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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.
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This is a strange review to write. The hitch, itself, is top notch. A five star unit. That said, the package arrived with the hitch broken through the packing in 3 places. Because of that, it was missing some hardware, a problem I didn't see until my vehicle was on stands with the exhaust dangling. Very frustrating and cost two stars. Packaging needs to be improved.
The package arrived intact, but some reviews mentioned that the packaging was somewhat fragile, and it's indeed possible that it could be damaged during shipping. I strongly recommend that the supplier add some protective materials. The installation process was simple and smooth. I highly recommend watching the installation instruction video, which will help you quickly resolve any minor issues you encounter. The suggestion in the instructions to use tape to attach the gaskets to the inside of the main body is a great idea. Aside from the difficulty I encountered lifting the trailer to align the screw holes, the rest of the process went smoothly. Overall, it's great, and I'm looking forward to installing and using it once my bike rack arrives!
Kate F.
2/2/2026
Thanks for the great feedback Harry! We appreciate you sharing both the packaging suggestion and the installation tips, that’s very helpful for other customers and we are always looking for ways to improve. We’re glad to hear the install went smoothly overall, and we hope everything works great once your bike rack arrives. Just out of curiosity, which rack did you end up going with?
Purchased for my daughter / son-in-law's 2014 Maxda CX5 as they like to camp, have dogs and are always cramped for space. It's great for use with a hitch mounted cargo carrier or hitch mounted bike rack. Product arrived undamaged (though corner of hitch assembly was protruding from the box...a stronger box or a hard liner for the box would be better). It took my son-in-law and I about 2 hours to install; we took our time. Watching the install video is important and I recommend thoroughly reading instructions and ensuring a good understanding of the process (ex: understanding "teeth on the washers" is an easily missed detail that can be understood too late). I needed my SIL's set of hands to help hold the hitch assembly as it came time to bolt it to the frame. All else can be a one-person job. We jacked the car up about 15-inches and that helped with installation...but you could install without jacking the car. Overall, very pleased with the product, the accurate instructions and the relative ease of installation. It sounds a little more difficult than it is!
Heather A.
1/9/2025
Rick, I love your photo. What a sweet thing to do for your daughter and son-in-law. What kind of dogs do they have? I have a small shi-poo (shih tzu poodle mix) so I don't have to worry about space as much when traveling. They are definitely going to need a cargo carrier for all their camping gear. I am happy to make a recommendation if you want.
Overall a great hitch, it was packaged well and arrived undamaged. Install was not bad, the biggest issue I had were the (4) washers that go between the hitch and the frame, I taped them on per the video instructions but the hitch was a very tight fit to the frame and it kept pushing them out of position and we had a heck of a time trying to pull the bolts on the fish wire thru them and the mounting hole, we eventually got them. Install took about 1.5 hours from start to finish
After reading some of the reviews on this etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver and how sometimes the packaging was damaged in transit, I was pleasantly suprised by how securely it was boxed. The etrailer receiver was completely undamaged and in perfect shape with all hardware and instructions included.
Installation was a bit more difficult than I had hoped but I'm sure if I had an assistant, it would have been easier and quicker. The powdercoating is top notch and looks like it will last for many years to come. After installing the only part that's visible is the 2 inch by 2 inch receiver. Everything else is completely hidden.
I installed this on a 2024 Mazda CX5 and it worked perfectly. It was pretty easy to install if you follow the Youtube video instructions. Using the strap to hold up the exhaust pipes was a really great trick. BTW, the small trim piece on the bumper you remove can't be re-installed (I tried it :-)). The receiver take up the room (and also the function).
Was wary at first about installing a hitch as I don’t like the look of them but this one being hidden behind my bumper ended up looking perfect and it performed the way I needed with my bike rack. Great product would recommend.
Excellent! Easy installation thanks to the video tutorial and instructions. Already utilized the hitch by taking out my bikes! Exactly what I was wanting. Thank you, etrailer!
Appears to be very well made with nice looking welds. Very easy to install. I installed it by myself supporting the hitch on my jack. I did not know how heavy the exhaust wood be, not heavy at all. I see no reason to remove the muffler.I used large channel locks and pry bar to separate the rubber muffler mounts. It took a lot of effort to reattach the rubber mounts even with lube.
Gwendolyn Y.
4/7/2025
Looks great, Jim! What are you going to be hauling with your CX-5?
Installation was not as easy as should have been. Started three of the bolts just fine but seemed like the hitch may have been slightly warped had to put a jack under the side plate and force it up to be able to get the fourth bolt in place.
Mike L.
10/15/2025
When a trailer hitch is constructed, softer steel is used in the side plates as opposed to the harder steel used in the crossbar and receiver tube. This allows the hitch to flex along with the vehicle to a certain degree. This flexibility can also allow the hitch to get slightly bent out of position during shipping and handling. However, in most cases this is pretty easy to fix if you know a few tricks as shown in the linked article.
