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Perfect for light-duty towing, this custom, Volkswagen Passat trailer hitch receiver features fully welded, gloss powder coated steel construction. Drawbar sold separately.
Features:
Specs:
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
Product not intended for models with the Hands-free Easy Open Trunk option. No drilling required for installation , Underbody panel(s) and/or fascia must be temporarily loosened or removed. Trimming may be needed to reattach panel or fascia. , Trunk access required for hitch installation , Fascia trimming required for installation
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (132 Customer Reviews)
Perfect for light-duty towing, this custom, vehicle trailer hitch receiver features fully welded, gloss powder coated steel construction. Drawbar sold separately.
The hitch installed fairly easy.It's helps if you have mechanical ability and access to a lift would be a great help.Just look at the pictures and read the remarks of other reviewers and you will be fine,or get someone else to do it.My one gripe is that the receiver was welded on crooked(see picture) It's not a big deal because I am just using it for a Saris Superclamp,which is incredible.I'm not sure if I wanted to hook up a trailer that it would slide into the receiver because of the tilt,but I'm only planning on using it for bike transport so it's not a big deal.
Nice clean installation with clear easy to follow instructions. This hitch installation is unusual because there isn't any need to fish bolts into obscure locations in the subframe. The crossframe of the hitch is totally hidden from sight and from aerodynamic drag. The only part that shows is the receiver tube and safety chain rings. Installation on the newer Passats requires trimming an added aero panel. My 2017 R-Line has this panel and my wife's 2016 SE has it. My daughter's 2013 TDI does not have it. See enclosed pictures for trim locations. Sorry I did not measure exact dimensions. Mock installing the panel and a sharpie helps to get the trim necessary. All in all this is a great hitch. It installs easily and tows very well indeed.
The Hitch and Bones Bike rack work well in supporting a Pedego EBike Securely. Also te rack keeps the bike away from the trunk. Have to be careful when backing up do to the extended rear length. The rack with bike partially blocks the backup video. I am very pleased with the product.
Regarding the hardware for the hitch receiver, all of the components were great. However, the instructions could use quite a bit of additions on a few of the steps. I had all of the tools ready to go before I started the stop watch and it took me over 2 hours to install everything cleanly. I would recommend updating the installation time for both experts and novice, as well as adding to the work instructions. Picture quality was low on the instructions. Great product though! Hope to install the wiring harness in the next few days.
Easy install. Takes two people and was able to do it without even lifting car. i used a 5" rise and pull a 5x8 trailer with a dirtbike , i feel like i will be able to haul 2 bikes on my new custom trailer. Overall Great product and great Value.
Installed it myself on my 2013 vw passat. No issues with install.
Product fits to vehicle as described. Video demonstration was superb. I'd recommend fine sanding surface prep before applying the RTV seal. The torque specs of [see installation instructions] ft/lbs and [see installation instructions] ft/lbs seems excessive. Maybe because I also used blue thread locker. But it did torqued and looks great (see photo).
Easy to install. Watch the video carefully. All the needed tricks are in the video. Was definitely one of the easiest install I have done. Very well made product, sturdy, reinforced and out of eye sight.
Perfect fit! Took me about 30 minutes to install, very easy installation.
The Curt hitch arrived on the date promised. I opened the box took a moment to identify the parts, and laid everything out for the install. The video showed exactly what I needed to do. The only thing I purchased was silicone sealant for the trunk. I wanted a hitch to use my bicycle rack. The local trailer store wanted 400.00. I saved almost 300 dollars and it was a fairly simple job
First of all if you buy this product, be sure to reinforce the welds on the bumper brackets supplied, the nuts are barely tack welded on and snap off easily. Secondly this kit does not come with the pin. Lastly the bolts that go up to the brackets above the bumper beam should be at least a half inch longer, they are not the right size.
Tyler M.
3/9/2020
I reached out to my contact at Curt, and they said it sounds like the brackets with the weld nuts may need to be flipped over in order for the bolt to install properly. I also asked them about the weld nuts snapping, and they confirmed this is not an issue they have seen before. My contact suggested to make sure to tighten the bolts proportionally in order to minimize the tension placed on the first weld nut.
Little bit of work needed to mount to my 13' VW Passat, but thats not the product's fault. Looks great after its installed!
