Best 2002 Ford Escape Front Receiver Hitches

Added to use with a front winch. The install was not too difficult and the included instructions were spot-on. On my F250, the front tow hooks add to the strength of holding the hitch to the frame. On the F250 you do lose the OEM fog light location, but I used the wiring to add/relocate after-market fog lights. The set up has already proven helpful, pulling me out of a snow back while plowing. Just what I needed for some summer off road camping as well.

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I chose this product because it was among the more inexpensive front hitches I could find. I plan to build a t-bar for it and use it in conjunction with a homemade headache rack to carry 16 foot garage doors. Like other reviews and vids I have found, the bolt up is hard. I reversed the bolts and use the new ones on the outside, as well as removing my grill. My truck is a 2003 - so not much room like the 2008 and newer trucks.

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I had ordered a rear hitch receiver for my 2010 Ford Escape a few years back and was very pleased with the application and use I've gotten from it. This Curt front mount receiver was a breeze to install and I will be using it primarily for my snow plow on my '89 Jeep Cherokee, which matched up perfectly. Thanks for providing good products and service.

Just what I was looking for. Thank you.

Install went perfectly. It all bolted up just how the instructions said it would. The hardest part was navigating your tools in the tight spaces. Having the deep sockets as suggested is definitely worth it. I was also able to utilize a cordless impact wrench and it helped a ton. This will work great for our bike rack.

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Great front receiver hitch for my Chevy Silverado 2500 HD. Everything fit using OE bolts and nuts. Only the plastic trim had to be cut out to fit receiver. I had dealer do it, but would have done it myself when I was younger. etrailer is easy to order from and has good customer service.

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Needed a front hitch for a 2006 Ridgeline Honda truck. I found it on etrailer.com and a better price for same hitch on another online store. As I talked with the customer service agent, I was also offered a discount which was quite a surprise. Shipping was very fast. Had it installed on my truck so I could attach a mounting hitch and snow blade. I am extremely happy with this hitch and etrailer.com.

We live just south of Buffalo and Put this on our '11 Honda Ridgeline with a snowsport plow and a week later it snowed, and snowed and snowed... 5 feet in 24 hours and it's still snowing.... It's not good.... It's AWESOME! Not one driveway or even our street is clear... Except ours. It was easy to put together , easy to install and works exactly like it's advertised! It's November and it paid for itself already. Communication with etrailer was exceptional. We could not be happier with the whole setup.

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I bought this receiver to add front mounted 'accessories' on my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. I plan on using this to add an extra bicycle rack, a cargo basket, a receiver mounted winch or other 'accessories' needed for my Jeep when I take my family camping. It will also be useful for "front launching" a boat or parking a trailer in tight spots. It took me about an hour to install, although I had already previously removed the lower wind deflector cowling, so did not have to spend time removing it or cutting it for a finished look. Detaching and moving the top trim panel between the grill and the bumper is a must to facilitate the installation. The receiver fits pretty close, although you do have to manipulate it to get the holes to line up with the frame. Follow the instructions and do not tighten any of the bolts until you get it lined up and all the bolts in loosely, then torque it down. As noted in the instruction sheet, the driver's side of the receiver does not sit flush against the frame, there is about a 1/4" to 5/8" gap. The instructions say to use the extra split washers (in the kit) as filler, but they would just rattle around loose in there and provide any benefit, so I omitted them. Once tightened down, the receiver tube was not parallel to the ground, it is slightly higher in the front, sloping towards the rear. It is not off enough to affect my intended use, but may be bothersome to those with type 'A' attention to detail. Overall a good product that will add a lot of flexibility to my Jeep~

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Relatively easy install. Just have to be mechanically inclined. We use the hitch to carry a fish rack/cooler on a 2011 Jeep Wrangler. So far so good.

