Draw-Tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4"

I bought this hitch to go with the Thule Apex XT (9024XT) bike rack that I got.

There were two hitches compatible with my 2015 Mazda3 hatchback. The reviews on the other one complained about figment issues because the mounting holes didn’t line up with the car frame, so I chose this one. I’m happy I did.

Installation was simple, but I did have my buddy help. We jacked up the car and put it on stands. I bought a tool off Amazon that made removing the rubber muffler hangers WAY easier. You can use other tools (clamps, pliers, etc) to do the job too.

Once we lowered the muffler out of the way, we held it in place with zip ties. Positioning the hitch frame into place was easy. Make sure to scrape the weather coating off the car frame to expose the weld nut and follow the provided instructions/video for installing the carriage bolts. The frame lined up nicely with the carriage bolts and the weld nuts. Before tightening all the bolts, we had to attack the two muffler hangers that were closest to the hitch. Space is tight, so it was a little tricky.

We torqued the bolts to the values indicated in the instructions and connected the last of the muffler hangers. All said and done, it took us 45 minutes.

The bike rack fits perfectly and I’m VERY happy with my purchase of this hitch. The design is minimalistic yet robust. I don’t doubt that it’ll last the entire remaining life span of my car. I definitely recommend this hitch!1767888

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by: Bethany11/05/2022

This is the only hitch receiver I could find for my Mazda 3 hatchback. I had it professionally installed, as any hitch receiver is not an easy DIY installation on a Mazda 3 hatchback.

I would give it 5 stars for discreetness and towing capability, but for one massive issue: the plate above the hitch pin hole, in combination with the chain loop below, makes it almost impossible to get a the clip on a typical, bent hitch pin properly locked. While I was moving cross-country, not only did my hitch pin clip come out of the pin, the entire hitch pin came out of the ball mount without me realizing it. Thankfully, the friction between the ball mount and the hitch receiver kept the trailer attached to my car the entire trip while I was none the wiser.

I would strongly encourage anyone looking at this receiver to get a hitch pin that isn't bent. This will be a fantastic receiver for you.

I equally encourage Draw-Tite to modify the receiver to resolve this safety issue.1463739

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Jenny N.

11/9/2022

I wanted to let you know that we do carry a few hitch pins that are straight, versus bent on one end. They are part # 325-GH-096 and part # GY39FR on our site.

Finally got around to installing our hitch. Instructions were clear and simple to follow if your mechanically incline. I am. Can see others maybe strugling. Could have used a third hand during install. Wait, I did. My 12 year old daughter gave a hand and learned something at the same time. Overall, this is a well made product. Thank you1487792

Michael

12/22/2023

Great

This hitch is just what I wanted for my 2014 Mazda 3 hatchback. Finding the right hitch was easy on eTrailer, and from placing my order it was about a week until the hitch arrived. The assembly kit and instructions were well organized, clear, and easy to understand. The included guide wires for getting one of the pairs of bolts positioned correctly in the frame are essential; I really don't know how those bolts could be put in place without them. I will say that I found it necessary to drop the exhaust in order to slide the hitch in next to the frame rails. A little soapy water and a crow bar make that easy enough, just be sure to support the exhaust system with a strap before popping off the rubber isolators. I'm using the hitch to mount a 1up bike rack with a 1.25" mount, and it works perfectly.1043387

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Brent

5/25/2022

My hitch is still working great a year later. I've checked the tightness of the bolts a couple times, with no evidence of them loosening up over time. This has been a great product for carrying my bike around on an easy-to-access hitch rack.

Overall a good purchase and experience from ETRAILER. The hitch arrived somewhat loosely packed and there was some minor scratches and chips. Not a deal breaker, but I think etrailer buys a pallet of these hitches and repacked them, so the fault is not on the manufacturer. It took some time to figure out which holes to fit the bolts to and getting the hitch into position is TIGHT! I ended up removing the muffler which gave me a lot more space. The real issue was the hitch was slightly bent and would not fit between the frame rails. A quick call to etrailer and they advised how to proceed, shout out to Molly S. for the help. The hitch fit great with zero interference and a quick coat of black spray covered up the minor damage. Very happy with the fit and customer experience!557763

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Victor K.

