Does the Heat Shield Need To Be Reinstalled With Trailer Hitch on a 2019 Subaru Forester

Question:

I bought a hitch from you guys and installed it on my wife’s 2019 forester. I had to remove the heat shield in order to install the hitch. Do I need to put the heat shield back on? Will it be alright if it is not reinstalled?

asked by: Trent

Expert Reply:

Thank you for your purchase of the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver part # C13409. It is not a requirement to reinstall the heat shield but I always recommend you do so that way there are no warranty issues if anything were to happen. In order to reinstall the heat shield all you will need to do is drill two small holes in it which you can see in the attached photo and then it's ready to be reattached. If you don't want to reinstall the heat shield then no worries neither, the structural integrity of the trailer hitch and or vehicle will be affected.

Please note that it is important to keep the inside of your receiver tube protected while not in use as rust can form if not protected which then will affect its structural integrity therefore, I recommend using the Curt Rubber Tube Cover part # C22272 if you don't already have one. We also have the Curt Hitch Lock part # C23519 if you are worried about theft.