Best 2013 Toyota Avalon Bike Racks

The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.

Click to Enlarge

I bought this bike rack back in April but wanted to make sure I used it to give the best review. First I want to say I did a lot of research on bike racks and found this one to be the best one to fit my needs. The best price I found was on etrailer.com, at the time it was When I called the customer service to place my order, I spoke to Dan. He was very pleasant on the phone and took the time and listened to what I needed and understood my concerns. I ordered the bike rack and also ordered the Thule Snug Tite Hitch Lock and Anti-Rattle Device and the Thule Cable Lock w/ One Key System Lock. Dan suggested I also get the Thule Bike Adapter Bar, which I never even thought of getting. Delivery was in about two business days, which was really fast and at the time of order they were running a special free delivery over $99. When I went to put it together I noticed I was missing the flat cap screw M6 x 16mm, part number #853-5787-02. I emailed Dan and within 24 hours received an email that the part was sent out and also in the email their was a link to track the order. After I received the part I did notice that the flat cap screw was actually in the 2 inch adaptor sleeve. The instructions were very easy to read, and it took me about 20 minutes to put together. I did have an issue when I positioned the stinger into the cradle, with the 8mm locking nut, it was not staying tight and when I took it off I noticed the threads inside were gone, so I ended up going out to Lowes and buying a new one and its holds perfectly fine. I also had a question about that part because it is not a locking part and was worried someone would try to steal the rack. I contacted etrailer.com to find if they make a locking device for this and they said no but I can contact Thule to double check, I'm still waiting for an answer back from Thule. The weather finally broke and we installed the rack onto my hitch, tightened it and it doesn't rattle. When I finally used the rack and put my bike on, it did sway a little but at 50 mph I was very happy with it. The trailer comes out just enough away from my car that I do not have to fold completely out and I can open my trunk with no issues. I am very happy with my purchase and had a great customer experience with Dan. Would highly recommend ordering from them to anyone.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

doesn't fit my car, you said it did. cannot close the trunk without damaging the paint on the car. I thought thule would be a good brand and it probably is, not for my car, 2010 Toyota Avalon

The site is easy to navigate and I was able to choose the perfect carrier for my model car. I have not installed it yet, ( just got it yesterday), but it appears to be good quality, and just what I wanted. I chose free shipping and received it in4 days, l will definitely use ETRAILER again. Thanks, Rich

The trailer mounted neatly on our 2007 Toyota Avalon, but it took some work to make sure it didn't rest on the bumper.

Works great right out of the box; easy to set up and install.

The Malone rack adjusts to fit my 2017 Trax really snugly and securely. Once we learned how to configure the bikes for best fit, everything traveled without movement. The only downside is that this system seems designed for narrow road bikes rather than the mountain and hybrid bikes we own. Although the anti-sway cradles are sufficiently wide for mountain tires, the close proximity of the individual bike setups sometimes cause a strap to pull loose during travel, so we keep the bikes cabled to the rack frame. We are able to make it work. For narrower bikes, I would recommend this rack without reservation.

Works great! We keep it set up to one position because it's used on my car only. I'm glad we bought the lock feature because we can just leave the rack on at the trail site. This was a great purchase. I'm impressed that you follow up on your product. I recall your staff was quite helpful in making sure I purchased the correct item for my car and set it up correctly. No recent pictures of the carrier but I do have one of myself as "happy camper" on the Fox River Trail which was doable because of the carrier purchase!!

Click to Enlarge

I’ve had the Kuat Sherpa for about a year now and could not be more happy with this bike rack. When not in use I keep it safely in the garage- it only takes a few minutes to install it to my Honda Civic and safely secure two bikes using its exquisitely engineered and designed system. I’ve used this for 900+ mile trips with no issues whatsoever - the perfect bike rack!

After doing extensive research before buying my first ever bike rack, I chose the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 platform rack. I considered trunk mounted, hanging and platform racks before settling on a platform rack. I like the stability, the ease of loading and unloading and very importantly, the absence of contact with the frame of my bike. My bike has a beautiful paint job that I want to preserve. I looked at lots of racks online and at a bike shop and opted for the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 because of the excellent engineering, including the design of the packaging that becomes a work bench for assembling the rack, the relatively light weight (32 pounds), the inclusion of a hitch lock and a bike lock, the stability of the platform, even with a 1.25" connection and a class I hitch, and the ease of operation. Additionally, the overall appearance of the rack suggests high quality. Time will tell how well it ages but I'm pretty confident that I'll be pleased with it. I was very fortunate to find a used, like new Kuat via Etrailer at a meaningful discount that still qualified for the manufacturer's warranty! Thank you Etrailer! A tip to pass along that was shared with me, U-Haul is an excellent source for buying and installing hitches to accommodate bike racks - very attractive pricing, high quality installation and a super unlimited lifetime warranty. Can't wait for Spring and the chance to transport my bike to inviting riding venues!! PS The hitch and bike rack work very well with my 2011 Honda Accord Coupe, EXL V6 model that remains in excellent condition.