8/24/2019

Zero issues a year later!

by: Charles 07/29/2022

Mazda

I bought it for my Mazda and it works out great! Perfect fit! I watched the linked video and was able to install it myself even though it would be much easier with 2 people. Couldn’t have asked for a better hitch.1341813

Charles

8/1/2023

Still going strong and haven’t had an issue. I only use it for a bike rack on my Mazda 3 but I do leave the rack on it 90 of the time with no issues.

by: Reggie09/12/2022

Reasonable prices, fast shipping, well packaged, clear instructions and very clear product description. Works good, lasts long time. I wont buy towing equipment from anywhere else and i encourage all my friends/customers who need hitches to start at etrailer1403648

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by: Jeffrey06/06/2022

We use it to mount a bike rack large enough for 2 bikes and use it most every weekend. Works every time. No issues.

Will be buying another hitch for a new vehicle purchase soon.1309322

Jeffrey

6/15/2023

Still working great.

by: Phil R01/13/2020

Perfect fit, easy installation. Between the included instructions and online video, it was a quick process. I bought it to use with a bike rack and it’s been great. 737925

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Phil R.

1/14/2021

One year in, still very happy with my hitch. Zero movement, still looks new. Hold my bike rack very securely. After seeing mine, a friend got one for his car too.

by: Caitlyn D.03/19/2020

2019 Ram 2500

I ordered this product because I was moving cross country and wanted to trail a 4x8 cargo trailer behind my Mazda3 hatchback. I purchased this trailer hitch receiver with the Hopkins Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector and the whole package took my boyfriend and I a couple hours to assemble. The move cross country took us from Colorado, east and up into Canada, and back south into New England - over 2500 miles. This was in March 2019. We had no issues and I still have the trailer hitch and wiring in my car. I use it occasionally for our trailer hitch bike rack, and will be ready to tow again if needed in the future!767436

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Overall very pleased. Few small chips. Like the packaging, needed one more cardboard wrap anchor. Unpacking was simple. Put my Mazda 3 hatchback on my rhino ramps. Used the box as my floor mat. Removing the muffler anchors was easy. Soapy water is your best friend. Had to watch the 2017 video. Found out the carriage bolt nuts had been sprayed over with sound deadner/rust inhibitor. So finding them was the first semi challenge. I highly suggest you try the bolts in the nuts on the frame (not the carriage bolts). This will allow you to semi clean out the threads and just be sure. Rest of installation was easy, except putting the muffler anchors back on. Highly suggest doing the lower/closest to bumper first then the uppers. You will need an extension and a deep socket to make life easier for tightening the carriage bolt nuts. I also recommend lock Tite since it’s just an added 3 second of time and added security. The chips I just painted over to prevent rust. Did this all solo and depending on your set up 30 minutes to 1 hour to install. The extra time is for reinstalling the anchor mufflers. From the time I ordered till arrival was 3-5 days. Overall price just a couple dollar more than Amazon. I previously purchased a trailer receiver for my older car and found etrailer very fast and great in customer service. Highly recommend them.1663662

by: Mason08/15/2023

I used the trailer hitch for approximately 6 months before it suddenly became lose and wobbly. I reached out to etrailer and they helped me locate the part, a missing screw and washer, which I was able to get at Home Depot. Otherwise, no problems and a solid piece.1647150

by: Jessica01/17/2018

Super fast an easy to install. My husband was injured when we received our hitch so I decided to install it so we could hook up our bike rack. He helps find the holes that were coated over the frame, but other than that I handled every part of the install. The hitch is lightweight enough that one person can handle it and once you find the holes it goes quickly. The manual is very helpful for determining where the frame holes are despite not being able to easily see them. This took me less than a half hour to install and has handled excellently over the last year holding both our bike rack and hauling our utility trailer.467952

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by: Gary L10/05/2019

2017 Mazda 3

Installed on a 2017 Mazda 3 hatchback. It took about an hour and a half to install by myself. I did not drop the exhaust as I was able to just force the hitch into place by pulling the exhaust down and stretching the hangers a little. It took a while to wiggle it into place, but I think it was still easier than dropping the exhaust. Once installed, it looks and functions great. I paired the hitch with the Kuat Transfer 2 bike rack. 713884

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My second hitch purchased from etrailer for a Mazda hatchback (first '02 Protege5, now '15 Mazda3). Both good experiences.

