Hitch & Related Towing Items for 2016 Subaru Forester

Question:

We have a 1999 outback whose engine just died. The car has a trailer hitch and Im wondering if we removed the trailer hitch from the 99 subie would it fit onto a 2016 forester? We have a 16 ft. pontoon boat that wed like to tow short distances to a nearby lake and hope that the old hitch might work with the new car. If not, what hitch would you recommend? Thanks for your help!

asked by: John M

Expert Reply:

We do have options for you in both 1-1/4-inch Class II and 2-inch Class III hitches for the 2016 Forester that you can see on the linked page. Since your plan is towing I recommend the higher-capacity Class III hitch # 75876 from Draw-Tite. This no-drill installation is illustrated in the linked video, and a helpful article on hitch installation is included too, along with articles on towing.

Towing also requires a ball mount, hitch ball and wiring harness. I suggest our ball mount kit # 989900 and wiring harness # 118467 which is an easy plug-in installation as shown in the linked video.

Sometimes a hitch from an old vehicle will fit on a new one. When you are lucky enough to have this happen to you a new hardware kit is required, part # RHK, since the original hitch hardware cannot be re-used. Hitch hardware can be torqued down only once and then it must be replaced.

Unfortunately the hitch on your well-used '99 will not fit on the 2016 Forester.