Connecting A Trailer - Subaru Impreza 2016 Owner's Manual

hitch or other trailer towing
equipment.
. Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires.
Do not use a trailer hitch other than
genuine SUBARU trailer hitch. A genuine
SUBARU hitch is available from your
SUBARU dealer.

Connecting a trailer

Trailer brakes
WARNING
. Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.
. Do not directly connect your
trailer s hydraulic brake system
to the hydraulic brake system in
your vehicle. Direct connection
would cause the vehicle s brake
performance to deteriorate and
could lead to an accident.
If your trailer s total weight (trailer weight
plus its cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg), the trailer is required to be
equipped with its own brake system.
Electric brakes or surge brakes are
recommended, and must be installed
properly. Check that your trailer s brakes
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. Your
SUBARU s brake system is not designed
to be tapped into the trailer s hydraulic
brake system. Please ask your SUBARU
dealer and professional trailer supplier for
more information about the trailer s brake
system.
Trailer safety chains
WARNING
Always use safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Towing
trailer without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due
to coupling damage or hitch ball
damage.
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch
ball should break or become discon-
nected, the trailer could get loose and
create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing
vehicle and trailer with trailer safety
chains. Two chains should be used in
Driving tips/Trailer towing (Crosstrek models)
total, one to the right side and the other to
the left side trailer tongue. Pass the chains
crossing each other under the trailer
tongue to prevent the trailer from dropping
onto the ground in case the trailer tongue
should disconnect from the hitch ball.
Allow sufficient slack in the chains taking
tight turn situations into account; however,
be careful not to let them drag on the
ground.
Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view
without significant blind spots. If significant
blind spots occur with the vehicle s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations.
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