Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

I chose to remove the bumper to install this hitch. By doing this, it avoids the need to do any drilling, grinding, or other modifications to the holes in the frame. Removing the bumper wasn't too hard. The Subaru Technical Information System has the PDF directions for installing the OEM hitch, which includes great directions on removing and replacing the bumper. The hardware can be installed through the end of the frame easily using the included fishwire.

The installation of the hitch itself was also straightforward. Dropping the exhaust was easy. I applied a penetrating lubricant to the exhaust hangars several days beforehand and let it soak in, and removing the hangars wasn't too hard at all. I'd recommend getting a friend to lift the ~35 pound hitch in place while you install the washers and nuts to hold it in place.

I also purchased the 118467 wiring harness. Installation was literally as simple as removing the cargo tray and plugging it into the vehicle harness. Foolproof!

The hitch looks great installed, and I while I haven't had a chance to tow any distance yet, I have no doubts that this will serve me well for years to come.318067

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Dan J.

11/27/2017

The hitch is still there! In all seriousness, it has worked great. Traveled probably over 5,000 miles with a trailer, and many thousands more without, and the hitch is still in fantastic shape, save a tiny patch of surface corrosion.

Bought this in January and it was just too cold to install until today.... Started at 1530 hrs and was finished with all tools put away by 1800! I was a little nervous on the possibility of having the Subaru down for a few days if I got stuck however the install went like a breeze. I did all the work alone by using a car jack and a few timbers to jockey it into place, not a problem. Thought I'd have a hassle with the rubber parts but they slid on and off without a hitch (pun intended). Great kit, just take it slow and easy and this is a piece 'o cake.775345

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Steve

4/7/2021

Still MORE than pleased with this hitch....In fact, its taken quite a bit of punishment and I do believe this hitch will take anything the Forester will take.

by: Kyle 01/09/2024

Fit perfectly and works great. Used for bike rack only, but could certainly hold a trailer if needed1708760

by: Dannon10/11/2023

This trailer hitch is sturdy, and seems to be good quality. I was able to install it myself in a little over an hour, with a bit of drilling into the frame of my Subaru Forester. I've only had it a year, but there haven't been any issues so far.1679774

Drawtite class III #75650 hitch would not fit my 09 Subaru Forester, it was to wide to fit between the mufflers, i have two rear mufflers they both were up tight against the hitch causing the mufflers to vibrate against the hitch and frame making the inside of the vehicle load. You can not have your exhaust system touching the body of the vehicle. I helped out Drawtite to correct the problem for future fits and etrailer offered to ship me a different hitch that would fit my vehicle. My Forester is a special edition Prezi with two rear exhaust muffllers and we all think that may be the reason that particular hitch did not fit. Item # 76271 Drawtite Is the right hitch that fits.722150

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by: Donald 10/10/2022

Just what we needed! Good construction. Pretty easy installation too.1445598

Donald W.

10/11/2023

One year in and no complaints on this hitch.

Arrived very quickly. Ample instruction for installation. Having enough positionable bright light focused on the work is critical as it is dark (and cold) down there. I did this outside in the driveway in winter. Blew everything off with the compressor. I soaked the exhaust hangers with silicone spray and then again as I removed them. I used a ratchet strap hooked to the outermost body exhaust hangers to lower and support the twin exhaust. I drilled one 3/8 hole to the rear of the forward mount holes instead of the recommended two, one font and one back. Fish the thread end of the fish wires rather than the straight end as it is easier to see and pull through. I used a pair of jack stands to support the receiver till it was aligned then raised it with 3/4" wood blocks till the bolts were through and nuts threaded. The finished product looks great. It is definitely stronger than the car frame it's mounted to! The phot is from the next morning!1265256

William

2/23/2023

Still solid after a year and over 10,000 miles - pulling trailers, carrying bikes and boat loader.

