Best Hitches for 2017–2026 Tesla Model 3: 6 Aftermarket Receiver Picks, Highland vs Pre-Highland

Going by Tesla's own pages, only a car fitted with Tesla's Tow Package. The Tesla Shop sells the Model 3 Tow Package at $1,300 for Rear-Wheel Drive and All-Wheel Drive cars produced in 2024 or later, rated up to 2,200 lb, and says it is not compatible with the Model 3 Performance. For a car with that package, Tesla's current owner's manual gives 1,650 lb without trailer brakes, 2,200 lb with them and 200 lb tongue weight, and says: 'Trailer Mode must always be active when towing a trailer.' The Vehicle Loading page in both the 2017–2023 manual and the current one says: 'Do not use Model 3 for towing purposes. Model 3 does not currently support towing.' Tesla gives no towing figure for an aftermarket hitch. Wikipedia says Tesla offered a tow bar on European Model 3s from May 2019. The Tesla Shop lists no tow package for 2017–2023 US cars.

Tesla's Model 3 owner's manual ties carriers to its own tow package. The Towing and Accessories page says the package 'allows you to tow a trailer or carry an accessory (bicycles, skis, snowboards, etc.) with your Model 3'. The same page carries this caution: 'Do not attempt to install an accessory carrier on Model 3 that is not equipped with the towing package. Doing so can cause significant damage.' It adds: 'Damage caused by non-Tesla approved accessories is not covered by the warranty.' Nothing we read from Tesla approves an aftermarket hitch for a carrier or a trailer. Aftermarket makers such as CURT and Stealth Hitches sell hitches for the Model 3 anyway, and the six on this page are examples. We could not confirm how Tesla service treats a car with an aftermarket hitch, so ask Tesla before you buy, and decide with the answer in hand.

Going by Tesla's manual, the only hitch Tesla provides for carrying bikes is its own Tow Package, which the Tesla Shop lists for Rear-Wheel Drive and All-Wheel Drive cars produced in 2024 or later. The manual says not to install an accessory carrier on a Model 3 that is not equipped with the towing package, so read the answer above and ask Tesla first. If you still choose an aftermarket hitch, the Stealth Hitches rack package is the first aftermarket pick here: Stealth lists it for the 2017–2025 Model 3, the 2 in rack receiver detaches, and nothing shows under the bumper when it's off. CURT's 13431 is the brand-name bolt-on for 2017–2023 cars, with a receiver that stays visible. etrailer lists it at $335.78, with 2,000 lb GTW and 300 lb tongue weight. Those are the makers' ratings for the hitch, not figures from Tesla.

Tesla's figure is for its own package. The current Model 3 owner's manual says the tow package's 2 in hitch receiver can support an accessory carrier and is 'designed to support vertical loads of up to 121 lbs (55 kg)'. That covers the rack and the bikes together. The manual's own example is a 40 lb carrier with two items of about 40 lb each. A 45–50 lb two-bike platform rack leaves about 70 lb for bikes, which is too little for most pairs of e-bikes. Tesla gives no figure for an aftermarket hitch, and its manual says not to install an accessory carrier on a Model 3 that is not equipped with the towing package. Stealth rates its 2 in rack receiver at 350 lb, but that is Stealth's rating for its own part. We could not confirm whether Tesla's 121 lb figure can be applied to a receiver Tesla did not fit, so ask Tesla.

Mostly no. CURT lists 13431, 13449 and 11581 for the 2017–2023 Model 3 only, and the maXpeedingrods listing stops at 2023. The Highland refresh reshaped the rear, including taillights that no longer break between trunk and side. Stealth Hitches is the exception: it lists its SHR09001 for 2017–2025. For a 2024 or later Rear-Wheel Drive or All-Wheel Drive car, Tesla's own package is the route its manual provides for. An aftermarket listing has to name Highland or 2024+, as the TIOYAR does.

Two inch, for most people. More bike racks come in 2 in, and the rack stays steadier in the larger receiver. Tesla's own tow package and the Stealth hitch both use 2 in. The 1-1/4 in CURT 11581 is listed for 2017–2023 cars and takes a rack with a 1-1/4 in shank. CURT gives it the same 2,000 lb GTW as its 2 in part and a lower 200 lb tongue weight. Receiver size changes nothing in Tesla's manual, which says not to install an accessory carrier on a car without its towing package.

The visible parts come off when you're not using them. Stealth Hitches bolts a hitch beam and a stainless latch block behind the bumper. The 2 in rack receiver and the ball mount lock into the latch block and detach, so the car looks stock when they're out. Stealth says installation needs no welding or drilling and quotes about four hours. CURT's 13431 has a concealed cross tube, but the receiver stays under the bumper.

Stealth sells one. Its towing conversion kit, SHT25048, is $269 on Stealth's own store. It adds safety-chain anchors, harness and controller kits, a magnetic clip, a zero-play ball mount and a 2 in ball, and uses the same latch block as the rack receiver. Tesla's position is separate from Stealth's. The Vehicle Loading page in both versions of Tesla's manual says: 'Do not use Model 3 for towing purposes. Model 3 does not currently support towing.' It adds: 'Using Model 3 for towing without Tesla-approved towing components and accessories may void the warranty.' Tesla's towing figures are for a car fitted with its own Tow Package, and its manual says Trailer Mode must always be active when towing a trailer. We could not confirm whether Trailer Mode works with an aftermarket harness, so ask Tesla before you tow.

Yes, on every hitch here. etrailer notes that CURT's 13431 needs the rear bumper fascia and an undercarriage trim panel removed, and reviewers there report tight tolerances and some trimming when the fascia goes back on. CURT rates its Model 3 hitches as a professional-level install. Stealth quotes about four hours with no welding or drilling. Tesla installs its own package at a Service Center, included in the $1,300.

A loaded rack usually covers part of the lower rear and can hide the plate. Most platform racks tilt down so the trunk opens, but check the tilt clearance on a Model 3 before you buy. The Tesla Shop lists a trailer harness and a North America 4-pin connector with Tesla's package. With an aftermarket hitch, add a light board for the rack if your state requires visible lights and plate.

Not on the CURT hitches: CURT says its Model 3 hitches are not compatible with racks that hang bikes vertically. Those racks put the most leverage on the receiver, and the 121 lb that Tesla gives for its own tow-package receiver would rule out most of them once four or five bikes are loaded. Use a platform rack sized to your bikes.