I'm taking delivery of a 2006 Forester X Premium on Wednesday. I need to add a trailer hitch and decided not to pay Subaru's very high price. I may go to the local U-haul store and have one installed but I also see Draw-Tite hitches on the web for the Forester that say they are "bolt on" with "no drilling". Some types state that the exhaust system must be temporarily lowered to install the hitch. Others do not have this indication.
Does anyone have experience installing a trailer hitch on a Forester?
-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.
The OEM hitch is a very well made and convient design for the vehicle. The list price for my 2000 Forester was $295 but, some discussion got it down to invoice or ~$190. There are other good hitches but, I've yet to see one that looks as good or is built any better than the OEM. JMO and observations. Ed
I have the draw tite on my Protege. It works fine, looks&feels good. I think I paid around $130 installed. The only drawback is there is no wiring harness (which is probably why it's less than what subaru is asking for theirs).
So if you need it for a bike rack I'd say go with an aftermarket hitch, if towing is your favorite pastime shell out extra for the subaru oem hitch.
Even buying an OEM "after the fact" (after purchase) isn't bad.
I'm planning adding one to my Soobie OB (2000) here for ~$220
formatting link
Mounting is fairly simple; the holes and/or existing bolts are already there. IIRC, the exhaust has to be partially dropped to wiggle it into place.
There's another Soob at work with this hitch installed, I'll have to ask the owner to pull it to a convenient curb to look underneath for more details.
You are implying that the "unauthorized bar" would void the warranty? Mind you, Subaru for example does NOT sell hitches for impreza sedans for example, and the manual tells the owner to get an aftermaket one. I don't think Subaru worries about those $200 one way or the other.
The "OEM" Subaru hitch is a Draw Tite, Valley, Hidden Hitch, or some other major brand, without decals.
My dealer wanted $450 for an Outback hitch. I installed a Hidden Hitch in 30 minutes, obtained online for $160. If the dealer had a more reasonable price, I wouldn't have had a problem paying the dealer price. I think my high hitch price had more to do with my below invoice purchase of the car than the actual value of the hitch.
The Outback installation process consisted of (4) bolts and an electrical plug. I can't see a Forester being much different. The online hitch even included "bolt leaders" to pull the bolts through the box frame. I needed two socket(s), an extension, a ratchet, a phillips screwdriver, and a flat screwdriver to pop off frame plugs. The most difficult part of my installation was moving the fuel tank canister out of the way. I did a second one on a Legacy wagon in even less time.
Many online hitch dealers will allow you to view a PDF of the installation manual, which can further simplify the decision process.
As an aside, remember that new cars are clean and bolts are not yet rusted in place, making accessory installation much easier than repairing older cars.
Oh, I was confused by the driving tips chapter ("SEDAN" on page 8-35) of 2005 impreza owner's manual.
"SUBARU does not offer accessory trailer hitches. Consult with a professional hitch supplier to assist you in choosing an appropriate hitch for your vehicle."
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.