# Breaking Into Vehicles

> How to enter and start a car you don't own. Two skill checks: lockpick the door, then hotwire the engine.

![Screenshot: a player lockpicking a car door with the timing wheel UI visible](../screenshots/09-vehicles/lockpick-car-door.png)
*Screenshot needed: a player crouched at a car door with the ox_lib skill check wheel on screen.*

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## The basic flow

1. Find a locked vehicle (most NPC cars, abandoned ones)
2. Have a **lockpick** item in inventory
3. Use lockpick → skill check minigame → succeed = door opens
4. Get in the driver's seat
5. Engine doesn't start (no key) — start hotwire
6. Second skill check → succeed = engine starts
7. Drive away

Two minigames, two chances to fail. Quick when you're good at it.

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## The lockpick item

- Item ID: `lockpick`
- Stackable
- Single-use? **Yes by default** — each use consumes one lockpick
- Sometimes can break (skill check fail) — consumed regardless
- Acquired from:
  - NPC robberies (drop chance)
  - Black market
  - Mugging NPCs (occasional drop)
  - General store (sometimes)

### Advanced lockpick

`advancedlockpick` is a higher-tier variant:

- Doesn't break on fail
- Easier skill check
- Works on tougher vehicles
- Rarer / more expensive

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## Step 1: The door lockpick

1. Walk up to a locked vehicle door (any door)
2. Use the lockpick item from your inventory (or hotbar slot)
3. Animation plays — your character bends to the lock
4. **Skill check appears** (ox_lib timing wheel)
5. Hit the green segment by pressing the indicated key
6. Success → door unlocks (15s before relocks)
7. Get in immediately

![Screenshot: the timing wheel UI mid-attempt with green target visible](../screenshots/09-vehicles/skill-check-wheel.png)
*Screenshot needed: the ox_lib skillCheck wheel showing the green segment and indicator.*

### Difficulty by vehicle class

| Class | Difficulty | Required item |
|---|---|---|
| Basic sedans / hatchbacks | Easy | Lockpick |
| SUVs / sports | Medium | Lockpick |
| Luxury / armored | Hard | Advanced lockpick |
| Police cruisers | Very hard | Advanced lockpick |
| Emergency vehicles | Very hard | Advanced lockpick |

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## Step 2: Hotwire the engine

After you're inside:

1. Sit in driver's seat
2. Engine doesn't auto-start (no key on you)
3. Use hotwire action (often a chat command or via ox_target)
4. Animation plays — your character pulls wires under steering column
5. **Second skill check** appears
6. Hit the green segment
7. Success → engine starts, you can drive

### Faster on retry?

Some configs allow:
- Cheaper retries (no item consumed)
- Slightly easier wheel on second/third attempt

But hotwire failure can also call cops (drawing attention to "fiddling with a car").

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## Cop attention

Lockpicking + hotwiring is illegal. Risks:

- NPC bystander witnesses → calls cops
- Visible lockpicking animation tips off any cop who sees you
- High-heat zones spawn cops faster after a vehicle theft
- The vehicle may be flagged "stolen" — drivers see the tag, cops see it

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## What happens to stolen vehicles

Once you've broken in and hotwired:

- You can drive it freely
- It WILL despawn if you leave it
- **You can't store it in your garage** (not owned)
- Selling for chop shop value is a different system (lt_petty_crime or similar)
- Returning it to the spawn area doesn't "unsteal" — it's marked

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## Tips

- **Practice on easy vehicles first.** Cheap sedans have easy timing wheels
- **Don't lockpick in busy areas.** Pick a quiet street to avoid witnesses
- **Have spare lockpicks.** Failures consume them — bring 3-5 if doing multiple
- **Lockpick → hotwire → leave fast.** Don't linger after the theft
- **Watch your wanted indicator.** Even 1 star puts cops on alert
- **The wheel difficulty stays the same regardless of skill level** — practice = better reaction time, not easier wheels

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## Common questions

**Why won't this car lockpick?**
- Wrong item (need lockpick, not advancedlockpick required)
- Vehicle is already unlocked (just open the door)
- Vehicle is too damaged / wrecked
- You're not close enough

**Does lockpicking work on garaged vehicles?**
No — garaged vehicles are in storage, not in the world.

**Can I lockpick my own car if I forgot the key?**
You shouldn't have to — your owned vehicle should auto-key. If somehow stuck, lockpick works.

**What's the difference between lockpick and screwdriver?**
Lockpick is for vehicle doors + simple building doors. Screwdriver may exist for some specific items (cabinets, certain stash boxes). They're not interchangeable in vanilla.

**Can I lockpick a vehicle someone is in?**
No — occupied vehicles can't be lockpicked. They have to step out first.

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## Related

- [garages.md](garages.md) — for vehicles you own
- [doors-lockpicking.md](doors-lockpicking.md) — building doors (similar minigame)
- [../10-interface/skill-checks.md](../10-interface/skill-checks.md) — the wheel mechanic explained
- [../05-crime-loops/mugging.md](../05-crime-loops/mugging.md) — lockpicks drop from mugging