Troubleshooting Curt Hitch Install on a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Where Bolt Holes Wont Line Up

Question:

Hi, I installed the Curt Trailer Hitch on my 2014 VW Jetta Sportwagen today. It went up pretty easy but I cannot for the life of me get the drivers side most bolt to thread. I tried it as the first bolt, second bolt, last bolt and every configuration in between. Has anyone else experience this? Is there any advice you can give me? After about 4 hours of trying I gave up.

asked by: Chris

Expert Reply:

Sometimes hitches can get slightly bent during shipping and this can be fixed by bending the hitch back into place as long as the hitch only has a slight bend to it. If yours isn't lining up I can almost guarantee that is what happened. Some people will use open steps for leverage, vices and even car jacks to apply controlled force to bend the hitch back.

You will want to look for flaking paint and physical stress marks on the hitch before and after you attempt to bend the hitch back. If you see any of those signs on the hitch you should not use the hitch on your vehicle as it has been fatigued to the point of not being safe to use.

It could also be that the weld nuts are dirty and need to be cleaned and the bolt just won't thread past the dirty threads. If so, check out the help article I attached.

expert reply by: Jameson C