I ordered a trailer hitch, class 3 Draw Tite, and wiring kit, Curt, for my 2013 Suburu Forester to tow a camper. The product matched the written description perfectly. The installation video for both was very helpful and accurate and as a result I was able to do the entire install by myself in about 2 hours. I had a shipping problem, which was my fault, and when I contacted customer services they were great and fixed the issue right away. When installed the hitch is almost invisable so it does not affect te cosmetics of the car
Etrailer is awesome and I cannot say enough good things about them.292120

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by: Kent04/29/2018

Pontiac Trans Sport Van

We bought this trailer hitch specifically so that we can transport our bikes for various rides we like to take. The hitch was fairly easy to install (one afternoon with a buddy who has some good tools!) and is as sturdy as a factory installed hitch. I highly recommend this hitch for anyone who needs something simple and at 25% the cost of going to your dealer to get a hitch installed. 502032

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As for items ordered; hitch, wiring, locking pin, lighted hitch step and dual ball for hitch, all were as expected, arrived on or before expected and undamaged.
Kudos to etrailer for having Meghan L keeping me posted with updates on these orders.
The instructions and video were thorough for easy installation, although I chose to have a professional with a lift do it, as I don't get in and out from under a car as well as I once did.
I highly recommend etrailer.com for product selection and customer service.
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by: Dakota 05/26/2023

2018 Subaru Forester

Have had this trailer hitch receiver installed on our 2010 Subaru Forester for about 18 months now and have had no issues with it. Install was straight forward, although requires some dexterity on the installers part. After that its fit and finish is premium and most any hitch installs easily. No signs of rust anywhere, only road grime!1587763

Fit perfect on my 2013 Subaru Forester. The instructions and online video were great. I also ordered the wiring harness and it was an easy install.

I was installing mine in the garage without a lift and came up with an easy way to lower and hold the exhaust. I placed a couple of jack stands under the exhaust. Once I popped off the rubber mounts I lowered them onto the stands. The exhaust is only 5 or 10 pounds and easily held by one person while adjusting the jack stands up and down. I also applied silicon grease to the exhaust rubber mounts when installing them and they just slipped on. It made it so easy I did the entire install by myself.198050

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The hitch is a great quality and the instructions very helpful. I reviewed the on-line video a number of times as I was working through the installation.

I used ramps to get the backend of the car up a bit and a floor jack and piece of timber clamped to the hitch frame to lift it into place making the installation a one man effort.

I did notice an error in the video; both the 1/2" and 7/16" bolts are identified as being the forward bolt. The written instructions indicate that it is 1/2" bolt.

Installing the wiring harness could not have been easier. No splicing!

We are looking forward to putting the hitch to use. 404089

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It took me a little time to get to this installation as how I have been busy ! As to how I am 70 years young and this would be a great task ! I still have a boat and needed away to move it around. My truck I sold and this was my choice. The hitch will do the trick and looks great ! Being in the automobile business I feel this hitch will last a long time as to how well build it is !200414

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Love my new hitch, fit perfect, nice and strong and looks great! Watched the video on installing first; said 40 minutes to install. Well, as others said; the longest process is getting those muffler hanger bushings loose and back on when finished; my total install was about 2 hrs. taking my time. I ended up using a coarse round file for making relief for the backer plate install into the frame, worked well for me and no excess extra opening. Those fish wires worked great, that was the quickest process getting the bolts and backer plates into place. Since I did this myself, once the bolts were in place, I used a rolling floor jack with a 2x6 long enough to support the width of the balanced hitch and raised it into place making sure the bolts didn't get pushed back up into the frame. Very pleased, now it's time to by my 1st fishing boat!430329

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Excellent service - only reason for 4 stars is that the hitch arrived poking out of one side of the box and there was chipped paint on that area. Otherwise fantastic.1775269

Product showed up on time and with no damage, installation was easy. I used video to get me started and it helped, the only thing I did differently is I drilled the rear holes from the trunk and installed bolts fro there, it was easier to do from above. Also the only thing I would recommend for Us dummies out here, LOL is color code or separate the two size bolts so those of us that don't read all the instructions can easily identify which bolt goes where.

Thanks for a great product and excellent service.80358

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Delivery was fast. The instructions and associated product installation video were very good. The one I got for my Suburu this time was pretty heavy so I used a 2 x 4 across under it and a jack to ease it up into position and that worked well. Thanks etrailer!1034145

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Install, fitment, and quality are great. E-Trailer customer support is awesome as usual. 201908

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Ronnie B.

