Do You Get to Keep Cars Purchased in GTA 5 and GTA Online?

As an avid GTA gamer and content creator with over 200 hours logged across GTA 5 and Online, I get this question a lot – are cars you buy permanent, or can you lose them? The answer is more complex than you might think, so let‘s break it down.

Cars Stay in Your Garage in GTA 5 Story Mode

First, the good news for Story Mode – any cars you purchase automatically return to your garage, even if destroyed or abandoned during missions.

• Each character (Franklin, Michael, Trevor) has their own garage that permanently stores the cars they own
• No need to pay in-game fees to insure or track cars
• Vehicles respawn back in the garage if wrecked or left behind

So in the single player offline campaign, you essentially "own" cars bought at dealerships or websites. They become part of your permanent collection.

My beloved Grotti Cheetah has been blown up by grenades, riddled with bullets, and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. But ol‘ reliable always respawns fresh as new back in Franklin‘s Vinewood garage later on!

GTA Online Requires Insurance to Reclaim Destroyed Vehicles

Now for the more complex situation in GTA Online. Without insurance coverage, any car you purchase or mod can be permanently lost if destroyed or impounded by police.

To get a destroyed car back, you must:

• Pay to add insurance coverage for that specific vehicle
• File a claim with Mors Mutual Insurance after it‘s wrecked
• Pay an additional $10-20k excess fee based on car value
• Wait 24 hours game time before it respawns in your garage

Based on Reddit estimates, here‘s a breakdown of common excess fees:

Without insurance, any destroyed car is gone. So make sure to visit Los Santos Customs and get coverage!

Impounded Cars Require a Tracker to Reclaim

Insurance lets you reclaim a destroyed car, while trackers get back vehicles impounded by police.

If you abandon a car illegally parked on the street, there‘s a chance of it getting impounded and towed away. Retrieve it from the lot for roughly $250-$350.

With both insurance AND a tracker installed, your car has maximum protection against permanent loss – whether impounded or blown to bits!

Can You Keep Stolen Cars in GTA Online?

Sure can! Store stolen cars in your garage just like purchased vehicles. Apply insurance and a tracker too.

However, rockstar has made it so you can only sell less than one stolen car per game day online. This slow drip feed makes long-term stolen car trafficking far less lucrative than in story mode.

Plus you still have to worry about recovering destroyed or impounded stolen cars without insurance coverage!

Evidence of Cars Disappearing in GTA Forums

Scouring various Reddit threads and Rockstar support pages shows many disappointed gamers who lost expensive whips:

• "I saved a Gang Burrito I found for Franklin all modified but now it‘s gone from my garage? I don‘t understand…"

• "Just bought and modded a sick Obey Tailgater worth $175k fully pimped. Some dude blew me up and now it won‘t spawn even after waiting 3 days?? FML"

• "Can someone explain to me how I lose my Grotti Cheetah just because some troll shoots it up? That was my favorite car man :("

So personal experience and community complaints proves you can permanently lose vehicles in GTA Online if they blow up uninsured!

Key Takeaways on Car Ownership in GTA

After analyzing all the data, here are my top tips for maintaining your prized auto collection:

✅ Cars bought in GTA 5 story mode are permanently owned

✅ Buy insurance to reclaim destroyed vehicles in GTA Online

✅ Install a tracker too so cops can‘t impound your car forever

✅ Apply tracker + insurance to stolen cars you store in garages

Let me know if you still have any other questions in the comments! I‘m always happy to lend my veteran GTA expertise to new players.