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I hope someone can help. On my budget I can't afford a new towbar. I found a used one which I would like to buy and fit myself. I have the tools and the ability, but this one comes with no instructions. So, I'm really worried that it may be necessary to drill holes, or cut bumpers and I do not know exactly where. It seems the towbars for Auris 2012 until now are all the same, so that will include my car. If someone can just tell me if I need any exact instructions, or is it straight forward enough for someone with lots of mechanical experience to do it without diagrams. Many thanks.

I would like to put a towbar on my car so I can attach a cycle rack. I have checked with a few towbar fitters and they say that it is not possible to fit a Towbar on a Hybrid car as the towing limit is zero - the VIN shows a weigh of 1815 kg with the following number also being 1815. However, I contacted my local dealer and they gave me a price Bracket £258, Electrics £300, Towbar £327 so in total £885. I specified that it was a Hybrid but I think that this is the price for a standard Auris. Does anyone know about this?

I'm looking to get a towbar fitted to my 56 reg (2007) Toyota Auris 2.0 D4D. I'm only intending to use it to carry a Thule bike carrier with no more than 3 bikes. I'm looking for the cheapest price inc. fitting, no more than £200. Postcode area G71. Welcome any recommendations.

I've just bought a house which needs a bit of work doing, and have therefore been looking at buying a small trailer to cut out delivery and skip costs. I have a 2008 SR180. I've been looking at the different options of wiring a towbar; I'm mechanically minded and wouldn't mind having a go at doing it myself. However, the vehicle specific harnesses are very expensive. Has anyone done a diy using a universal kit or know of a guide for one? Is there any particular reason why it shouldn't be done?

Hi all and thank you for the add just bought a 2014 auris hatchback 5 door e18 and didn’t think about roof racks. Now kicking myself as it seems you can’t jet roof rails that run to the front and back of the car. I know you can get roof bars that go under the door seals but.... Is there anyway of adapting the roof rails from a tourer auris estate to fit the hatchback or can you get them off the peg? and are the holes and supports already in the roof channel or is this a massive job. ive annoyed myself I didn’t think about this when selecting the car as I use it a lot for transporting my bike. towbar not an option as I want it roof mounted to include a roof box. thanks for any advice in advance.

Hi All, i am looking for a cycle carrier for my 2013, 1.8 Auris Hybrid. There are a few on the market. Does anyone here have any recomendations for/against any particular type? I would normally use the towbar, but i know they are not fitted to this model Many Thanks Dave

Hi Dave I'd be interested in the responses to this question. I got the roof bars for my Auris Hybrid, and had assumed that I'd be able to "upgrade" to a towbar-based cycle carrier later on. I knew that the hybrid engine on the Auris wasn't suitable for towing caravans and trailers, but I thought that it would have been ok to use the hook to carry bikes - it can't be that different to carrying weight in the boot. Toyota's blog on this topic is here: https://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-hybrid-towing-questions and at the bottom of this it talks about "a non-towing tow ball" which can be ordered from Toyota (part PW962-02005), though there are alternatives from firms such as Witter. Other firms are at pains to point out that their parts are strictly for the non-Hybrid engined cars. There's a clear video on this page of an American firm fitting one to a Scion iM showing how easy it is https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Curt/C11420.html Have any other members had success with this, or do they too just use the roof bars?

Just thought it worth mentioning here that Toyota say that you can't/mustn't/shouldn't fit a towbar to a MkII Hybrid Auris.

Just be aware that the first generation Auris was made up to October 2012, and the second generation from October 2012 - so just be sure the towbar you're looking at is for the second generation.

It just come to me, Its is a towbar kit the plug from the light plugs into the one plug and the other plugs into the light, little black box possibly with a bypass for the parking sensors if fitted https://www.ecs-electronicsuk.co.uk/manual.php?f=TO221DHU.pdf

I was just helping the op, Devon has enough to do - its only a case of tracking down the plug in a diagram and maybe cross-referencing connectors Edit. Its a lighting connector (90980–12517) possibly a aftermarket towbar kit, trace the loom and see where it goes

towbar electrics ?

As forum members don't know what bike carrier you currently have, how can they comment whether or not it will fit the Toyota bracket? Why can't your towbar fitter fit the Toyota bracket rather than a towbar?

