Add custom vehicles to FiveM

Overview

Custom vehicles are one of the most popular additions to FiveM servers. They replace or add new car models that players can spawn, buy from dealerships or find around the map.

Step 1: Download vehicle files

Download vehicles from trusted sources like GTA5-Mods.com or FiveM-specific communities. A vehicle resource typically contains:

vehicle-name/
├── fxmanifest.lua
├── stream/
│   ├── vehiclename.yft    # 3D model
│   ├── vehiclename_hi.yft # High-detail model
│   └── vehiclename.ytd    # Textures
└── data/
    ├── vehicles.meta
    ├── handling.meta
    └── carvariations.meta

Step 2: Create the resource structure

If the vehicle doesn't come as a ready-made FiveM resource, create one:

mkdir -p ~/fxserver/server-data/resources/[vehicles]/my_car
cd ~/fxserver/server-data/resources/[vehicles]/my_car

Create fxmanifest.lua:

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'

files {
  'data/vehicles.meta',
  'data/handling.meta',
  'data/carvariations.meta'
}

data_file 'HANDLING_FILE' 'data/handling.meta'
data_file 'VEHICLE_METADATA_FILE' 'data/vehicles.meta'
data_file 'CARVARIATIONS_FILE' 'data/carvariations.meta'

Step 3: Upload files

Upload the vehicle files to your server via SFTP:

• .yft and .ytd files go in the stream/ folder
• .meta files go in the data/ folder

Step 4: Add to server.cfg

ensure my_car

Or if you organize vehicles in a folder:

ensure [vehicles]

Step 5: Restart and test

Restart the server from txAdmin. Test the vehicle in-game:

/car vehiclename

(Requires a car spawn script or admin menu like vMenu)

Adding vehicles to dealerships (ESX)

If you use ESX with a dealership script, add the vehicle to the database:

INSERT INTO vehicles (name, model, price, category)
VALUES ('My Custom Car', 'vehiclename', 50000, 'sports');

The model must match the spawn name defined in vehicles.meta.

Troubleshooting

• Vehicle is invisible: Check that .yft files are in the stream/ folder and the model name matches
• Vehicle has no textures: Verify the .ytd file is present and named correctly
• Handling feels wrong: Edit handling.meta values (mass, acceleration, braking)
• Server crashes on start: Check fxmanifest.lua for syntax errors

Performance considerations

• Each streamed vehicle adds to client download size
• Keep vehicle packs under 50 MB each when possible
• Use optimized models (lower poly count) for better client performance
• Too many addon vehicles (200+) can cause streaming issues

Tips

• Test vehicles in singleplayer first to verify they work
• Organize vehicles by category: [vehicles]/sports, [vehicles]/emergency, etc.
• Keep a spreadsheet of spawn names to avoid conflicts
• Back up your vehicles folder before adding new ones