Used Cars Simulator 1.0: Steal Cars, Sell Cars, Flee the Cops
Used Cars Simulator officially left Early Access on October 9, 2026, after roughly 18 months of buying, repairing, selling and occasionally stealing cars. Version 1.0 introduces Season 3, new quests, locations, characters, two additional vehicles and a collection of improvements and fixes.
The game already has more than 1,100 Steam reviews, with roughly 79% positive. There's clearly an audience for it, and the concept is rather interesting.
You can run a legitimate used-car dealership, buying vehicles cheaply, fixing them up and selling them for profit. Or you can skip the buying part entirely and help yourself to somebody else's car.
Is it worth playing? If you enjoy criminal business simulators, there's enough here to warrant a look. The theft mechanics are genuinely part of the economy, although it's too early to say whether version 1.0 has resolved the problems that followed the game through Early Access.
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Why buy a car when you can simply steal one?
Most car dealership simulators have you buying used vehicles, repairing them and trying to turn a profit. Fair enough. It's a respectable business, provided you're comfortable telling someone that the suspicious knocking noise is entirely normal for a 2008 Volkswagen.
Used Cars Simulator follows much the same formula. You acquire cars, inspect their condition, replace parts, repair damage, customise them and eventually put them up for sale.
But you can also steal them.
Which raises an interesting question. If your business relies on buying cars cheaply and selling them for more money, surely acquiring one for absolutely nothing is the greatest bargain imaginable?
Well, yes. Until the police get involved.
You can attempt to steal ordinary vehicles using lockpicking and hotwiring. Witnesses can alert the authorities, leading to pursuits, and stolen cars need their licence plates changed before they're considered safe. Police can also inspect vehicles you own while you're somewhere else.
That's a clever complication. Escaping with the car is only part of the job. You still need to turn it into something you can safely keep and eventually sell.
I particularly like what this turns you into. You're simultaneously a mechanic, a salesman and a car thief. One minute you're carefully replacing damaged components to improve resale value. The next you're removing evidence that the previous owner never agreed to the transaction.
Presumably the customer still expects a warranty.
The police have apparently brought a helicopter
One of the more interesting changes during Early Access came from complaints about police pursuits.
DreamWay Games acknowledged the criticism and reworked the system, replacing the pursuing police car with a helicopter.
A helicopter.
Now, I don't know what sort of crime statistics the local authorities are dealing with, but this seems a fairly enthusiastic response to someone stealing a used car.
Imagine being the officer receiving that call.
"There's been a vehicle theft."
"Right. Send a patrol."
"We've got a helicopter available."
"Excellent. Scramble it."
"For a stolen hatchback?"
"He's probably going to sell it, Jenkins. We cannot allow this sort of organised criminal enterprise to flourish."
Joking aside, police attention matters because the criminal economy needs consequences. If you can steal every vehicle without meaningful risk, there's little reason to purchase inventory legitimately. The game might as well replace its dealership with a button labelled FREE MONEY.
The illegal route saves money, but creates another problem to solve. Whether the helicopter improves pursuits in practice remains something version 1.0 needs to demonstrate.
Stealing one car is a decent start. But why stop there when you could organise an entire robbery? Explore CRIMENET's Best Heist Games, where the financial planning is questionable and the police response considerably worse.
What's new in Used Cars Simulator 1.0?
The October 9 release introduces Season 3 and concludes the game's Early Access development.
The main additions include:
New Season 3 quests, locations and NPCs.
Two additional vehicles.
Gameplay and quality-of-life improvements.
Balancing adjustments.
Optimisation and bug fixes.
Version 1.0 builds on the existing experience rather than reinventing it. Car theft, illegal trading, vehicle restoration and police interactions were already present during Early Access.
Which is fine. After 18 months, I'd personally rather see the existing systems working properly than receive another twenty vehicles that all need repairing.
Particularly because the game has had some interesting problems.
Selling the same car forever sounds like excellent business
During Early Access, players raised concerns about police behaviour, driving, repetition and parts of the criminal economy. There were also technical issues, including an exploit allowing players to repeatedly sell the same vehicle.
Now that's an impressive business model.
Forget stealing cars, buying them or spending hours repairing some battered wreck. Apparently, you could just keep selling the same bloody car.
Imagine explaining that to your accountant.
"How many vehicles did we sell this month?"
"One."
"Only one?"
"Yes. Four hundred and eighty-seven times."
Unfortunately, that's a serious problem for a game built around acquiring and improving cars for profit. When the economy can be bypassed so easily, progression loses much of its purpose.
DreamWay patched the exploit in September, alongside vehicle-spawning and container problems. Combined with the police changes, it shows continued attention to the game's underlying systems.
And the reception is encouraging. At launch, approximately 79% of its 1,165 Steam reviews were positive. That's respectable, but those reviews largely reflect Early Access. They cannot tell us whether today's build has resolved every lingering frustration.
Is Used Cars Simulator 1.0 worth playing?
For anyone interested in criminal business simulators, Used Cars Simulator deserves a look. Its car-trading economy has an established audience, while theft, witnesses, police pursuits and disguising stolen vehicles give the illegal route some genuine substance.
The remaining question is how well everything works together in the finished release. Version 1.0 brings additional content and refinements, but a definitive verdict on those improvements needs fresh player evidence.
For now, the premise is entertaining, the criminal mechanics have substance and the reception is encouraging.
Just don't expect the police to appreciate your entrepreneurial spirit. Apparently, stealing a second-hand Volkswagen is enough to warrant deploying the air force.
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Used Cars Simulator 1.0 FAQ
When did Used Cars Simulator 1.0 release?
Used Cars Simulator launched version 1.0 on October 9, 2026, after approximately 18 months in Steam Early Access.
Can you steal cars in Used Cars Simulator?
Yes. You can steal vehicles using lockpicking and hotwiring, but witnesses can alert the police. You'll also need to change stolen vehicles' licence plates to make them safe.
What's new in Used Cars Simulator 1.0?
Version 1.0 introduces Season 3, new quests, locations, NPCs, two additional vehicles, gameplay improvements, balancing changes, optimisation and bug fixes.
Can the police chase you in Used Cars Simulator?
Yes. Vehicle theft can trigger police pursuits. During Early Access, the developers reworked the pursuit system and replaced the chasing police car with a helicopter. Apparently, stealing a used hatchback now requires an airborne response.
Is Used Cars Simulator 1.0 worth playing?
Yes, particularly if you enjoy criminal business simulators. The game has a Mostly Positive Steam reception, with approximately 79% positive reviews at launch. However, it's too early to confirm whether version 1.0 resolves every lingering Early Access issue.
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