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This fully welded trailer hitch receiver bolts onto your Subaru Outback Wagon's frame with no welding required. Matte black, powder coated steel is durable and corrosion resistant and creates a rugged look.
Features:
Specs:
The sturdy steel construction is protected with a matte black finish for added durability. This unique powder coating gives etrailer hitches a carbide-like appearance and a rugged look that sets them apart from traditional glossy hitches. In addition to being rust and corrosion resistant, the tough matte coating hides dirt, scuffs, and dings better than a glossy finish.
At etrailer 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
Drilling through vehicle frame required for installation , Access holes may need to be enlarged by filing or rotary tool , Exhaust must be temporarily lowered for installation , Heat shield must be modified or trimmed for hitch installation
Complete Towing Package for 2017 Subaru Outback Wagon
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The hitch out of the box did not lineup with the holes in the frame of my 2019 Subaru outback Limited. The mechanic said that it was either dropped or sprung from the heat of welding it together. They used a porta power to spread the brackets apart one to 2 inches so that the holes in the hitch lined up with the holes in the frame. Two day shipping took three days. The hitch that fits my Subaru could have been made a little lower. It is making contact with the bottom inside of my bumper. Otherwise it looks like a good solid hitch.
The installation video made this an easy 40 minute installation. Fits perfect and looks great.
I love my trailer hitch, works great for my e-bikes on my subaru outback
Absolutely fantastic hitch. Couldn’t be happier with its performance! Use it mainly for my bike rack, and it always feels solid. Can do 80 on the highway with peace of mind. And it was easy to install! ??
The video helped us a lot with parts we were confused about but it was easy with the right tools. If you don’t completely lift the car it may be easier for you to take the muffler completely off instead of just dropping it. We only had ramps that gave us about a foot of lift, but it was still easy once you for the muffler down. We love it!
Product looks great. Have not installed yet. The online installation video was super informative and a deciding factor in purchasing the hitch from etrailer. Thanks!
I had my hitch professionally installed and have not given it a thought since. It fit perfectly and does what it’s supposed to do.
David
4/20/2025
Looking forward to using the hitch for an Alaska to Maine and back trip this summer.
Jerred H.
5/5/2025
All went together as in video.. I'm 65 yrs. plus and I jacked it up and went to work. The hardest part was the hole resizing, ( step bits and rotary files ). The little wires were fun and how they pulled the bolts through was genius. All in all I had fun. After cutting the heat shield make sure the upper forward goes under the rubber mount hanger. Or you will be pulling it off, like I did.
One other thing the big nuts take 110 ft ponds..... get a bigger cheater bar your going to need it....... Dan
Works good But I believe if the hitch was about 1/4" or 1/2" inch wider it would help in the mounting process. The bracket with was very tight on the sides of the spare tire between the frame due to the spray insulation.
David
9/14/2024
Still working great only used about 6 or 7 times but is very nice when I dont have to use my full size truck helps save money on gas. And I am sure to use many more times in the future.
I decided to go with the etrailer branded class 3 hitch for my wife's 2019 Outback after getting etrailer's recommendation on which one would be best paired with my Thule T2 Pro XTB bike rack, which is a great rack, btw. Main reasoning was that the hitch sits back on the vehicle a little more and gives better clearance for the rack when folded up. This would apply to other kinds of hitch mounted accessories too. The hitch is not quite as hidden under the vehicle as some of the others but I was more concerned about using the bike rack as intended.
Installation was not too bad, with the biggest challenge for me being the tight spaces around the muffler to drill the necessary holes even with the exhaust lowered as described in the video. I even considered removing the muffler for better access but was able to get it done without that. Main concern was damaging the exhaust system in the front if it was lowered too much. Using lubricant on the rubber exhaust hangers worked great for removing and putting them back on at the end. The tip for using a step drill bit worked great to enlarge the access holes the appropriate amount, as well. I was able to do the installation by myself with the help of a small rolling dolly on which to sit the hitch on while I bolted up the first set of bolts. It held the hitch up enough to work on one side at a time without having to support the entire weight of the hitch by myself. Having a helper would be better for sure. The 6 out of 10 installation difficulty scale seems about right to me.
The hitch itself seems to be good quality, nice welds, matte finish looks great on the vehicle too. It also fits like a glove around spare tire well. No adjusting really necessary, just install the first set of bolts in the existing frame holes and you are lined up. You do have to drill the 2 more forward set of holes but using the hitch frame as the template (it's already mounted on the vehicle at this point) of where the holes go, it was a snap from there.
I'll attach a couple of pics with the bike rack installed to show how much clearance there is. I also tested with a bike on the rack and was able to open the rear hatch all the way with the bike rack in the lowered position (a feature of the Thule T2). Hopefully, this will help others that want to use accessories that require clearance for bumper and hatch. Great communication and follow up from the etrailer team too!
Phil
5/15/2020
A year later and the etrailer class3 hitch still looks and works great. Very satisfied with eTrailer again!
It did not fit as expected. It said in the description that it would fit my wife's car and just bolt right up. It did not. I had to buy a $40 step up bit and drill out the holes. Then had to use a floor jack to push it into place. I'd recommend looking at the return policy before buying.
Now that it's installed it does it's job well.
So I recently purchased mountain bikes and knew I needed a bike rack and hitch. When making more expensive purchases, I research the product, competitors, pricing, customer services and reviews. I finally decided on the etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver. I had it professionally installed and it looks great! I appreciate the help and assistance Teresa J. provided in helping me make my decision. Thank you eTrailer!
Dennis
6/24/2021
After one year, my hitch still looks and functions great! I love it so much, I ordered another etrailer Hitch for my other vehicle, a 2012 GMC Terrain and it works great on this and by 2015 Subaru Outback!
I watched video instructions and it worked out perfectly. I did the install on the ground. It had its challenges. This is the third car I have installed a hitch on this week. This was the hardest so far. In the video they drop the exhaust. That does not work if you are on the ground. Just take out the 2 bolt holding the muffler and get it out of the way.
Hitch went in exactly as expected. The install video was a great help!
This was a super easy install. I don't have access to a lift, so I just used ramps I picked up from Home Depot for oil changes. I am a pretty good sized guy but this gave me plenty of room to work. No issues at all on the install. Instructional video was great and easy to follow. The only comments I have would be that if you are using ramps, be sure to have a long sleeve shirt on and safety glasses. The metal chips from drilling are hot and sharp. The pull wires worked excellent, I only used one of them. You do need to put a couple bends in the wire which they don't mention in the video. All in all I am really happy and would highly recommend this as a DIY install.
Josh H.
8/4/2020
A year later and no complaints at all. I have been happy to recommend this product and company to friends.
Good fit, easy install, good price!!
Justin M.
3/20/2025
After one year of use this hitch is good as day one. No issues at all
Jerred H.
3/20/2025
I really nice custom fit for my Outback. The hitch seems like it's high quality and looks good on the car. Be aware however that you have to drill/make and absolutely enormous access holes in your frame rail to install this hitch. I would suggest that etrailer modify the instructions to require the use of the appropriate size step drill bit to make the hole. They should also include rubber grommets and perhaps touch up paint to seal up the hole you made. Otherwise things are pretty straight forward.
Good product and easy to install. Have installed 5 of these hitches from e trailer and have no problems.
Easy install, great video on the process. Works great!
I installed this myself. Excellent packaging on hitch as it arrived undamaged. All hardware and bolt fish wires were firmly attached to the hitch. Instructions and video were very helpful in making this an easy project. I used car ramps and backed m wife’s Outback on them to provide a comfortable work area. Only thing different that I did from the video instructions was to mount the hitch with the 1st two bolts, mark the location, and drop the hitch to drill the forward bolts with a step drill. All newly drilled surfaces were painted for protection. Also found a couple of elongated frame hole plugs from our ’67 Mustang project to seal the hardware installation hole.
Got this to put on my Subaru Outback and had our mechanic attach it & he said it was very simple and easy to install.
Also it works perfectly for what I use it for!
Jessica
8/10/2024
Still does the job! No complaints!
Such and an easy install. I didn't jack up the car or even use blocks. I read several reviews that simply removing the muffler provided the best access. You only have two bolts. Both sides can off the car in 20 minutes. With the muffler off you have easy access to drill the holes required. To mount the hitch, I opened the hatched and used a strap wrapped thru the hatch clap to help hold up the hitch. Was able to lay flat on my back and lift the hitch holes in place with the help of the strap supporting the hitch. The heat shield was easy to trim and re-install. Mufflers were re-installed in 20 minutes. Took me 90 minutes.
Great trailer hitch. Install was a little tricky for my husband on Subaru Outback but we got it and have had no issues.
Custmer service is great. They keep you well informed from the time you place the order to the time its delivered.
The quality of the etrailer brand hitch is very apparent to the point that I would rate it above the others and making for a trouble free installation
The hitch will be used for a platform bike rack.
Etrailer exactly matched up all my products for me, everything worked perfectly. the products are well made and A am impressed with the quality.
I recommend Etrailer to anyone looking to add accessories to their vehicles.
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Victoria H.
3/13/2025
Hi Larry, I'm glad our videos are valuable to you! Let us know how install goes.