Can Curt Trailer Hitch be Installed on a 2016 Subaru Forester at Home

Updated 05/18/2017 | Published 05/17/2017

Question:

I have a 2016 Subaru Forester and bought a Curt hitch to install. If I cant do it myself, do you know if there are places that will put it in for me? I live in Santa Barbara, CA.

asked by: Susan

Expert Reply:

Installation of Curt hitch # C13144 on your 2016 Subaru Forester is not all that difficult at all and I do have confidence that you can perform the installation at home. But if you decide that you want to have the hitch professionally installed then any trusted mechanic or RV dealer with a service center could perform the installation for you.

Curt estimates a professional installation will take about 30 minutes while a handy do-it-yourself would take about 1 hour. I have linked the instructions and a video showing an example installation for you.

If you plan on doing some towing I recommend etrailer ball mount kit # 989900. It comes with 2 ball mounts; one with a 3/4 inch rise or 2 inch drop and one with a 2-3/4 inch rise or 4 inch drop. It also includes a 1-7/8 inch ball, 2 inch ball, hitch pin with clip, and a storage bag.

If the ball mount kit does not have the right rise or drop to tow the trailer level, use the link I have included that explains how to measure to choose a ball mount to tow the trailer level.

For a trailer wiring harness you can use # 118467 to add a 4-Way flat connector to the rear of the vehicle. I have linked a video showing how it installs as well. With it installation is very simple that I am certain you could install it at home too.

expert reply by: Michael H