Are There Any Ground Clearance Issues When Draw-Tite # DT24959 is Installed on a 2017 Subaru Impreza

Published 11/02/2017

Question:

Im wondering what the ground clearance to the hitch once installed. I had a Jetta with a light duty hitch I installed for a bike rack and it was constantly scraping when entering/exiting driveways. That said, Id much rather have a trailer hitch rack for my bikes, than a roof rack. Any experience with ground contact issues with the hitch or attached racks?

asked by: Steve Z

Expert Reply:

Although we haven't had a chance to test fit and shoot a video of the the Draw-Tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver # DT24959 on a 2017 Subaru Impreza, I was able to go to the warehouse and get some measurements for you.

From the top of the frame brackets to the bottom of the coupler is about 9-1/2". If you check out the attached installation instructions you can use both to see about where the bottom of the coupler will sit on your Impreza.

Hearing stories about ground clearance issues with a trailer hitch and a bike rack isn't necessarily an uncommon thing. As of yet we haven't heard of any issues with ground clearance, but that really is relative to where the vehicle is being driven. You can try entering driveways at a bit of an angle to help accommodate any clearance issues you might face.

Keep in mind that this is a Class I, 1-1/4" hitch receiver so you will need to make sure that your bike rack is rated for a Class I hitch and that you carry no more than 2 bikes.

I have attached a photo that a customer sent in after installing this trailer hitch on their 2017 Impreza as well as a sample installation video on a 2017 Crosstrek for you to reference.

expert reply by: Jon G