Review on CURT 11377 Class 1 Trailer Hitch: 1-1/4-Inch Receiver for Mazda 3 - Black by Rick Howlett

Mazda 3 SGT Hatchback 2014 Release. I haven't had any fit issues, not sure what happened to the other reviewer here, but I haven't encountered any major issues. Well packaged, no damage, all hardware came in an overly careful thick ball of tape attached to the hitch. There seems to be enough room for the exhaust pipe, but it's a bit close to the bumper. No rattles or anything else to report. Some things to look out for as a beginner: The Lisle 38350 exhaust pliers mentioned in another review is highly recommended. Quite difficult to use as it's difficult to get enough power by hand without enough space under the car, but slowly and surely they worked. I can't imagine using a screwdriver or anything - it's pretty tight in there. Remove all 4 rubber bushes from all pins - it's much easier to reassemble them later as separate parts. After installing the hitch, I used a Mazda jack to raise the exhaust pipe into position to install the rubber mounts. Zoom in on the pins, use some liquid soap and they snap back into place with little effort. The installation instructions in the box were a bit unclear as the pictures were difficult to see. Also, the assembly diagram does not show the attachment of screws to the supports. You will need to use the fishing wire provided to thread the bolt and brace into the frame through the larger hole closer to the bumper. Installing the tow bar without help is difficult. I used a Mazda jack to lift most of the weight, then used fishing lines (you have 4 - use them all), attached the bolts, I put them through the coupler holes and then slowly released the coupler for about 15 back and forth rocked fro minutes until I had it in place. Carefully loosen the fishing wire without pressing on the bolts and lightly hand tighten each nut on the loose bolts to move them for adjustment. " will work too). From what I recall, this requires 110 ft-lbs of torque, so you'll need a fairly long wrench or a lot of muscle power to tighten it to spec. So you'll need to use a torque wrench to tighten it not too tight at your own risk It was a fairly expensive retail item ($80) I wish I knew about this before I did it myself You can get them MUCH cheaper at Revain but I couldn't wait - I had to I was being a little silly and skimmed over the necessary tools for this project.The total time it took me to install was about an hour and a half - walking to and from the local hardware store.I hope the advice helps from my experience.