Why Aren't Hitches Available for 2019 Kia Sorento Rated for Weight Distribution

Updated 07/11/2020 | Published 07/09/2020

Question:

Hello. Im thinking to buy a hitch for my KIA Sorento 2019, eTrailer p/n:e98843, but in the hitch description I found a note: Not rated for use with weight distribution systems. Can you please explain the reason why this hitch can not be used with the WDS? Is this the issue in the hitch construction itself or some requirements of KIA? Thank you! Dzyanis.

asked by: Dzyanis S

Helpful Expert Reply:

I've looked through the towing section of the owner's manual for your 2019 Kia Sorento, and didn't see any prohibitions against using weight distribution.

Typically when the hitches offered for the vehicle aren't rated for use with a weight distribution hitch, it's because the engineers that design the hitches have concluded that the underbody structure of the vehicle that the hitch attaches to cannot withstand the considerable additional force that the leverage from a system would apply without causing damage.

It's usually not a matter of the hitch lacking the necessary strength and rigidity, but that of the vehicle underbody structure itself.

expert reply by: Mike L