When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
When I said “...you’re screwed.”, I meant two things will get really complicated & may not work well. It’s your car, you can do anything you want. However, towing anything more than 1,000 lbs will put a strain on the transmission.
1) The tow package includes a transmission cooler. If you tow without the tow package & have transmission issues, Lexus can deny warranty on the transmission. To me, it’s not worth the risk.
2) The tow package includes the trailer wiring plug under the rear cargo floor on the driver’s side. Models without the tow package do not have that plug. I have owned two used vehicles where someone added a trailer hitch & wiring - what a freak’n nightmare. Over time, spliced wires become exposed to the elements, tape falls off, wiring gets brittle & lights begin to not work correctly. Before I purchased my Lexus, I went to two places that install hitches to see if they could wire everything up without the tow package. I came away believing they were all ametures & didn’t want them touching my car with wire cutters & splices.
You can do what you want, but I’m offering the best advice I can give. There are certainly other ways to go about this & there are many reputable shops to do the work, just none in my area that I would trust. My thoughts on this is you are buying an expensive quality vehicle that will hopefully last you for many years. Don’t get in a hurry. Get exactly what you want & need. If Lexus is coming out with what you want in a few months, wait for it. I personally don’t want anyone’s rig job, I want factory engineered & waranted parts, but these are my thoughts & other’s thoughts may differ greatly.
I fully agree on point 1, and I dont tow really heavy loads for that reason.
On point 2 though, at least for the 2016 and I believe the rest of the models, the tow wiring plug is there, no splicing needed. The only thing you need is a relay (they leave this out on non tow packages) but all it is, is a white plug that goes into the existing plug for it behind the trim on the passenger side trunk. The part is a lexus/toyota part that you just plug in and you are done. All I am saying is look under the car before looking into splicing, its probably already there!
Has anyone had an issue with installing a receiver hitch?
I purchased a Curt receiver hitch that would not install correctly as one of the weld nuts was partially covered (overlapped about 1/8") by the steel of the receiver (driver's side, furtherest from the rear) and I am not able to get the bolt threaded. Thinking that this was s Curt issue, I received another hitch unit from the e-store that the original came from and the second unit had the same issue. I adjusted the unit so the bolt would go into the previous mentioned hole, but then I was not able to get the bolts into the other two holes for the same "overlap" issue. Is it possible that the weld nut is in the wrong location?
CPO vehicle that is still under warranty. I am thinking that Lexus should fix this under warranty. Any thoughts?
Has anyone had an issue with installing a receiver hitch?
I purchased a Curt receiver hitch that would not install correctly as one of the weld nuts was partially covered (overlapped about 1/8") by the steel of the receiver (driver's side, furtherest from the rear) and I am not able to get the bolt threaded. Thinking that this was s Curt issue, I received another hitch unit from the e-store that the original came from and the second unit had the same issue. I adjusted the unit so the bolt would go into the previous mentioned hole, but then I was not able to get the bolts into the other two holes for the same "overlap" issue. Is it possible that the weld nut is in the wrong location?
CPO vehicle that is still under warranty. I am thinking that Lexus should fix this under warranty. Any thoughts?
I installed a Curt hitch on my 2019 RX350L and I experienced the same issue on the first attempt to install. Firstly, there’s nothing wrong with the vehicle frame or hole alignment, the problem is the parallel arms of the hitch are bent, and it takes a good amount of force to spread them out in order to properly line up when installed. I had called E-Trailer, the seller of the hitch, and they blamed it on Curt, and then Curt blamed it on E-Trailer. Turns out that these hitches are shipped 25 at a time to E-Trailer on a pallet, and in the handling process the “arms” if you will, are bent just enough to create an alignment problem. I ended up using a small hydraulic jack and spreading the arms just enough so that when pressure was taken away, the holes all measured up. A lot of hassle. Here’s a pic of how I spread the arms. Good luck.
Hello traded in my 2017 rx 350 for my new 2021 Rx 450h. My question is i am trying to install a tow hitch on my car but so far all i keep seeing is i have to cut and alter some stuff of which i really hate to have to do in which i mean cutting the cowl underneath to exit the trailer hitch which i understand is necessary and am fine with. Part i do not like is it says i have to cut and alter the plastic on the lower part of the bumper not the bumper it self . And was wondering if there is a alternative if this is the only option i have
I know there are several threads on the tow hitch, but I wanted to get some answers specific to my questions.
I have a leased 202 RX 350 F-sport that we're planning to purchase out in Jan 2023 (Ontario, Canada). We only want to put a bike rack on and (most likely) no towing.
1. Does anyone know if this Curt trailer hitch receiver fits? etrailer seems to show the Draw-Tite ones if I search by model/year. I did see a picture of the Curt one on an F-sport though.
2. I will have to remove the active damper, does anyone know if I should be wary of anything?
3. Will putting a tow hitch in pace of the active damper affect my warranty, provided I trim the bottom of the bumper?
4. Do I need a jack?
I know there are several threads on the tow hitch, but I wanted to get some answers specific to my questions.
I have a leased 202 RX 350 F-sport that we're planning to purchase out in Jan 2023 (Ontario, Canada). We only want to put a bike rack on and (most likely) no towing.
1. Does anyone know if this Curt trailer hitch receiver fits? etrailer seems to show the Draw-Tite ones if I search by model/year. I did see a picture of the Curt one on an F-sport though.
I have an FSport and this looks like the Curt hitch I have. I recall when I was looking, the sites said it wasn't recommended. However, it fits fine.
Try searching for my posts with the pictures.
2. I will have to remove the active damper, does anyone know if I should be wary of anything?
Easy peasy to remove the damper and replace with the hitch. It comes with hardware. Just keep your old hardware for reinstallation.
3. Will putting a tow hitch in pace of the active damper affect my warranty, provided I trim the bottom of the bumper?
No need to trim anything, at least for me. As for warranty, I was warned by my dealer but they have seen it twice now for service and not mentioned anything. Can't imagine what warranty item might be affected by this.
4. Do I need a jack?
Not sure what you're getting at here. I installed mine without lifting it up at all, if that's what you mean. You'll need a helper to hold one side in place until you get a couple of bolts in place on both sides. Don't forget to properly torque the bolts before you use it.
08-27-18, 08:16 AM