Hi Martyn, I think I found your posts about this on Toyota's blog: http://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-hybrid-towing-questions. The thing is the UK Auris 2013 MY brochure states: "The Easy Click holder fits directly to a Toyota towing hitch, or can be mounted with a stand-alone bicycle bracket for hybrid models that do not have a towing capacity" http://www.ukcarline.co.uk/uploads/pds/auris.pdf But this 2013 MY Auris brochure states "The Easy Click holder fits to the standalone bicycle holder bracket, or to the base of a Toyota horizontal detachable towing hitch when the hook has been removed." http://www.toyotaadria.com/ba/pdf/katalozi_dodatna/dodatna_aurists.pdf So if Toyota's Easy Click holder fits to either, then this suggests that the standalone bicycle holder bracket that Toyota say should be fitted to a UK hybrid TS could then accept a detachable towing hitch, which could in turn be used to mount any make of tow bar mounted bike rack surely? This in turn seems to match a comment from a hybrid owner (David Radcliffe) on Toyota's Touring Sport blog: "Actually you can fit a carrier on the Auris hybrid. We have the Toyota Thule foldable carrier 500 quid which comes with lighting and wiring. All the parts to mount to the Auris are there and include in effect a detachable towbar. It is just that Toyota do not recommend towing with a hybrid as it can trash the transmission. The carrier fits on the towbar ball just like any other towbar mounted carrier so it is possible. Honestly. I can send pictures but look on the auris hybrid accessories on the Toyota build your car page." http://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-auris-touring-sports-your-questions-answered?replytocom=1551695#respond At the end of the day, I know that I should never use a UK spec Auris hybrid to tow, but if the bicycle holder bracket that Toyota sell can be used to mount my existing 4 bike carrier then that's going to be more fuel efficient, cheaper and more convenient than putting bikes on the roof. (And it being alloy is the same 14kg weight as Toyota's 2 bike steel one, and the total weight with four bikes is under 75 kg). So if anyone can let me know for sure whether this is possible please let me know!

you would need to discuss this with your insurer - whether they would be prepared to cover/sanction (& put in writing) the fitting of a towbar purely to facilitate the mounting of a bike rack with absolutely no intention of towing. (e.g. my car is not type approved with my winter wheels even though they come from a mechanically identical Avensis T4 but my insurer is aware & happy with it). This also assumes that mounting points are available on the body. Going ahead & doing so without would possibly mean that you are driving uninsured & thereby comitting an offence.

With 2 kids and my mountain biking same problem came about with my hybrid that I had to send back to Motorpoint because of a bad repair. Ended up with a ts but in 1.2. the roof is the only option. Also I read that the cooling system isn't geared for towing, hence not being type approved for the UK, you could theoretically get any towbar fitter to fit one but like you've read they shouldn't and warranty/insurance will be compromised. Anyway the roof one is out for me, there's be a lot of mud and it's so much quicker for me to put them on the back on a wet and windy Welsh mountain. Other hybrids newer Prius and RAV4 can have a towbar fitter.

I know theres a special towbar for a bikerack, could I get a ball type for my current thule 2 and 4 bike rack?

I never even thought about poking around with my multimeter. I guess if 12v comes from it then its directly to the battery. IF its for a power outlet in the boot then thats awesome, just need to find a converter to change that plug into something I can work with like a USB port or Cig lighter or whatever. My apologies if the video is rather large for the forum. I took it with the GoPro & wasn't sure how to bring it down in size. I'll google it to see if its a towbar plug, I just needed to know roughly what it would be for or its name. I had no clue since its not plugged into anything and there isn't a matching one on the left light loom. Only the right one.

Wonder whether the wiring loom for a towbar plugs into that.

Try the search function..... http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/search/?q=towbar&type=forums_topic&nodes=110

How hard is it to fit a towbar

Hi! I have bought Steinhof tow bar to my new Auris Hybrid from this eBay seller. It fits perfectly. I think this model fits your Auris... Towbar for Auris 2007 Here you can find complete wiring set for your Auris Wiring set

I'm about to try fitting a universal wiring kit for a towbar to my car, with a bypass relay. The relay need a live. Does anyone know of a constant or ignition live to the rear of the car to save me having to track it all the way to the glovebox?

Do you have towbar electrics fitted ? As there is a cancellation switch inside the towbar socket to turn off the cars fog light when a trailer is connected, sometimes the little switch inside the socket sticks on when the trailer is removed.

Don't know of any alternative towbars to the Toyota ones which, as you say, are too expensive. Trailer regulations have to be legally complied with but I'm sure you've looked into that. Witter lists towbars for the later Auris but not for your model. Couple of things you might want to consider; the SR180 has lowered suspension so if you're thinking of moving heavy loads of building material and rubble etc then it might not be suitable. Other thing is the reverse sensors, if you don't have an on/off switch you'd need to isolate them otherwise the towbar would set them off. Maybe want to look at a cheap van? Post here about towbars, there's others too http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/129740-buying-a-t180/#