Hey guys, do you happen to know if the 2015 Honda Fit is Tow-Hitch compatible? I don't plan on moving any trailers or a boat, but what I am looking to do is to have a bike rack mounted to the tow hitch. I know there are other means of transporting bicycles, but I don't like the clip on bicycle mounts because it tends to damage your car overtime, and also sometimes pops off if you are driving on bumpy terrain. I already have a Thule Apex (which is compatible with class 1 thru 4 tow hitch mounts) and would rather use what I already have.

Has anyone installed a tow-hitch to the rear of the 2015 Honda fit? I've also read somewhere that installing a tow-hitch voids the manufacture warranty. Can anyone confirm that?

Thanks for your time!!

 

This should answer some of your questions..

Hitch for 15' Fit

 

I watched the other thread (as a non-member here) to see where it went, but kept my comments to myself. After seeing your new query, I decided to sign up so I could post.

I got a 2" hitch manufactured for our 2015 Fit through a company called Torklift Central (Torklift Central - EcoHitch® for Honda Vehicles). Our car is actually the one in the video on their website. I did some preliminary drawings for the design, but they did the final design and engineering in order to build it.

I wanted (needed) this hitch to practically disappear, and what they achieved is amazing. I use it for our Thule T2 tray mount bike carrier. I would highly recommend this hitch!

 

$250 vs $125 for the etrailer hitch, not to mention a great deal more disassembly of the back end. True the etrailer is only available in a 1 7/8th receiver, but a simple adapter to a 2 inch receiver solves most compatability issues. Total cost is way cheaper than $250

 

Just a heads up, my dealer recommended not installing the wiring harness if you install a tow hitch. This makes it easier to claim the hitch is only for bike racks and not trailer towing should you ever have warranty claims.

 

I made a decision that aesthetics were more important than total cost, so let that guide me. Some others may feel the same. Buying a Curt (or similar) will never look OEM which is what I was going for. In addition, I thought their solution to mounting was very clever. More time consuming perhaps, but probably not more difficult.

 

Were I to mount a hitch, I would pay $250 for a 2-inch Eco-Hitch in a heartbeat. That is really nice looking!

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

 

Hello DBHazz! Thank you for the post! I currently live in California so obtaining the hitch might be an issue, other than that, I'll certainly consider having that specific model ordered for my fit. It looks great on your car! Thank you again for your feed back and taking time to share with the fit community!

 

I actually like the TorkLift's version better. Straightforward install and very clean looking. Probably bit of a pain getting the bumper off but worth it. I wouldn't use it for towing other than a bike rack.

 

Definitely not for towing!
The hitch itself is engineered to higher loads that are typical for such a hitch (a combination of the construction and it's attachment to the frame), but I specifically asked them not to include the standard mount for a wiring harness receptacle. Hitch mount bike racks only!

 

Yeah see i would need a small hitch for towing, so i went with the etrailer one. the most I'll be hauling is a small 4x8ft utility trailer with sides. Max I'd be moving about 800 pounds, if that. good to know that if I wanted to go biking more I can put the rack on it! Maybe even a small cargo bag for travel would be nice too!

 

I think a lightweight trailer shouldn't be an issue. Just not those U-Haul ones or a large boat. A jet ski on a small trailer should be fine.

The Torklift hitch is designed to have 2000lbs towing / 200lb tongue rating but our Fits just can't handle that kind of towing and lack of proper cooling for the CVT. Light towing should be ok.

 

Exactly, without a proper tranny intercooler and trailer brakes for over 1k hauling the FIT is not outfitted for that. Small trailers are perfect for it without any adverse effects. A neighbor of mine has a 2013 2nd gen that he tows a 20 foot boat. To my knowledge he has had no issues. No CVT for him though.


There have been posts on here that have outfitted the 3rd gen with an aftermarket intercooler, at the sacrifice of lower efficiency air conditioning (since it mounts in front of the condenser) Honestly though one would be asking the FIT to do a lot more than what its capable of hauling beyond 1k of trailer.

 

My concern is that I have read conflicting reports about voiding the warranty if you haul a trailer. I don't know for certain if this is the case, but by never installing a wiring harness for a trailer I feel fairly certain that I wouldn't be accused of using this hitch for trailering.

 

If they are determined to deny a warranty claim they will do so, wiring harness or no. If you present a car with a trailer hitch for a drivetrain problem they will look askance on the hitch. If I had such a problem I would remove the hitch before taking it in!

 

100% Agree on the existence of a wiring harness or not. It makes no difference. Removing the hitch is a sure-fire way to not give the dealer ammo to deny anything based on aftermarket equipment as the source of failure. Sometimes this is not always feasible in a pinch. That being said, the existence of a hitch should not matter either. The dealership should be your ally not your enemy when doing a warranty claim. If they refuse to honor the warranty without proof and only probable cause, find a new dealer. They get paid by Honda to do the work. They also have to prove that hauling a trailer with the hitch caused the failure.


A quick story. On my 2008 I brought it in for routine service. When I picked it up they said that the my rear strut was leaking oil. They ordered the strut, replaced it, and gave me a rent a car for the two days it was laid up, all paid for by Honda warranty. The reason why it was leaking oil I knew the reason. I was hauling my heavy PA amplifier and speaker equipment in the back halfway across CT for a few gigs. I'm pretty sure it was due to the weight the strut failed. Regardless, my dealership repaired it under warranty.

 

The only time the dealership is your ally is when they are selling you a car or when you are paying for your own service at their retail rates. Make no mistake, if you aren't writing a check you are a liability to them.

Warranty service is paid at a lower rate controlled by the manufacturer. Parts are not subject to a retail markup. That means that the dealer doesn't make as much profit handling a warranty issue than they do when the customer is paying the tab.

So, if a claim is denied and you end up paying for the repair the dealer makes more money at the retail rate. If you take the work elsewhere the dealer still avoids the lower-paid work and therefore can take a more profitable job.

These are fairly strong motivations for dealers to view warranty work as a necessary evil and limit it as much as possible. They can't avoid clear-cut issues, but anything that is intermittent or the least bit questionable won't get any sympathy.

 

The bike rack we have for our 2004 Prius needs a larger 2" hitch. I can't seem to find any of these for the fit. Has anybody seen one? Using a converter would be awkward and change the center of gravity; and the bike rack is pretty heavy (for a bike rack).

 

It would have been nice if someone had moved the camera around during installation. At twice the price of other hitches, I don't see the advantage. I'm not going to be pulling a house trailer.

 

As I've mentioned previously, aesthetics were the most important to me. I also was going to have a hitch made for me no matter what because I already owned the 2" hitch-mount bike carrier, and was not interested in using adapters or extensions to make it work.

This hitch almost disappears below the bumper fascia (and has the most elegant attachment design), whereas all the others hang far below.

So far, all the things I've done to our 2105 Fit are meant to look really subtle and possibly OEM (tint, VG shark fin, etc.).