The Trailer Hitch Influence on Rear Crash for Small Hatchback Vehicle

The trailer hitch is an accessory which has been widely applied to vehicles as a protection device for low speed rear impact, aiming the integrity of the rear fascia. Its installation is commonly made at accessories shops without the orientation of the OEM’s and its project normally does not pursue the integration with vehicle structure. Using Finite Element Method, this work has as objective to study the influence of the trailer hitch in the body structure of small hatchback passenger vehicle during rear impact.