor quality but when I asked the etrailer staff they quickly sent me better ones. BTW - before I installed the hitch I sprayed a thick layer of automotive undercoating on it. Hopefully with that it won't rust as the one on our Outback did.
Does what’s it’s supposed to do.
Gwendolyn Y.
2/17/2025
Hey Dennis. Where were you headed to with the jet skis?
This hitch receiver does exactly what you'd expect, and so far isn't rusting at all even though I live in the woods and don't have a garage. The installation was pretty easy, the guide-wires they give you are very helpful for lining the bolts up through the mounting holes. Having two jacks and/or a friend available would be really helpful but I got it done by myself with just one, it just takes a little more balance.
Had my uncle help me install it. The only modification we had to make was cutting out an additional piece of a heat shield with tin snips. Otherwise, super straight-forward install. It works great and looks great, too.
This is the third Draw-Tite installation on my personal vehicles. The Class III frame hitch is made of thick powder coated steel, never a problem. One person install, although a second set of hands would make it easier.
My thoughts after one year of having this on our 2020 Subaru Forester. I could not be happier with the solid installation and quality of this hitch. I really like the low profile design and the professional look. I was a bit apprehensive about the installation as I had never done that before. But after watching the installation video a few times and reviewing the installation instructions I jumped in and was able to complete it in one afternoon. Super easy and every step was in the video, which helped so much! My next trailer hitch ( if I get a new truck) will certainly be a product from etrailer!
This is the 2nd Hitch I have bought from etrailer. The first one I was extremely happy with. But the vehicle was totaled and the hitch was lost. I chose this one because it was as close to the first one as I could find. I love this hitch. It does everything. I need it too. It is very reasonably priced and very easy to install. hopefully I will not need a third one but if I do, I will look at etrailer again.
Awesome product! Bolts right on to the existing holes in the frame. You will have to cut a notch out of the passenger side heat shield, but it is not hard. My buddy helped me install this in less than 2 hours and we were in no hurry. We used vehicle ramps to give us some breathing room. The hardware is fed through the frame holes with threaded wires. Holding the hitch while trying to install the nuts can be challenging. The two of us fumbled our way through it with a bit of effort and swearing, but a floor jack holding the weight of the hitch would have been helpful.
I bought this hitch to use a bike rack. I saved myself hundreds compared to buying and installing at the dealership.
It was my first time buying from eTrailer I had a great experience!
The hitch was delivered in three days, it took me 2h to install it myself with the video provided.
I also appreciate all the demo video you guys make, it helped a lot to chose the proper option.
Great product! No cutting of the rear bumper required. Only needed trimming of the thin metal heat shield above the muffler. The install was fairly straightforward but could definitely use 2 people. I ended up using my jack to hold one end up while fastening the other. Also, I recommend unbolting and removing the muffler from the exhaust pipe completely, making it a lot easier to install the passenger side. The driver side plastic cover will not fit underneath the hitch bracket like the instructions suggest and to avoid cutting the plastic ribs, I mounted it over. It is pretty flexible and will hold in place with the 2 extended bolts (provided). The main mounting hardware was tricky to snake through the frame, especially the forward-most holes. Picture attached with the 2 rear-most bolts in place. I put a hook in the wire to catch the hole edge which worked out. Took about 1.5hrs to install.
The hitch and wiring kit both installed just as described and shown on the video. The video said an extra pair of hands would be helpful and that was the case.
The only issue I had was like other folks, the packaging was not sturdy enough in critical places so the hitch had broken the box open. The shippers taped it up but there was damage to the paint on the hitch, which I touched up before installing it. This required a couple of hours to dry so plan on that time.
Going to give this a 5-star rating because it is just that. The only issue with this hitch is that the crossbar is about 1/2” below the spare tire tub in the body... this will make for a minor change in the departure angle for a Subaru if you’re off-reading it. Since that is not a concern for me, the product t is great. The installation video helps make the installation go very smoothly and I do suggest having an additional set of hands when it come to actually lifting the hitch into place... it’s heavier than it looks. I did it by myself, but some help to hold it up while bolting it down would have made it a lot easier.
Pleased with the entire etrailer experience.., especially the product videos.
This Draw-Tite hitch receiver is perfect. Well made, solid, fits on my 2020 Subaru Forester perfectly. I didn’t have the necessary tools but a local hitch store installed it for 125$. I saved $1,000.00 off the dealership price fir installing an inferior hitch. UPS destroyed the box the receiver was shipped in, but the receiver survived in perfect condition. I could not be happier with the hitch.
Easy to install, working great. Bunch of different modification for different vehicle. 100% recommended.
Installation was not bad. Watch the videos. Product seems well made. Packaging could be much better. The box was torn on one end and the hitch was sticking out. The paint was chipped off on numerous places.
Install was easier than I thought . And wiring was done in a way I think is better than the video shows that was you don’t have a harness ha going out of your liftgate! There is a rubber grommet towards the rear of the trunk that I cut from the middle outwards, slid the harness in, and reinstalled grommet to prevent any water from entering the cabin . Have used it to tow my jetski and works great .
I just finished installing this. I did it by myself with the back end of my forester up on ramps, I think they’re about 8 inch ramps. I followed along with the video on this site and it was a breeze.
Took me just over an hour, wasn’t rushing. I would have been done faster, but I accidentally bolted up the hitch with my shop light cord between the hitch and the car, had to loosen all the bolts and drop one side enough to get the cord out. Don’t do that. :-)
My replacement bolts for the driver side under body panel didn’t include washers. I had some that would work and used them, but I do think the kit should include them. It looks like the guy in the install video has them.
This will no doubt be strong enough for anything my forester is capable of hauling.
This hitch was packaged nicely for shipping. I worked in a UPS hub while in college and saw lots of great and poorly packed boxes. They definitely put some thought into getting these to the destination intact and not all scratched up. Not a simple task for heavy and awkward shaped things.
The instructions were clear and hitch fit perfectly. Thanks for the fish wires to get the bolts in place. Genius! It looks great.
The shipping box was damaged by the hitch bouncing around inside and the paint was chipped off in two places. Consider a layer of cardboard attached to the ends of the hitch and a form fitting box to eliminate movement.
It was fairly easy to install and has worked well on a long road trip (cargo basket) and to pull an empty boat trailer. My car doesn’t have a great towing capacity but it has worked for what I have needed to haul
Used Etrailer video to aid with installation. Overall an easy install, hitch fit perfectly with mounting hardware. Use if tin snips would be ideal to trim heat shielding, we used a multi tool with cutoff blade and it worked fine. Hitch arrived with hole in the box but no damage to hitch or paint. Highly recommend a second set of hands when raising up the hitch, would much more difficult without.
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Brooke M.
3/19/2025
I love that tidbit about how far out the receiver tube reaches - its good to keep that in mind depending on what you want to do with it. :) Glad the install went pretty well - do you do a lot of your own car work?