GTA 6 Overhauls Car Theft With Lockpicking and Trackers

Grand Theft Auto 6 is completely overhauling how players steal cars, moving beyond the series' simple button-press mechanic. The new system introduces lockpicking tools, vehicle security scanners, and police trackers that make theft a more complex and risky endeavor.

How to Steal a Parked Car

When approaching a stationary vehicle, players will now have multiple options. One method involves using a slim jim tool to perform a lockpicking minigame. This method reportedly won't work on every car, however. Newer and more expensive vehicles may be immune to this classic break-in technique.

The bigger change is the introduction of vehicle trackers. Stealing a car will now alert the police to your location via an onboard tracking device. To get away cleanly, players must find and use a specific item to disable this tracker. Neither the slim jim nor the tracker-disabling item are available at the start of the game, meaning players must progress through the story or side objectives to acquire them.

An interesting wrinkle is that speed can temporarily thwart the police. If you drive fast enough, the cops reportedly lose your signal, adding tension as slowing down could reveal your position.

How to Steal Occupied Vehicles

Stealing a car with someone inside also involves new mechanics. If the vehicle is unlocked, players can simply open the door. A quick-time minigame then plays out to wrestle the driver from their seat. Passengers will also try to stop the theft. Crucially, even a successfully stolen driven car will still have its tracker active, requiring the same disabling process to avoid a prolonged police chase.

Vehicle Security and the Waink App

To navigate these new systems, players can use an in-game app called Waink. This app allows you to scan vehicles on the street. It reveals the security systems installed on a car and shows how much it would cost to legally register the vehicle as your own.

Ownership of registered vehicles introduces another strategic layer. If you abandon your personal car while wanted by the police, they will set up a perimeter around it. Returning to the vehicle could mean walking into a trap. If you leave it too long, the police will impound it, potentially forcing you to sneak into the impound lot or pay a fee to retrieve it.

Planning and Progression

The new mechanics fundamentally change how players approach criminal activities. "This means that robberies need to be pre-planned," the report states. Players may need to scout and secure a getaway vehicle in advance, knowing that a random car parked nearby might be impossible to steal quietly or too dangerous to drive due to an active tracker.

Progression is key. Better vehicles and the tools needed to steal them are slowly introduced throughout the game. If you want a superior car, you will have to work for it through theft or legitimate means. This deliberate pacing forces players to think strategically about their resources before any major score. The classic GTA chaos of grabbing the nearest ride is being replaced by a system that rewards preparation and punishes impulsiveness.