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This fully welded trailer hitch receiver bolts onto your Tesla Model 3'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
No drilling through vehicle frame required for installation , Requires temporary removal of bumper/fascia during installation , Underbody trim panel must be modified or trimmed if present
Complete Towing Package for 2020 Tesla Model 3
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Good hitch. Not perfect. I did it on Sunday morning. Took be about 3 hrs. It’s not hard to do. Etrailer instructional video was very helpful. Little stressful when working on new car that’s not known for paint quality. I took my time. Used mostly hand tools.
It would take me less time, but I had hard time tightening one nut holding hitch to the body (pic of nut by the black hitch) and I had to dremel out the right side of a hole (just one) in aluminum Tesla beam to be able to tighten the beam to the hitch. (Lower right nut, golden color, inside the aluminum beam). The rest of holes/hardware was fine. Be careful. Aluminum beam has really sharp edges.
Instructions were little hard to understand, I ended up finding a video from them on how to install it. I also recommend finding a torque wrench as I tighten it by hand first, and months later went to tighten it before the first tow. And I used a torque wrench and was surprised at how loose they were. Also I had to refind that video to get the torque specs, they should list them on the product page. Amazing hitch, I’ve used it 10 times in the first year up. Largest load was about 2,200lb largest covered U-Haul trailer, love that I don’t need a truck anymore!
Victoria H.
3/7/2025
I'm glad the install videos were helpful to you Jesse, and that this makes it more convenient for you to tow! Yes you are correct, the torque wrench is definitely needed for this install. If you think about it, its pretty amazing how much money and fuel you can save switching from a truck to your Tesla, especially for towing.
I use this hitch on my Tesla 3 Performance. A little challenging to install, however it works perfectly for me. I only use it to hold my bike rack. I use it almost every day.
Brooke M.
3/17/2025
That is awesome, Scott--sounds like you are getting your money's worth! What time of the day is your favorite for a bike ride?
Works great, very solid on 2018 Tesla Model 3. Preload the 6 carriage bumper bolts before bolting up the hitch. The size of the opening I cut in the lower under rear panel was 2.75" wide and 3.25" long... I think the instructions had different dimensions. The bottom of the hitch is 6.5" off the ground.
Steve
10/13/2023
The hitch works fine and although it is low to the ground, there has not been much scraping of the hitch when traversing inclines. The Model 3 suspension is stiff so there is not much bouncing.Also the rear of the car doesnt much when the trailer tongue weight is added which in my case is about 80 pounds. There is not much room to install an anti rattle hitch clamp but it can be done.
Parts arrived as advertised - no surprise. I watched 3 or 4 different installation videos and things went as expected.
I found the biggest challenge was putting the final, larger bumper/underside panel back on car due to the difficult-to-see way some of the panel's tabs line up farther in, up underneath the car. That step alone took me about 15-20 minutes of just "fishing around" blindly trying to get things to line up. It's a fairly big, one-piece, unwieldy panel piece... But on the whole, it was a smooth installation.
I've done this twice at this point. I did the same install on a neighbor's car too - consistent experience that time also.
Really happy with the result. The install videos on the etrailer website really helped. The price was good and the speed of shipping was excellent. Only downside in my case was with aligning the holes on the hitch with the bumper bar (I chose to reinstall). It took a little more work, but I was able to do it. The install would have gone quicker if the holes aligned a little more closely. I have a 2019 Tesla model 3
Does not fit a 2019 model 3. You will need a dremel and 4 hours on your hands to make this fit on the bumper. etrailer knows about this problem as many other reviews say this but they keep advertising it as a fit. Would not buy again and I would recommend looking elsewhere.
Install was very straight forward, bu time consuming. Step by step instruc worked very well. Best advice to a Tesla owner on this install be sure cover all painted surfaces with masking tape to prevent scratches
Subtle, elegant, practical and priceless for trailering my laser sailboat on my Tesla Model 3. Love it!
Instructions were precise and clear. Great fitment and well crafted product.
Works great! Install video was definitely helpful. I thought it would be too low for the model 3,but just sits high enough that it doesn’t scrape going up or down driveways.
The install was time consuming but not technically difficult. This hitch fits the 2023 Tesla Model 3 RWD perfectly without cutting the bottom panel. The 2023 model comes with a removable hitch cover and this hitch slides right through it. It's best to raise the rear end by 2" by driving over a set of 2x4 lumber. I laid down two large moving pads for the work space. One underneath the bumper and one to place the removed bumper on. It's also advised to lay down a small towel on the side and place the small parts on it in order as you remove them. That makes sure the parts stay together and makes the order of the reinstall much easier. The trickiest part was installing the stock aluminum crash bar over the eTrailer hitch. Its best to use painter's tape to hold the golden crash bar bolts in place while trying to align with the bar holes. Re-installing the bumper was also tricky re-aligning the bottom lip to re-install the two 10mm retaining black bolts. I referred to the eTrailer Youtube Draw-tite video for the 2022 Model 3 and a video made by "Reid Tomasko". Combining the information for both videos made the install possible.
