Does Adding a Trailer Hitch Receiver Lower the Value of a Vehicle

Updated 05/26/2017 | Published 05/25/2017

Question:

Is it true that adding a hitch can decrease the value of a vehicle as it affects the integrity of the frame?

asked by: Nelson

Expert Reply:

We've never heard of a hitch receiver decreasing the value of a vehicle. Many hitches, such as the Draw-Tite # 76031 that you referenced for a 2014 Infiniti QX60, do not reduce the frame's integrity since they do not require drilling. They're actually using an existing hole and filling it with a bolt.

In the event a specific hitch does require drilling that drilled hole will also then be filled by a bolt.

On the other hand, depending on who is purchasing the vehicle, adding a hitch may had value to a particular vehicle because you've added a feature that it didn't previously have.

expert reply by: Charles S