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Once again etrailer.com delivers. My goto place to trailer stuff for years now. Was in an accident which totaled my Jeep last month. New (used) car didn't come with a hitch. Only ordered the hitch for now. Not sure if I'll end up wiring it but if I do I'll be back here for the wiring kit. For now just intend to use it for bike rack and cargo basket. Love the install videos specifically on each vehicles install. My car must have less options because I didn't have some wires that were shown to be in the way. I considered it time saving. Struggled a little getting the bolts fished in but made it happen. Loved the tip about taping the flat washer spacers to the hitch prior to installing. Had the kids come out and assist with getting the hitch in place. I assume this is much easier with a lift but I'm working in a driveway on ramps. Fairly quick install. Looks great tucked up under there. Shipped quick and came mostly unscathed. A 33lb steel hitch with a plethora of odd angles and sharp corners is bound to wreck havoc during shipping. Thanks for the quick shipping and always great service.
Kenneth
6/23/2025
Hitch has been fine. Little more matte black than it was in the beginning. Towed our little 4x6 utility trailer, our canoekayak trailer, held a cargo basket with 2 x folded dog crates for a trip, used it multiple times for a 3 x bike rack. No problems with it. Did end up adding the wiring harness for the trailers.
Great fit for my vehicle. Removing the rear bumper cover probably wasn’t necessary, but I had to replace mine anyway, which made an already easy installation easier. Definitely make sure to put the rubber hangers back onto the vehicle hooks before mounting. If I hadn’t had the clearance to reach in from the top (because my bumper cover was off), I’d have had to lower the back of the mount again to re-fit them. Solid product.
Victoria H.
4/14/2025
Thanks for including photos with your insight Robert! This is helpful feedback for future shoppers with a 2014 CX-5.
Can be installed solo and takes about three hours. Conceptually it is easy to install with only a few tools and the videos of the Mazda install are accurate, but would be much easier to lift and guide into place with two people. If you attempt it solo be sure to not do it around some nice church going ladies as they would not find the words said while installing to be appropriate.
The product arrived ahead of time.
It came packaged properly and with all the materials included.
The dealer wanted to charge $[XX] dollar for the hitch + $[XX] to install it.
It was installed within an hour and I saved $[XX]
Armando
1/9/2025
It has been better than expected!!! It was worth what I paid for it and $800 less than what the dealer wanted to charge for it!!
Haven't installed it yet as I'll get the car in a couple weeks, but the package was intact and there doesn't appear to be any damage, even to the box. The hardware was taped to the side of the hitch and seems to all be there as well. Will update the review after I install it.
Mike L.
9/30/2025
Please let us know how the install goes for you!
It would have helped if I read the instructions before installing or paid more attention to the video, it would have made it much easier to install. But it was still pretty simple and works great.
This is a challenging install for one person. The video on the website is very helpful. Fishing the rear bolts through blindly is a frustrating process, when you’re also trying to support and guess alignment of the hitch holes with the frame. it would be much easier if you had a lift. But when the bolts finally align the hitch fits perfectly. It was about a two hour job for me.
The hitch fits and performs very well. I would buy again. I will say that it takes a lot more time to install than they suggest. Maybe 2 strong men with a lift can install it quickly but 2 70+ year old folks with a floor jack on the driveway took a lot longer. be ready for some heavy lifting.
When installing the hitch on my 2021 Mazda CX-5, I found it easiest to remove the rear muffler assembly. Even when the muffler was lowered per the installation instructions it was impossible to fit it into place.
Removing the lightweight muffler assembly is easy (remove two 14mm-9/16" nuts and the four rubber hanging mounts). This gives you lots of space for hitch installation and tightening the four mounting bolts (the front two thread into nuts already mounted inside the frame rail).
I just installed this hitch so it's too soon to describe my experience with it. However it appears well built, has a good finish, included all necessary hardware, and etrailer.com provided fast delivery.
William
9/3/2023
It works so well I don’t even have to think about it. The finish seems to be holding up well, too.
Took me and my wife about an hour to install it.But that was just flat in the garage. Solidly built.
Nick S.
12/8/2025
That is great to hear! I am glad you both were able to get it installed even if it wasn't in the easiest of locations. What are you planning on using the hitch for?
I put this frame mounted receiver hitch on a 2024 Mazda CX-5. Just watched their video on installation and It was as easy as that. I have been using it with a 2,000 lb. rated trailer for a year now with no problems at all.
The hitch was as shown. The install was beyond my or the average guy’s ability, specifically dropping the exhaust system.
I had this installed by a third party. Took them 20 minutes! Overall, I am pleased with the etrailer service and hitch. It fits perfectly under my 2022 Mazda CX-5. I only intend to lug around a bike rack so it should be more than enough for that purpose.
Dom
8/4/2023
I have been using this hitch for over a year and it continues to work flawlessly. The hitch is installed on a Mazda CX-5 and is primarily used for my bike rack. I have not attempted to pull a trailer or any heavy loads. It certainly meets my expectations and was the perfect solution for my situation…plus it was cheaper and more available than the Mazda version.
For all of you driveway mechanics, remove the muffler, it will make the install much easier. Also make sure you remove the clips on the rear bumper, you will have to pry it out of the way to slide the hitch up and inside. The fit is excellent, love the flush look of this hitch. It took me a few hours to get it done, if I did it again knowing what I know now it would take about an hour.
Keith
1/29/2024
Works great! Use it all the time. Short day trips and long road trips. Highly recommended.
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Richard
10/29/2025
Its a top notch product. Wonder if the packaging has improved.