doesn't fit my car, you said it did. cannot close the trunk without damaging the paint on the car. I thought thule would be a good brand and it probably is, not for my car, 2010 Toyota Avalon

The site is easy to navigate and I was able to choose the perfect carrier for my model car. I have not installed it yet, ( just got it yesterday), but it appears to be good quality, and just what I wanted. I chose free shipping and received it in4 days, l will definitely use ETRAILER again. Thanks, Rich

I just installed this on Friday and we used it for a short trip to the bike shop. So far, it is not bad. I had to laugh; Yakima applied their logo upside-down! I read the directions at least 3x to be sure I didn't have them reversed...I did it right. The directions also show a logo on both, upper & lower rack. I guess they wanted to save some $$ ? Assembly was easy with just three steps. The hitch has a lock to lock it to the car, which is great, but the cover won't stay on. It takes 2 hands, one to hold the lock in place and the other to try to put the cover over the lock. It just pops off the second you release pressure. I will try again in warmer weather, then tape it on so hopefully it will mold to the lock and eventually stay put without the tape. I am not convinced of the stability of the bikes, really. Going over bumps they do shake. For safety, we are going to add straps from the luggage rack and through the bikes, just in case. I really like the cable locks to secure the bikes to the rack. With our old rack there really wasn't a way to lock the bikes to the rack, and I always worried when we were traveling and stopped for food.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

As etrailer reminded me, I have had this thing for a year and it is awesome. I did a lot of research before buying and am certainly glad it steered me towards this product. My hatch just clears the rack when it is in the stowed (up) position and it just clears my handlebars in the tilted (down) position. Fits like a glove! The bolt fits snugly and makes for a very quiet ride. I love the anti-theft bolt-end but I make sure to pull on it after installing because it is hard to tell for sure if it is on. Mine was not and I drove away, losing it. They're not super expensive, but are super back-ordered rn so I had to find one from MasterLock that fits. I actually take mine on and off a fair amount because I'm hauling stuff around and loading/unloading is much easier without the rack in place even with it all folded into the stowed position. I've taken this rack across the country a few times (with and without bikes) and it has been great. I try not to exceed 90mph with a bike in the rack... Two things to know: 1. When you are only carrying one bike you have to make certain that the other spot's ratcheting arm is as ratcheted-down as possible. I once had it slip and it was dragging in the roadway before someone started flashing lights at me and I caught it. 2. I use a Voile strap (elastic cargo strap) to hold my front tire down. See attached photo. If you don't, it is possible for the front wheel to roll back a little bit and loosen the fit. I don't know why Yakima hasn't made this change themselves but it's simple and makes your bike WAY more secure especially on winding roads.

Click to Enlarge

It was obvious that we received a product that was returned by someone else when the box was overly taped shut, a support collar was broken, and most of the pieces were out of their ripped plastic bags. However, it was a great price to hold 5, 26" and/or 27" Trek bikes. I used a piece of the broken collar and went ahead and assembled the rack. Due to the weight of the 5 bikes it did not wobble that much when driving, as one of the bike tires was up against my car. I can only imagine that if we received an untampered product that this review would have been 5 stars. The picture is a little hard to see, but there are 5 Trek bikes on the rack on my 2020 Toyota Seinna.

Click to Enlarge

We received a damaged box, damaged items, no instructions, the nuts and bolts are completely stripped and not inside a bag. This was obviously used, returned, not checked for quality and sent out. We are extremely upset.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

I used my swagman bike rack for the first time today. It is easy to use and keeps the bike very secure. It is so much better than my old Thule strap bike rack. Just slide it into hitch receiver, tighten the bolt, put the bike on and secure it down with 2 rubber straps and push down hook. Simple as that!! I have a Toyota Avalon car and this is ideal for me. 70 mph on the highway and the bike was very steady, even on rougher roads. I would highly recommend this for anyone who isn't sure if this is a good product. Definitely a satisfied customer

First-time rack buyer / owner / installer. The rack arrived in a timely fashion, maybe a day or 2 ahead of schedule. It was well packaged. I’m LOVING this bike rack. It was easy to put together and to mount on my new Honda Passport. Thus far, no squeaks in my 2” receiver. Hardest part of initial set-up is figuring out the best way to position two bikes. Trial & error and some patience. The directions weren’t clear as to where the 2 left-over screws went. I found the answer in another review and have posted a pic in case others have the same problem (photo with pen pointing at screw). These screws go in the underneath side of both of the folding arms. They appear to keep the wheel wells from sliding off in case in you drive with an empty, un-folded rack, and forgot to tighten down the wheel wells. The folding arm push / pull pins can be difficult at times. I coated the tips with some lube. That and a little jiggling seems to solve that issue. I guess it’s better for the pins to be snug vs popping right out. I added a small Master lock to the hitch pin (in lieu of the provided cotter pin) as a theft deterrent. I read that a 3/16 shackle lock will fit into the bike clamp down arms to also act as a deterrent. I had an old 3/16 lock that did snugly fit and appeared to be locked. HOWEVER, I yanked on the lock and it came open as there isn’t quite enough clearance for the shackle to lock. I discovered that longer 3/16 shackle locks are hard to find. Have attached a photo of the lock that actually fits and works (Ace Hardware). One lock on the upper clamp down arm will secure both arms as the lower arm can’t be removed without removing the upper arm. The clamp down arms appear to be coated to prevent damage to your bike. I’ve tried a simple rag and ultimately settled on pool noodle pieces as a precautionary measure. I CAN NOT open my tailgate (regardless of whether or not the rack is fold up and in the bike carry position). If that’s a concern for you, then spring for the more costly titling version. My back-up camera still functions.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Seemingly well-constructed and supported bike rack. It fits my 2018 Toyota Camry SE just fine and I haven't had any issues with sway or even feeling my bike while driving. I've only carried one bike on it and have used it a limited number of times, so I cannot speak on durability and longevity. Although you shouldn't open your trunk while the rack is attached, I have been able to do so with no issue (without the bike attached).