Very easy hitch install, the inclusion of the fish wires for the frame hanger bolts is a stroke of genius. Don't be afraid of the exhaust isolators, just spray some soapy water and support muffler with a jack or strap. If you can change a flat tire then you can work a wrench well enough to do this in an hour.

'14-15 Mazda3 has a couple of things making wiring easy to integrate. There's a grommet in the left rear quarter floor that's perfectly placed. Just trim some electrical tape to allow an opening, clip the new connector near the lighting adapter & reconnect inside after fishing from outside. I ran power neatly along driver's side rocker & out through the firewall. It's both easier and less vulnerable, just fish one more wire through the mass that exits above the driver's left foot. (Just DO NOT use anything sharp, you don't want to nick any wires and short something out). Finally the battery on my car already had several open connections to use right at the positive terminal, each protected by a fusible link no less! (See photo.) All I needed to add was an M6 stainless nut to connect the new wire.

Only a couple of minor downsides:

Aesthetically this is one of the uglier installs, mostly because the 3's huge muffler is right against the rear valence, leaving no room to tuck anything out of sight. My Protege5's hitch was entirely hidden except for the receiver. Here, unless you're willing to butcher your bumper cover (assuming there's a hitch made to fit that way) you're stuck with what you see in my picture. I saw the round-tube alternative on another similar car and it looked a little better, but that one requires support straps for a rack with any carrying capacity.

Design-wise I ran into one surprisingly annoying thing the first time I went to insert my drawbar. The hole in the receiver for the hitch pin is set really close to the hitch frame, and there's a gusset plate on top, which leaves basically no room for the clip that secures the pin. My existing clip didn't fit at all until I ground the ends a little. The clip that came with the new hitch sort of fit, but only jammed up against the hitch so hard that it scratched right through the protective powder coat. Weird in a product from such an experienced manufacturer, but easy to rectify.224467

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I'm a novice user, never had hitch rack before. I used to carry my bikes on a roof rack, or once with strap-on trunk rack. Both methods damage the car paint. This time I decided to go with hitch mounted bike rack. I have new Mazda 3 hatchback 2017. I called my Mazda dealer service department, but they said that Mazda do not provide a hitch receiver for my model. By chance, I stumbled on etrailer site and found that such receivers exist. Site is informative and has good video reviews of their products, including impressive tests footage. That assured me in quality of their products and services. Etrailer recommended to me hitch receiver model 24914. Manufacturer description and customer reviews were very helpful to assess scope of work needed to mount the receiver and how to locate hidden mounting holes. Some users would report 30 min do it yourself installation job.
Named receiver was in stock and I got it in four days Ground from Mid-west to NJ. I was greatly impressed with packing job by etrailer, part was safely secured inside the shipping box resulted in no scratches on the part paint, good job shipping department!
It was raining here, so assembly from the wet ground was not an option. First, I went to the local professional hitch company. They gave me quote of $74 and hour wait time, but scheduled for the next day. I stopped to get gas and noticed a free bay at gas station mechanic. I asked him to help me to mount my receiver, he was very friendly and my car went up on a lift. I immediately found hidden behind coating horizontal mounting holes, then we eased in the receiver to see an interference with exhaust box and pipes. It went in easy, no exhaust dismount was needed! :) The receiver kit had special steel wire guide wires, I threaded them to the vertical carriage bolts and mechanic in no time pulled bolts and plates into the mounting holes. All four bolts were tightened in no time. It took us 15 min to fully mount the receiver, thanks to good, informative manufacturer instruction sheet and exhaustive customer reviews, thank you reviewers! Mechanic even refused to charge me for the job, but I slipped some candy money to him anyway.
The receiver has an ample clearance (~an inch) to the exhaust ( see pic), I hear no rattles while driving around. My car is snow white, I was afraid, that black receiver will clash, but installed, it is recessed and doesn't stick out at all (I only have pic with rack attached to receiver, sorry).
I'm very happy with etailer services, and greatly admire ingenuity of the receiver manufacturer who figured out how to design a complex part and the product quality which fits like a glove!
I attached three pictures:
Two receiver attachment points on one side
Clearance between receiver and left exhaust pipe
Receiver with 59400 etrailer bike rack mounted512646