The Curt Trailer hitch is an excellent product. It is very simple to use, requiring only one screw, washer, and special key set to assemble. It supports my Thule Vertex Bike carrier very well, even at speeds of 80 mph. I have not heard any creaking in my usage. Overall, I would recommend this to any customer with a B7 VW Passat, as it has a perfect snug fit, easy installation, and solid carrying capacity.
Quick and easy install for two people. Sturdy and quality material. Only took about 35 minutes to install.
I installed this hitch with the help of one other person on my 2013 VW Passat. Instructions were crystal clear and there were zero issues during the install. The hitch has been used for the better part of a year now and has been an excellent addition to our vehicle. We use the hitch for a bike carrier and for towing a light weight trailer carrying camping equipment. Very satisfied.
Both the trailer hitch and wiring harness have worked flawlessly for the past year. I have towed a loaded trailer along the East Coast through extreme environmental conditions ranging from; high heat, heavy rain and snow, dust and sand without any resulting problems. It is comforting to know that the rear trailer lights are working while towing a high-end motor vehicle through a heavy storm when visibility is poor.
I own a 2012 VW Passat. The hitch works great but it sits too low to the ground. Once I have 2 fat tire bikes on my Thule rack, or two heavier people in the back seats without bikes, the hitch will drag on the ground if there is ANY incline. Now when I load the bikes on I have to pull the car onto the street so that I dont drag and dig into my asphalt. Wish they would have come up with a better design. The hitch itself works great and I have no complaints.
Hitch has worked well, the only concern was the washers supplied would not fit in the contours of the wheel well in the trunk. I had to cut them AND slide the hitch as far to the rear as possible. The extra weight that far in the rear diminishes the ability of the Passat to track. However, I would still use the same hitch again soley because of the welded backing nuts which make the installation go smooth.
Hitch ball and hitch for my 2018 Passat GT works great and etrailer customer service was awesome asI had selected the incorrect ball but they made it right by shipping me a replacement right away and with no additional shipping costs. you can see the hitch installation video
With all the craziness these days I originally had delayed issues with shipping but then I picked up the phone and called etrailer and had the privilege of speaking with Molly. She was EXTREMELY helpful and explained the situation and made some suggestions on how to remedy the delayed shipping. My trailer hitch receiver arrived today, a day earlier than what was discussed. Molly's professionalism and understanding will bring me back to etrailer for future purchases. Thank you MollY!!!
Product is HIGH quality. Installed on a 2017 VW Passat SE. Two comments regarding install, apart from instructions that came with hitch. My SE has the light package. I do not know if what we discovered under the fascia trim just to the right of the exhaust is exclusive to the SE or not. There was an electrical junction box with a number of plugs attached. This was screwed into the fascia. This box had to be unscrewed from the fascia and relocated without screw attachment once the hitch was installed. There simply was not room to reattach the junction box after hitch install. (See photo)
Also, the underbody trim cover that runs from the fascia to just north of the spare tire well had to be trimmed differently than what previous installers have suggested. Note attached photo.
I fall into the novice installer group. 60 mins. is a pipe dream. The etrailer folks provide directions from Curt. If you are like me, you do not have a torque wrench, a dremel or rotary tool to attach a cut-off wheel, or T-15 & T-25 torxbit sockets. Things to know: You can rent (free of charge) a torque wrench from [local Auto Parts store]. For the dremel, I used a hacksaw blade in a simple handle that can be purchased at Home Depot. The torxbit sockets puzzled me. Don't spend the money on them if you don't already have them. Use a star bit inserted into compatible screwdriver handle.
The hitch conceals well and is under the bumper enough that it won't be accidentally kick when walking by unless the ball mount is left in place. The finish seems to be holding up well and is not rusting, but it's only been through two MI winters thus far. The install was fairly simple with only minor cutting needed.
The trailer hitch is very steady, works well with the bike rack we bought from [onine vendor]. We highly recommend etrailer and will definitely return to order another one if needed.
I purchased two (2) 1-1/4" Curt hitches for both my wife's car (Chevy Cruze) and mine (VW Passat). They were both easy to install and the instructions were on the mark. Both took a bit longer to install than the video stated it would, but that was expected.
Both Curt hitch assemblies were in stock and shipped promptly.
This hitch worked great. I towed a motorcycle trailer and bike, and then a uhaul for roughly 16 hrs, with my VW Passat. The install was a little harder than it seemed in the video (due to the tight fit), but it's worth it. It performed great and I'm happy I purchased it.
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Jim C.
6/9/2018
Works great after one year, everything looks good!