Originally Posted by msu2001la

I don't really understand why my comment is causing so much grumbling. There isn't a kit available for my car in the link above, but they do make one for older models that looks like it might work. It's nearly $600 (plus tax) and described as 10/10 installation difficulty. Steps required include:

• Remove the interior side panels of the trunk, remove the rear bumper/facia, both tail lights, both rear wheel well liners and the rear factory reinforcement beam.
• Disconnect and pull the hands-free trunk opening sensor out of the rear facia (it's embedded inside).
• Use a saw to cut out and remove an 11" x 4" section of the rear facia, which is also the location where the hands-free trunk opening sensor is embedded by the factory.
• Re-attach the hands-free trunk sensor to the outside of the facia around the hole using zip ties
• Bolt the hitch kit onto the chassis using the bolt holes for the factory reinforcement beam. The beam gets installed on top of the hitch kit, using longer aftermarket bolts (is this safe?).
• Re-install the tail lights, rear facia/bumper cover, wheel well liners. Hopefully those panel gaps all line up OK. Note says that parking/self driving sensors may need to be recalibrated by a dealer.

The installation photos show the use of a hydraulic lift to access the bottom of the car. I doubt the ground clearance on my car is high enough to use ramps, so I'd probably need some kind of floor jack and stands to access the underside of the rear facia? I'd also need an electric saw, a set of torx drivers, a file and a bigger torque wrench.This is not a cheap or easy solution, even assuming I can successfully DIY this in my driveway. There is also a potential that I have to pay the car dealership to re-calibrate sensors. I'd also likely void my car's factory warranty on anything related to the rear sensors, bumper and tail lights.

I stand by my original post: If your car isn't designed to accommodate a hitch from the factory, I'd proceed with caution on getting one installed. Just because someone makes a kit or says they can do it doesn't mean it's a good idea. I'm sure on some cars it's no big deal.