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Easy install with the rear wheels on ramps. Only tip would be to take the exhaust off the bottom hanger hole on the furthest back right rear hanger. When the hitch is on the top part of that hanger is very difficult to reach to reinstall.1410263

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I haven't used the hitch yet but I have installed it and the first thing that needs to be stated is that I did NOT have to mess with my exhaust to install this hitch. It just rolled right into place.
Job one was to peal away the tape that covers the horizontal bolt hole and to remove a little of the coating in the rear corners where the arm will bind up if that extra coating isn't removed.
The rest of the install went smooth as can be so I don't see much point in explaining the install further.

FWIW The 1 1/4 x 2" adapter with a 4 1/2 raise PN 70355 won't fit this hitch (The stop won't allow the insert in far enough for a pin to secure the adapter.) I'll be talking to the nice folks at etrailer about how to proceed.


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Receiver fit my 2017 Mazda 3 GT perfectly. Instructions were well written, and the parts were built to the right dimension. Although the instruction says to drop the muffler, I was able to install the receiver by pushing on one edge of the bumper cover. Install time was just over one hour using hand tools and working on the garage floor (no lift).

The only con is that the receiver is not as hidden as I hoped for. It would be nice if it was more recessed with a detachable hitch tube (is that what it's called?).415432

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This hitch fit my car ('17 Mazda 3 Hatchback) perfectly. The car was apparently designed to accept a hitch which surprised me as my owners' manual says the car is not rated for towing at all. But it had bolt holes and everything ready. The videos eTrailer has helped me, especially the explanation of how to fish the carriage bolt and plate up into the frame and out the correct hole.

I don't have a trailer to pull but I bought the hitch for my hitch mounted bike rack. 575581

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This hitch fits well and and is very sturdy on a 2018 Mazda 3 HB Sport. I purchased this over the Curt model because it uses the factory mount points for 2 of the 4 bolts. It also does not require a stability strap for non-trailer loads. Install was easy with just one person and a floor jack to hold the hitch. I did end up having to drop the exhaust but it took minutes with white lithium grease and a long screw driver to remove the exhaust hangers. With 2 people it may be possible to install around the exhaust but I was not successful. I also took other reviewers' advice and pushed it as far towards the front of the car as possible before tightening the hardware. So far I have not heard any rattling. Works great to hold a bike rack and cargo carrier securely. 635972

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My etrailer experience has been very positive. Before placing my order for a hitch, I had questions about the product. I received very timely answers from the knowledgable staff. I placed my order and received the hitch 1 day sooner than estimated. The easy to follow instructions allowed the hitch to be installed in less than 45 minutes. I think it could actually be done in less than 30 minutes. 148530

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Good price, great online video at your site for installation, and very clever wire tool for threading bolts.

Was dismayed to find the paint did not adhere properly in several places. Hoping rust won’t shorten the useful life of the product.1163330

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Sierra K.

11/2/2021

Any bare metal will need to be covered with anti-corrosive paint. Here is a help article with more tips regarding the prevention of rust:

Helpful Links

faq-rust-prevention-maintenance.aspx

by: Jeff R.06/25/2020

This hitch has been absolutely perfect for my Mazda 3 hatchback. It was easy to install, has been totally solid and can hardly see it. I use it to attach a Kuat 2-bike bike rack. Highly recommend.821561

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Great purchase overall. Shipped the morning after order placed and arrived a couple days later in perfect condition. Install went smooth after watching video. Paper instructions are misleading about which frame hole to use for pull-through bolts so I had to move them. Total 2 hrs install time working alone with no lift and not hurrying. You do need to lower exhaust which took some muscle to remove from hangers. Video has good tips on how. Attached pic shows a little rust but that's fom my bike rack - the hitch finish was perfect.628762

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