GTA V: Here’s How To Store & Save Cars

Share:

The Grand Theft Auto saga offers tons of adventures, challenges, and shenanigans for its players, from going on dangerous heists and hacking fingerprint scanners to completing missions for some amazing rewards. However, GTA V‘s selection of incredible rides is still the core of the game. Keeping your cars safe from harm can be quite tricky, and many GTA V fans still wonder how to store and save their cars in the best way possible.

  • Article Breakdown:
  • Players can store their car in a garage in GTA V, and the car will only be saved until it’s taken out of the garage.
  • Cars that get lost or despawn can often be retrieved from the Impound Lot in GTA V Story Mode, but they cannot be saved if they are destroyed.
  • In GTA Online, players can invest in Tracking and Insurance, allowing players to retrieve lost or destroyed cars at a small percentage of their value.

How to Store & Save Cars in GTA V

The only way to store your cars in GTA V is to use a garage, which acts as a sort of loss and theft prevention system in the game. To start off with, you will need to already have access to a garage in GTA V.

Each of the three main characters in GTA V has their own garage that sits right next to their safehouse – capable of storing 1 or 2 cars that respawn. Below are the cars that will always be saved and will respawn for each character automatically:

GTA V Main CharacterNumber of GaragesSaved Car
Franklin2 Safehouses & 2 GaragesBravado Buffalo
Western Bagger
Michael1 Safehouse & 1 GarageObey Tailgater
Trevor2 Safehouses & 2 GaragesCanis Bodhi

On the other hand, the garages that players can purchase in GTA V can store about four cars at maximum capacity – with each main character being able to have one garage. Many players also prefer saving the cars they like in addition to each character’s main car. It’ll definitely be worthwhile to invest in a garage in GTA V.

Players who purchase properties like an apartment, a nightclub, or a CEO office would automatically have access to a garage spot. However, players can also invest in a garage lot only, which will not have a living or business space attached to the lot. Once you have access to a garage, follow the steps below:

  1. Head over to Los Santos Customs with a car that you stole from the streets of Los Santos or San Andreas.
  2. Locate Loss and Theft Protection, and buy this option if you have enough money. Alternatively, purchase once you have enough cash.

From this point, all players will need to do is simply park the car they’d like to save inside the garage. Whatever cars are in your garage will be safe as long as they are parked inside – however, they will not be safe once you take them back out on missions.

If players lose the car or the car ends up despawning, they should be able to retrieve it at the vehicle impound right at the police station in Mission Row, which is typically marked on the map with a white car icon. In both GTA V Online and GTA V Story Mode, your car could be retrieved at the impound as well after getting caught by the police.

Getting it back would typically require payment. However, players can only retrieve the last two cars that were lost using this method. If a third car is stored in the impound garage, the first car will automatically disappear, and you will not be able to retrieve it again.

On the other hand, anything that happens to players’ cars while it’s not parked inside the garage will be permanent – this applies to all accidents, damages, and explosions in GTA V Story Mode. If your car is destroyed completely, such as by getting blown up, it will be gone for good – players would have to buy it again to get another type of the same car.

Storing Cars in GTA V Without a Garage

Quite a few GTA V players have claimed that there could be a way to ‘store’ their luxury sports cars without using a garage or property, primarily by ensuring that the car won’t despawn or be lost until it’s destroyed. Check out the video below by MrBossFTW to try out storing a car in GTA V without a garage.

RELATED:

You Can’t Play GTA 4 on PS4 & Here’s Why

Why Do Cars Disappear or Not Save in GTA V?

There are some cases of players losing their cars for seemingly no reason – either their car wasn’t where they left it, or it simply did not save as it should have (even after storing it in a garage in some cases). While there are some instances of bugs and issues causing such problems, most players have still managed to keep their cars safe with certain tactics and approaches – in many cases, ‘lost’ cars may be found at the impound lot and can still be reclaimed.

Tips for Storing Your Vehicles Safely in GTA V

Since keeping your cars safe is such a challenging yet crucial aspect of GTA V, it’s important to take some proactive measures to ensure your cars stay safe when they are not parked in your garages. Consider the tips below to help cut down on damage and losses while prolonging the lifespan of your favorite GTA V vehicles.

  • Always make sure your car doors are locked, as this will prevent cars from being stolen.
  • Park your car in an area that can be easily recognized on the map, and keep an eye out for its map icon.
  • Choose areas that do not get much activity for parking your car in between tasks – such as deep alleyways, beaches, and street corners away from main roads.
  • If you can use GTA V mods, you could consider using a tow truck via a Simple Trainer, Menyoo, or a similar modding program. This will allow your car to be towed and taken back to your chosen storage spot for safekeeping.
  • Players with a Cargobob can fly their car onto a rooftop for safekeeping, although other players with flying vehicles can also access it.

How to Permanently Save Cars in GTA V

While it’s still not possible to really save your cars altogether, the next best option would be to have your cars insured – which is an option available in GTA Online. With Tracking and Insurance, players can track their cars and regain their lost or even destroyed cars at a small percentage of the car’s value (and even for free in some cases) by submitting a Mors Mutual claim.

The only way to ‘permanently’ save your cars in GTA V is to buy them through the optional in-game purchases made available with Shark Cash Cards. This will enable players to buy tons of cars permanently, which is worthwhile when spending real-world money, although it’s generally not seen as worthwhile for fans playing Story mode.

RELATED:

How to Make GTA V Full Screen? Step by Step Guide

Can You Save Cars in GTA Online?

Unlike many of the cars in GTA V, players will not be able to simply save the most expensive cars inside garages in GTA Online. Players will have to purchase these cars via the in-game store, although saving the more inexpensive cars in-game will still be possible. That being said, insurance would always be worthwhile when playing GTA Online, as players will get their cars back if it’s destroyed or lost.

That’s everything there is to know about storing and saving your cars in GTA V. Since getting your hands on the best cars in GTA V is a challenge of its own, there’s over enough reason to make sure your cars always make it back to your garage for safekeeping – topped off with some much-needed insurance for when the unexpected happens, which is admittedly common within the GTA V community.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments