How to Add Addon Cars to FiveM 2026: Complete Vehicle Installation Guide

Adding custom addon cars to your FiveM server gives players access to vehicles beyond the base GTA V roster. Whether you want real-life inspired cars, emergency vehicles, or drift-ready builds, here is how to install them properly.

How FiveM Addon Vehicles Work

FiveM streams custom vehicle models to connected players. You place the vehicle files in a resource folder on your server, configure the fxmanifest, and start the resource. When players spawn the vehicle, FiveM downloads the model data from your server and renders it in their game.

Unlike replace vehicles (which overwrite existing GTA V cars), addon vehicles add entirely new models to the game without removing anything. Players can still access all default vehicles plus any addons you install.

File Structure

A typical addon car resource looks like this:

• /[vehicles]/car-name/
  • fxmanifest.lua
  • /stream/ (contains .yft and .ytd files)
  • /data/ (contains vehicles.meta, handling.meta, carvariations.meta, carcols.meta)

The stream folder holds the 3D model (.yft) and textures (.ytd). The data folder holds the game metadata that defines how the vehicle handles, its colors, and its in-game name.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Download the addon vehicle package from a trusted source
2. Extract the files and look for the resource folder structure
3. If the download is a raw set of files (no fxmanifest), create the resource structure manually
4. Place the resource folder in your server's resources directory
5. Make sure the fxmanifest.lua includes all necessary files:

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'

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

data_file 'HANDLING_FILE' 'data/handling.meta'
data_file 'VEHICLE_METADATA_FILE' 'data/vehicles.meta'
data_file 'CARCOLS_FILE' 'data/carcols.meta'
data_file 'VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE' 'data/carvariations.meta'

1. Add ensure car-name to your server.cfg
2. Restart the server or start the resource live

Spawning the Vehicle

Once the resource is running, spawn the vehicle using its model name (defined in vehicles.meta). Use a command like /car modelname if your server has a spawn script, or use a trainer/admin menu.

Finding Addon Cars

The FiveM community shares addon vehicles across various sites. Look for packs that include proper resource structure and metadata. Quality varies, so check download ratings and comments before installing untested vehicles.

Legitimate sources package vehicles with all required meta files, proper LODs (levels of detail), and reasonable polygon counts. Avoid vehicles with broken handling or missing textures.

Performance Considerations

Each addon vehicle adds to your server's streaming bandwidth. When a player first sees a vehicle, the model and textures download from your server. For high-poly detailed cars, this can be several megabytes per vehicle.

To keep performance healthy:

• Limit total addon vehicles to what your community actually uses
• Choose vehicles with optimized polygon counts and compressed textures
• Group vehicles into category resources (emergency, sports, drift) so you can toggle them easily
• Monitor your server's streaming bandwidth during peak times

Handling and Tuning

The handling.meta file controls how the car drives. If a vehicle feels too fast, too slow, or handles unrealistically, you can edit values like:

• fInitialDriveForce (acceleration)
• fBrakeForce (braking power)
• fTractionCurveMax (grip)
• fMass (vehicle weight)

Adjust these values to balance custom vehicles with the rest of your fleet.

Common Issues

Vehicle spawns invisible: The .yft model file is missing or the stream path is wrong. Check your resource structure.

Vehicle has no textures: The .ytd file is missing or named incorrectly. The texture dictionary name must match the model name.

Handling feels wrong: The handling.meta values are extreme. Compare them to similar base game vehicles and adjust.

Server RAM usage increases: Too many high-poly vehicles loaded simultaneously. Reduce your addon count or optimize the models.

FAQ

How many addon cars can a FiveM server have? There is no hard limit, but performance degrades with hundreds of vehicles. Most servers run 50 to 200 addon vehicles comfortably depending on hardware.

Do players need to download anything? No. FiveM streams vehicle assets automatically when players encounter the car in-game.

Can I use addon cars on any FiveM server? Only on servers that have the vehicles installed. They are server-side resources.

Related: How to install FiveM mods, FiveM vehicle pack performance fix, FiveM server artifacts guide