I chose Draw-tite because they are built very well and this one is no different. The welds are done well and I have no fear that this product will serve me well. The install wasnt to bad for a DIY type like me and the fit was excellent, only took a few hours. Knowing that I can now be pulled out of a bad situation or pull someone else out is comforting with the help of a hitch mounted winch. The Price was right and etrailer shipped it out fast although packing could use a smaller box . Oh yeah, UPS sure tested the toughness of this receiver ! . Great product and great service from etrailer

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im very satisfied with my front receiver. ive used it as a recovery point,to move trailers, and as a mount for bike rack and cargo holder. if i had a winch platethat would be very handy too. etrailerhad a fair price, quick shipping, and overall great customer service. i would use them again andrecommend to a friend as well.

Great products, great prices, fast shipping and a great company to do business with. Easy install, and it took longer to trim the air dam than installing the hitch.

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Terrible, they sent the wrong hitch and now want me to pay shipping for the return

Fits perfect and works just as I needed it to. I use it for my SnowSport plow set-up on a 2022 Gladiator Sport Max Tow. I’ve been using front receivers for this same plow for the last 24 years. It’s been used on 5 different trucks and this front receiver mount plow is the BEST. *** When installing on a Gladiator(possibly the Wrangler as well), the front plastic trim below the bumper needs to be cut for receiver clearance. I wanted a tight and “factory looking” install, so I took my time with a vibrating cutter and very sharp utility knife. After trying to put it back in place, the hole is not just square, it’s shaped more like. “T”. I suggest you make small adjustments/cuts as you go forward. It may take several times fitting and cutting to get it right and tight, but in the end it does look like it came that way from JEEP. On the Max Tow package, there is also a metal skid plate that does not get reinstalled. Unfortunately that piece is where the back of the plastic fascia mounts. I ended up securing it with some long heavy-duty zip-ties and it’s worked well for a year now. Just an FYI for those installing the same receiver on their same vehicle.

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Product shipped and received on time. I'm very happy with the packaging. Hardware was included with instructions to install the hitches I purchased.

Got this on my 2006 2500 Ram. I did avoid drilling the holes over 1 inch (suggested in the directions) by loosening the bumper bolts and prying out some brackets in the frame ends temporarily (just to get the bolts fished thru). I pushed the brackets back in after getting the bolts in place (and believe the bumper bolts will squeeze them to hold them), but I did bend some tabs that I can't get back to original. My bumper bolts on the driver side wouldn't go in far enough (hitting a cooler) to be totally flush for a completely vertical lift into place, so I had to swing it up there first, then do the passenger side. The first pair of bolt fishing went good, but then I had trouble getting the wires off the bolts (they were tight enough that the more I tried to twist them off, the tighter they gripped it). So instead of them coming off like twisting a nut off, I ended up peeling them off (with the bolts staying stationary and my peeling the wire around them). That slightly bent the wires so they were slightly bigger than the threads and while fishing the second set, the wire didn't stay in the threads and jammed the bolt in the hole a bit (but I still got them in place). So watch how you treat the fishing wires until done. I already have a winch mounted on a hitch bracket, but may use this for more things besides that.

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It wasn't fun to install by myself, but managed to do it in a few hours. Worked out great so far, I've hauled motorcycles on hitch carrier for about 2k miles so far and had no problems.

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This was one of the easiest accessories I’ve installed on my Tundra. It is a front receiver hitch so I don’t use it very often. Mostly just for bike racks when towing a trailer, but when you need it you need it.

Straight forward and perfect fit on my 2008 Toyota Tundra!!

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Very easy to install. works great for bike rack and generator box.

After struggling with the answering menu, Steve Z. was instrumental in locating a hitch to fit my van which was not specifically identified in any data search. Weird year, 2005, of popular Chevy Express van, my luck! Using manufacturers dimensions I purchased #31016 on 12/21 and it arrived on 12/24. It's a very well built, USA built, unit. It arrived rapidly, but was missing half of the mounting hardware. The remainder of the hardware was rolling around in the box. Zip lock baggie ripped apart spilling them. I used a hydraulic jack to elevate hitch into place, and an additional jack to push the drill up to drill the 6 mounting holes necessary. No factory hole alignment. All the nuts for the bolts were lost in transit, but by a Christmas day miracle, I found 2 metric nuts to fit supplied bolts that survived the delivery. I will acquire, and install remaining missing 4 tomorrow. The installation went smooth and easy using this technique. It took around 3 hours with much of the time searching for hardware.' Thanks Steve Z. and etrailer. .

