Dealer wants $1300 for trailer hitch install

[Nick the Greek]

My 2011 Touareg didn't come with a tow package like most of the Touaregs available in my area. Now nearly all of the 2012 touaregs at the dealer have the tow package. The dealer expects me to pay $1300 for parts and installation. What are my options?

[VuickB6]

Don't get an OEM hitch and install it yourself?

I paid just over $1100 to have the dealer install one on mine.

[jdog19VR6]

I eBay'd it and installed it myself. $200.00 It's been 4 years and I pull my 20 foot boat to the lake at least ten times a year.

[Nick the Greek]

I think installing it myself is the best option, but I haven't seen an OEM hitch with wire harness for less than $800.

[Nick the Greek]

I eBay'd it and installed it myself. $200.00 It's been 4 years and I pull my 20 foot boat to the lake at least ten times a year.

I saw non-OEM trailer hitch, but none of them are rated to the same pulling capacity as the OEM kit. For the previous generation Touareg I have seen many hitch options though.

[Treggone]

Get a Curt hitch and get the wiring from ECS tunning.

It is easy to install just take your time.

[kleinbus]

If there is no prewiring, no trailer control module etc and they have to go whole nine yards then it sounds about right as on my previous Audi Q5 I installed OEM hitch receiver structure, trailer control module and rear wiringharness and the parts were about 1100 bucks.



Peeled the Audi bumper skin off and got ready to remove the aluminum crush bar...




Installed the hitch structure...




Aftermarket stuff is always cheaper as those are not structurally designed as well as is the OEM and good example is Curt.

The original Audi hitch haves leg's going into the vehicle chassis



while Curt bolts onto the aluminum crush bar, which is not meant to be carrying vertical loads, instead it was designed to absorb the lengthwise impact.

Your car and your money so it's up to you what you get....

[Tregger]

Factory hitch, eletronics kit, and shipping should be around $900 - $950 delivered from 1stvwparts.com.....ask for Zeb, or check with Fowler VW or one of the other dealers mentioned on the Touareg forums.

I installed the one on my 2006 easily not having any experience and my dealer did the programming on the module. On my 2012, I will most likely buy from 1stvwparts.com and have my body shop install since they will do it for $100 and I have a great relationship with them. And have my dealer do any programming needed on the electronics which they said they would do for free since they treat me great.

But it is an easy install yourself. Just have a friend help.

[jp6544]

Dealer installed mine, only he left out the foam that goes on top of the hitch. Is that normal?

[spockcat]

Dealer installed mine, only he left out the foam that goes on top of the hitch. Is that normal?

Is that foam that is supposed to help absorb impacts?