The details
- 2020+ (sixth generation, including Wilderness): a 2 inch receiver is the standard fit across factory and aftermarket, with the aftermarket units sold as Class III. Some aftermarket part numbers cover both the Outback and the same-year Legacy, since they share a platform.
- 2015-2019 (fifth generation): Subaru's factory accessory hitch was a 1-1/4 inch unit, while aftermarket makers offered Class III hitches with the 2 inch opening. If you want tray bike racks or standard ball mounts, the 2 inch aftermarket route is the usual choice for these years.
- The hitch's class rating and the Outback's tow rating are separate numbers. The car's limit is set by Subaru per year and trim, with the turbocharged trims, including the Wilderness, carrying the highest factory ratings in the current lineup. Check the owner's manual and door placard rather than the hitch label.
- Trailer wiring is a separate purchase for aftermarket hitches, usually a plug-in 4-way flat kit that taps the taillight connectors.
Factory vs aftermarket
The factory accessory hitch is designed around the bumper: it tucks behind the fascia with a clean cutout and attaches at the points Subaru engineered for it, and owner-community sentiment favors it for fit and appearance. Note that some listings label the factory unit Class II even with its 2 inch opening, so go by the receiver size and the rating on the hitch label, not the class name. Aftermarket Class III hitches are typically bolt-on installs that may hang the crosstube visibly below the bumper, and some require trimming or lowering the fascia depending on the model year. Structurally, a properly rated hitch from either source is fine: forum discussions comparing the OEM unit to aftermarket Class III hardware generally conclude the limiting factor is the vehicle, not the hitch steel.
What owners actually do
Many Outback hitch installs are for bike racks and cargo trays, not towing, which is why the 2 inch receiver dominates even on years where a Class II would technically suffice. Owners who tow small campers pair the hitch with a 4-way or 7-way wiring kit and, when the trailer has electric brakes, a plug-and-play or hardwired brake controller. The recurring install note in owner threads is to check hardware torque after the first few hundred miles.
The trap to avoid
Buying a hitch by generation guesswork. Outback fitment changes at generation boundaries (2015 and 2020 are the recent ones), and a listing for the wrong span will not bolt up. Confirm your exact model year in the manufacturer's fit guide, and if you are looking at a used car with a hitch already installed, identify the receiver size with a tape measure and find the rating label on the crosstube instead of trusting the seller's memory. If the label is unreadable, treat the hitch as unrated and replace it before towing.