6/18/2016

The hitch has been a great addition to our Forester. Very impressed with the quality. We routinely pull a 5x10 utility trailer and it works great. I did eventually install an anti-rattle bolt to cut down on noise from the hitch ball mount.Thanks for following up!

by: Adam08/02/2019

So far, I've used this hitch frequently to pull a 3500 lb boat with a Subaru and it has worked flawlessly. No tearing of the uni-body at anchor holes so far :)680005

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Install’s very easy, if you take the mufflers off, and read parts list. I realized there was two different sized bolts halfway through the pulling of them lol. But once I realized everything went together like Legos. Also, it is possible to do it by yourself, just a little bit of jerry rigging is required.1307507

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Fits well. Relatively easy to install. Hardest part is disconnecting the mufflers from their rubber mountings. Instructions are vague about any sequence to disconnect. Should start with the center rubber mount that is about half way up the exhaust pipe, then the others near the mufflers. Lubrication of the rubber mounts will assist disconnection. Additionally, instructions look like you need to drill from under the car but it’s much easier to drill/Dremel from on top inside near the spare tire well.1535762

Mine was an install of a Draw-Tite 75650 hitch on my 2010 Subaru Forester. The hitch was shipped rapidly, only 3 days. It did arrive in a pretty destroyed box, but because the hitch is so robustly made the only damage was some scrapped paint. The included instructions would have been inadequate for someone not mechanically inclined, but I am. I found that it was easier to remove the foam pads in the cargo compartment to fish through the hitch mounting bolts, as the frame rails are exposed there and already have holes directly above where the hitch bolts are to go, requiring only a very slight modification to one on each side. This made fishing the bolts a snap. The hitch fit perfectly, and other than needing a helping hand to help hold it up while I started the bolts, it was as you'd expect. DO make sure to lubricate the exhaust hangers to make them easier to pry off and reinstall later. All in all the installation was not difficult... even though the install time estimates were more than optimistically low. I built my own lighting converter box, which works well and has a higher amp handling capability than the over the counter units. etrailer handled my order very well, I would use them again, easily. Good pricing, fast ship, what's not to like?423189

Scott P.

8/22/2018

The whole hitch install has done well, without any issues at all. The powder coating has held up well, and I couldnt be happier. As I said before, the supplied instructions were pretty skimpy, but if you are mechanically inclined and take your time it isnt rocket science. Highly recommended!

I was confused by the differences between two option; called etrailer for help. Not only were they helpful in identifying the differences and helping me choose the best option for me, but the placed the order over the phone right away so it would ship sooner.

The hitch arrived in about 4 days. My mechanic installed it yesterday, I put the new bike rack on it last night, and we are looking forward to a great family ride tomorrow.

Subaru wanted $360 just for their trailer hitch, so I saved almost $250 just on the parts.

(Note - This doesn't include electrical if you need to pull a trailer)

The only negative is that the package doesn't include a rubber hitch cap for when the hitch is not in use; given that a hitch cap is under $10 at any auto store, that's really not a big issue.

I'm delighted with the etrailer and with the hitch, and that's coming from someone who has never order car parts online before!!400548

Robert A.

6/30/2018

One year later: hitch still working perfectly. I use this with a Thule 4-bike carrier and have and no trouble. Very pleased with etrailer hitch and would but another when I need to add a hitch to a different car.

Everything about my experience buying this hitch from etrailer.com has been excellent.
I wanted a heavy duty hitch and etrailer had 3 available for my 09 Forester. It was a toss up between the Draw-Tite and the Hidden Hitch. I eliminated the Curt even though it had higher weight ratings because it requires a support strap.
etrailer's website made it very easy to find my options.
etrailer's installation video was terrific. There were no surprises installing and I was able to do it myself. It fit perfectly.
Shipping was free and the hitch arrived in just a couple days - a day sooner than expected.
I'm very happy with the price.
It looks great. It feels solid. Now to actually use it.

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Jeff W.

2/27/2015

A year later, Im still very happy with the hitch. Still 5 stars.