How to add add-on cars to FiveM

The problem

You've downloaded a custom car (a pack with .yft, .ytd and several .meta files) and want it on your server, but you don't know how to build the resource. On boot, either the resource fails to load, or the vehicle never spawns with /car and the console complains about the meta files.

The cause

An add-on car isn't just the 3D model: it's a full resource. FiveM needs the models (.yft) and textures (.ytd) to live inside a `stream/` folder, and the `fxmanifest.lua` must declare every .meta file with its correct data_file (vehicles.meta, handling.meta, carcols.meta, carvariations.meta). If any of those data_file entries is missing, or the spawn name doesn't match the one in vehicles.meta, the game never registers the vehicle and `/car` can't find it.

The solution

Create a resource folder with the models inside stream/ and an fxmanifest.lua that loads the four .meta files with their matching data_file. The spawn name (the name you'll use with /car) is defined inside vehicles.meta, in the <modelName> field:

-- fxmanifest.lua for an add-on car
-- Resource structure:
--   my_car/
--   ├─ fxmanifest.lua
--   ├─ vehicles.meta
--   ├─ handling.meta
--   ├─ carcols.meta
--   ├─ carvariations.meta
--   └─ stream/
--      ├─ mycar.yft      (model)
--      ├─ mycar_hi.yft   (high-detail LOD)
--      └─ mycar.ytd      (textures)

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'

-- Every .yft and .ytd inside stream/ is streamed automatically,
-- but the .meta files must be declared as files{} + data_file:
files {
    'vehicles.meta',
    'handling.meta',
    'carcols.meta',
    'carvariations.meta',
}

data_file 'VEHICLE_METADATA_FILE'  'vehicles.meta'      -- defines the spawn name (<modelName>)
data_file 'HANDLING_FILE'          'handling.meta'      -- physics/handling
data_file 'CARCOLS_FILE'           'carcols.meta'       -- modkits, colors, extras
data_file 'VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE' 'carvariations.meta' -- variations (default colors, kits)

Step by step

1. 1.Create a folder for the resource (for example `my_car`) inside `resources` or a sub-resource like `[cars]`. The folder name is the resource name, not the car name.
2. 2.Inside it, create a `stream/` subfolder and drop the models and textures there: the model `.yft` (and its `_hi.yft` if it ships one) and the `.ytd` textures. FiveM automatically streams anything in `stream/`.
3. 3.Place the four .meta files in the resource root (vehicles.meta, handling.meta, carcols.meta, carvariations.meta) and create the `fxmanifest.lua` declaring each one with its correct `data_file`, as in the example above.
4. 4.Find the spawn name: open `vehicles.meta` and look for the `<modelName>` field. That text (for example `mycar`) is the exact name you'll use to spawn it. It does not have to match the folder name.
5. 5.Add `ensure my_car` to your server.cfg and restart the whole server (a resource refresh alone won't make streaming register the new models).
6. 6.Test it in-game with `/car mycar` (or the real spawn name) if you have an admin menu/command that allows it, or spawn it from your vehicle menu. It should appear with the right physics and colors.
7. 7.If it doesn't appear, or shows up as an untextured box, use OpenIV to open the `.yft`/`.ytd` and verify the model isn't corrupted and that its internal names match what's declared in the .meta files.
8. 8.Watch the weight and streaming: every high-poly, 4K-texture car eats streaming memory. If you add many, players with low-spec machines will see unloaded models or FPS drops; reduce textures or limit how many add-ons you keep active.
9. 9.SECURITY: only download packs from trustworthy sources. Many free car packs from sketchy sites bundle a .lua or extra resource containing a backdoor. Before putting any pack into production, review it: a legitimate add-on car does NOT need server scripts; if it ships suspicious .lua files, odd events, or obfuscated code, don't use it and scan it.

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