While getting a bike rack for a sports car isn't ideal, I really wanted to transfer my bike with my own car instead of borrowing my friend's pickup truck. After hours of trying to find a bike rack that would be good for my 07 Mustang, I decided to give this one a try and I gotta say, it has been pretty good so far. It fits very well over the factory spoiler. One of my biggest concerns I was worried about when ordering a rack for my Mustang was ruining the paint, but the feet on the legs haven't left one scratch. I have used this to transfer my bike at freeway speeds (up to 80 mph) on car rides that typically last an hour and my bike was perfectly secure throughout each ride. For extra security, I wrapped both bike wheels with a ratchet strap so the wheels and pedals wouldn't shift in transit. So far, I am very pleased with this bike rack for the price and quality. I would highly recommend this if you want a rack that is affordable and durable.

Click to Enlarge

I think this is a simple and efficient rack, but it is not for everyone. Because it is a frame clamp design, you should not mount Carbon Fiber frames or thin walled aluminum frames for risk of frame damage. Thich aluminum and steel frames should not have a problem. My heavy fat bike fits just fine if it's the only bike on the rack. 2 regular mountain bikes will fit in opposite directions. This rack will never realistically hold 3 mountain bikes. (maybe 3 road bikes) I removed one of the clamps, easy to do, makes a cleaner setup. Bikes with small triangles (smaller frames and certain full suspension) will be difficult to mount due to the locking/clamping mechanism size trying to fit through the frame and made worse with bottle holders. I changed out the bolts at the hitch side to make it a rigid rack. There is no need for me to pivot this rack and now has one less thing to go wrong. The threaded locking bolt makes this hitch rock solid with no clunking noises while transporting. The BIG advantage of this rack is storage. It fits behind my seat and is invisible to the passing eye and can be installed or removed in a few seconds.

After a year of owning this bike rack, I must report that I have no problems with it to date. All works as advertised. I have a Hyundai Ioniq and it was difficult to mount any rack, and I had to go with the 1 1/4"hitch. It's been great so far, steady and not shaking on the highway. Mostly use 2 bikes, although a couple times I have used 3.

The BEST bike carrier by far!! We are both in our 7th decade and even I alone (5’2” 120 lbs) can manage to attach this in my hitch without any issues. It’s so easy to load both our hybrid and e-bike and they are super secure. We love that it folds up small and wheels away when not in use. This bike carrier is worth every penny!!

This rack is perfect! eTrailer had it shipped and at my home in almost no time. I drove with it on the car today, and it was solid and secure. It's super easy to get on and off the hitch. I'm 5'1 and I was able to load the bike on with the ramp without a struggle. Thanks for the thorough video and comparison information. It made this purchase easy.

Click to Enlarge

This is an excellent well made product. Coupled with the Curt hitch it is sturdy and well designed. Almost impossible to loose a bike or the hitch unless you did something wrong. Very happy with the quick shipping and the bike rack.

Draw-tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver Class I - 1-1/4 Swagman Trailhead 3 Bike Rack - Tilting The Draw-tite Sportframe class 1 trailer hitch and Swagman Trailhead 3 bike rack were ordered for a 2017 Honda Fit. The online order and shipping went just as expected. The trailer hitch and bike rack are very heavy duty. I recommend watching the trailer hitch install video before installing, whereas the video is very helpful. The bike rack has triangles that you can rotate to find the best fit for your bicycle's frame. The rubber straps are thick and secure the bicycles when you pull them tight. This bike rack will stay on the vehicle for 6 months each year. The tilt feature and folding arm feature are must haves for a smaller hatchback. I am pleased with this purchase, it appears to be good quality and good value.

Click to Enlarge

Works real easy and fast. Company is super nice and reliable.

I like the overall design of this rack, but unfortunately after hauling a couple bikes around for a while the point where the crossbar connects has apparently rounded off so the rack swings back and forth. I've used rope to tie the ends of the rack to the car to stop this from getting worse, but it's inconvenient. Note: the hitch connection itself is good and solid, but the point where the crossbar connects to the bar coming from the hitch has gotten loose and there's no way that I can see to tighten it.