In GTA 6, a single button no longer steals any parked car, Rockstar North's Rob Nelson confirmed in his full IGN interview. Confirmed Cars have security, you need tools to beat it, and stealing the wrong one can bring the police straight to you.
Security tiers and the tools you need
Cars are split into security tiers, and expensive ones are much harder to take. Preview report
| Car type | How to get in | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Older cars | A slim jim | Confirmed |
| Modern and luxury cars | A key cloner, some unlocked later in the story | Confirmed |
| Any car with a driver | Carjacking is always an option | Confirmed |
So early in the story, some of Leonida's best cars are off-limits unless you pull someone out of the driver's seat, with all the witnesses that brings.
Scan before you steal
Your phone can scan a parked car and show: Confirmed
- whether it's locked
- whether it has an alarm or a tracker
- what a Pay 'n' Spray or car fence will pay for it
- how much it costs to register
Previews named the app WAINK. Preview report
Trackers: drive fast or get found
Cars with advanced trackers ping their location to the police unless you drive them fast enough. Confirmed Alarms draw attention too, and attention feeds the new Heat system.
Selling stolen cars
- Stolen cars are sold through fences. Preview report
- Damage lowers the price, so a wrecked getaway car is worth less. Preview report
- Some fences tip you off to valuable targets, including cars in police impound lots. Preview report
- Car boosting is one of the main ways to earn the money GTA 6 needs, since some story missions are locked until you have enough cash. Confirmed
One more trick from the previews: your trunk holds spare weapons and a change of clothes, handy for losing a police description. Preview report
Our read
This makes car theft a job rather than a reflex. Scanning first, picking a car without a tracker and driving it carefully to a fence is closer to Red Dead 2's horse-and-camp routines than to GTA V's chaos. If you just need to get across Vice City, Ryde Me fast travel or your own car will be the low-risk choice.
Still unknown: how many security tiers there are, exactly when the key cloner unlocks, and whether you can upgrade tools.
Questions people are asking
Can you steal any car in GTA 6?
Not with one button. Older cars need a slim jim, and modern or luxury cars need a key cloner, some unlocked later in the story. You can always carjack a car that has a driver.
What is the key cloner in GTA 6?
A tool for stealing modern and luxury cars, which can't be opened with a slim jim. Rockstar says some of these tools unlock as you progress through the story.
Do stolen cars have trackers in GTA 6?
Some do. Cars with advanced trackers ping their location to the police unless you drive them fast enough. Your phone's scanner shows whether a car has one before you take it.