1 year review: I opted for this product since it was a fraction of the cost of the stealth type hitches. Some people may mind the look of a hitch especially on a Tesla Model 3 but this hitch sits as close up underneath to the bumper as possible, so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. With the Model 3 being a low car, I've scraped the hitch a few times backing out of my driveway. Upon inspection, the hitch did not bend and the scrapes are only visible when you get underneath it. It's a solid design bolting up to the rear bumper cross bar mount points. I mainly use the hitch to haul up to 2 mountain bikes using a 1Up platform carrier and again, it is very solid with no play. Installation was straight forward other than the fact that my Model 3 is a 2019 and it does not have the removable hitch cover like later model years. The suggested cut out dimensions weren't big enough so I had to measure/cut twice. For the price, I've already made up in the gas savings driving the Tesla instead of my 15mpg SUV. Well worth it!
I installed the hitch on my 2019 Tesla Model 3 and found it sturdy with heavy steel and excellent welds. I subtracted two stars due to the extra effort required to install it. The hitch frame was slightly long so on each end it was difficult to access one of the securing nuts. I also had to significantly enlarge one of the access holes in the 1/8" thick aluminum bumper in order to tighten the securing nut. Not that difficult but takes tools not normally required for installation.
But the hitch fits the car well and any anyone with some DIY experience should be able to handle it.
The hitch itself was a perfect fit and appears well-made. I held back one star because the instructions include a diagram that is poorly done. It shows the hitch receiver appearing to go outside the Tesla bumper beam between the hitch and the car when it is really the opposite. That makes it hard to tell where the washers go. The supplied nylon washers had holes that were twice the size needed. They should be 8mm nylon fender washers. The eTrailer video was very helpful as were some others online (ie U-Haul).
Fit the Tesla Model 3 perfectly it was an easy install if you are a little handy and you don’t mine taking the rear plastics off your Tesla. A little tricky to put it all back together. Mostly snap fit. Saved big $$$. It was a 1 hour job that took me 2-3 hrs.
This is a good hitch. The install is not for the faint of heart, though. I installed this on my 2019 Tesla Model 3 after watching this video from etrailer that was very helpful:
The preparation of the car for the installation was a royal pain. Not unexpected for sure.
For the hitch, I did have to make one of the mounting holes a little bit larger, similar to what a lot of people have referenced. I just used a round file and made the hole about 1/16” larger. The rest of the hitch components fit well without hassle.
Reassembly of the car was, of course, a pain.
All in all, this was about a six hour install in our personal well-equipped shop. Follow the video, take your time, be ready to adjust a little bit, try to do have someone else help you and you can do it!
The hitch receiver looks great and seems like a quality product. However it was not designed correctly for my 2018 Model 3. The minimum spacing for the holes is 36 inches, while the bumper is 35 inches. Installing it this way will result on the bumper shifted to the driver's side, and almost impossible to reach the passenger side bolts.
The aluminum on the bumper is pretty thick, but thankfully it's soft enough that I was able to cut about 1/2" and more or less center it on the car before bolting it back on. (Cutting the hitch receiver is NOT at option - solid steel!)
Anyway, it is a shame I ran into this problem and doubled my installation time. Based on the reviews here, it seems a lot of people also running into this problem.
Great kit and easy to install. I have experience with cars but it's the first time I have taken the bumper cover off a Tesla 3. Over all full install time for new was 1 hour and it was straight forward. Looks great and can't wait to use it. My vehicle is a 2023 and has the factory hitch cut out so I did not have to cut anything on my own. So that was super nice.
Easy installation for car diy’ers. I like that it retains the factory crash bar. Quality construction and works perfect with my mountain bike rack. I had to cut a section out of the bottom bumper of my 2018 Model 3.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the hitch. The most difficult part of the installation is attaching the reinforcement brace to the hitch, since the holes did not line up well. I had to use a die grinder on the aluminum brace. Some design changes would make it an excellent product. I purchased the ecohitch for my last Tesla, but decided against for this car since I rarely ever removed the receiver. This hitch looks clean and was half the price.
Aaron
1/7/2024
Im still happy with the hitch. The only problem I have with the fixed receiver is backing into curbs and scraping the ground on ramped drives. Otherwise it is a good product.
The hitch seems to be of very good quality and fits perfectly. Installation was more difficult than any hitch I've ever installed but doable. When you remove the rear bumper facia, take extra care to sit it on a soft, non-abrasive surface.
Exactly what I needed for the price. I have a 2020 model 3 SR+. Installation can be difficult but if you have the tools it is possible. There are many [online] videos of installing a hitch in the model 3 to guide you. Overall this item is well built, like many other hitches it will shorten your ground clearance since the model 3 sits low.
The trailer hitch is excellent. The ordering was easy and the shipping fast. The installation video was very good although I wish it had mentioned that the Model 3 must be jacked up to get to two of the bolts.
Easy install, tows great! This is my third hitch receiver from etrailer, and all have been great! Delivery has always been on time, no problems after years of towing.
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Mario
12/11/2024
It’s been a year and 24k miles. The hitch is working great, and looking the same. No rust or any signs of aging. I’d buy it again!