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Fit nice. I haven't used it to move a trailer yet. I didn't have tow hooks and the factory ones are high so I paid the extra to get the hitch instead.

Perfect hitch for those needing a rack for extra space. I used a heavy duty vinyl bag to enclose my tools, cords and generator on my 12k mile trip to alaska. The held that 500lbs extremely well across the permafrost damaged Alaskan highway! No twists, no bends and no worries!

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This receiver performs well for both bicycle and motorcycle carriers. It is not obtrusive when not being used. It was easy to install with no drilling required (You do have to cut out the air dam.). I would have given 5 stars if would’ve fit a little higher. There was room for it to be at least an inch further off the ground. I ended up putting a 1 inch leveling kit on the front of my 2 wheel drive F150 and it turned out great and the truck looks better too

I am very pleased with this equipment. Bought it to carry two heavy E-bikes. Installation directions could have been clearer--but with the help of videos, I got it in just fine. Had to use a large crow bar to urge it in place though.

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Bolted right up to my 2019 F-250. Looks like it's going to work perfect to haul my E-bike rack. I might have to use a dual receiver hitch to drop the rack down for better visibility while driving. That's to be determined. I'd highly recommend the Eco Hitch!!

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I'm 59 years old and a third generation grading contractor. I've worked on trucks and heavy equipment my whole life. I've turned ALOT of wrenches. That being said, the instructions for installation of this hitch are the worst I've ever seen. Lots of steps left out of the bumper removal. The instructions for cutting the plastic where the hitch goes were not even close! Multiple attempts and additional trimming to make it fit. Also the hitch was an extremely tight fit between the rails. Once installed I like it and it seems to be good quality. The one star is for the almost useless instructions.

I buy practically all my towing accessories from etrailer. One of the reasons why is that you can tell that they take the feedback of their customers seriously. I read a lot about previously shipped products having fell out of the box in certain areas. etrailer heard that feedback and my shipping box was reinforced in just the right areas that were talked about getting punched through in shipping. The tech notes video on the 2012 F-250 applied exactly on my 2016 F-250. All the measurement specifications were correct as well. This is a job that can be done by one person, albeit you'll have to be careful. Your second set of hands can be jack stands, as it was in my case. If you take your time in positioning everything - installation will be a breeze. I do agree with previous reviews - it would be nice to have a second fishing wire as it does get stretched out when pulling the first bolt through. That, or a heavier duty gauged wire - that's just a small detail however. If you're really concerned about it, you can buy a secondary fishing wire at around 5 bucks. I spent more time taking out and putting back in body clips than I did with the install of the hitch receiver hardware. I really like the way it looks and I'm excited to use it.

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I plan on installing it tomorrow, however first impressions are not good. The box it item was shipped in was extremely damaged. Torn, ripped and taped up on all sides. The delivery person said that due to the sharp edges and the face it wasn't secured in the box (lose) led to the damage. It appears the item was not packaged properly. I just hope all the parts are there. More to follow.

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I have had the front receiver hitch installed on my 1996 Suburban for about a year now. I have a 12000 lb winch installed using that receiver hitch. I have gotten stuck twice and had to use the winch to extract the truck. Very glad that I have the front receiver hitch as it made putting on the winch very easy. Also useful for mounting a receiver mount bicycle rack to the front as well.

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Product was shipped promptly and arrived a few days later. Packing was good for a heavy item with pointy edges, no issues breaking out of the box. Installation on a lift took about 30 minutes on my 1999 K2500 Suburban. The bolts were long enough to allow for my tow hooks that were already in place. A bolt stringer to pull the rear bolts from the top (inside the frame) is provided along with nuts, the other four just replaced the stock bolts that I had that mount from the bottom into tapped frame metal through the tow hooks. Curt makes great quality stuff. Clearance was reduced a little but I'm not concerned about it.

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Easy to install. Works perfect to hook up car trailer to front of rv when camped for days at the track.

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It's holding up a Thule rack well. The rear is freed for a motorcycle.

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