This page contains all the known Glitches in Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodes.
Automated Arm Gate Glitch[]
If the player exits a vehicle parked at the entrance of any automated arm gates, such as those leading to Francis International Airport's cargo yard, the gates will go back down and sometimes cause the vehicle to disappear.
Bike Interior Glitch[]
Players have reported the existence of a glitch involving getting a bike stuck halfway in an interior's walls. Upon pressing the vehicle enter button, the player will be forced into the interior. This method can cause Niko to spawn in places not accessible under normal circumstances, however, that certain places, such as Mikhail Faustin's house, may not have an actual interior sending Niko falling into blue hell.
Camera Glitch[]
Bringing up the camera option on the phone while driving a land-based vehicle will instantly stop the vehicle no matter what speed the vehicle was going. This glitch has been patched in the PC version of the game.
Car Glitches[]
Catapult Glitch[]
If Niko is atop a moving vehicle when the vehicle drives down a slope, Niko will suddenly flinch and fall over, on rare occasions, being catapulted a few feet into the air.
Cell Phone Engine Glitch[]
If a vehicle receives enough damage that the engine stalls and fails to start again, the engine can be coerced back to life if a call is initiated using the cellphone or if Niko receives a call from someone.
Cheat Spawning Glitch[]
If any vehicle is spawned using cheats while Niko is facing a drop-off, such as the edge of an overpass or building, the vehicle will always spawn in the air and remain floating until acted upon by an outside force such as the player, another vehicle or a bullet. If a vehicle is spawned while standing just before the entrance of the Booth Tunnel, the car may become stuck in the top of the tunnel. Again, it can be freed from it's 'stasis' by shooting it.
Date Glitch[]
If, at the beginning of a date with a girlfriend, the player waits for the girlfriend to become bored and then fires a weapon to 'scare' her and end the date while both are in a vehicle, the vehicle used will become immune to fire, bullets, explosions and general damage after the cut-scene is over. This, however, does not include the tires.
Police Vehicle Damage Glitch[]
No matter how much damage is sustained to any land-based Police Vehicle as the result of a collision, all occupants will remain relatively unscathed with only minimal health damage. Officers, N.O.O.S.E and FIB can all be exhibited surviving crashes that would kill other pedestrian drivers, only catching fire and dying when a vehicle combusts internally as the result of a truly horrific crash, not often seen without the assistance of a trainer or mods. The glitch affects the Police Cruiser, Police Patrol, Police Stockade, FIB and Enforcer and can be observed when the player is both innocent and has attained a wanted level.
It is unknown exactly what causes this glitch as the Police Vehicles Mass and Damage Multiplier values seem to be on par with other similar vehicles. It is possible Rockstar purposefully made Law Enforcement incredibly tough when in vehicles to prevent players from easily dispatching them with a fast, heavy vehicle such as the Phantom. This glitch is present in the PC version of the game.
Wheel Glitch[]
A car's top speed and acceleration can be altered if all the tires are popped, decreasing acceleration and increasing top speed. This occurs due to tires directly affecting a vehicle's Mass and Drag Multiplier values in the handling.dat file, where Mass dictates a vehicle's acceleration and the Drag Multiplier dictates top speed. This glitch can result in super cars achieving a higher top speed than that of the Police Stinger with intact tires.You can also do something similar by damaging the suspension
Ghost Car Glitch[]
Rarely in GTA IV, boarding a car makes the car drive forward automatically, other incidents follow, such as a mysterious wobbling of the camera. Shooting an NPC while they're in the car causes the car to automatically drive forward even if the driver is dead, resulting in Niko being run over.
Car Spawn Glitches[]
Cayuga Avenue Car Spawn Glitch[]
On Cayuga Avenue in Schottler, Broker, parked driver-less cars will often spawn on the wrong side of the road, facing into traffic, causing congestion and sometimes collisions. The glitch is most prominent on the section of road between Boone and Cassidy Street. This glitch is present in the PC version of the game.
Rock Car Glitch[]
Occasionally, a Pedestrian car will spawn that appears to be like any normal vehicle while in motion, however, once crashed into with another vehicle, the car will not move from its line of travel, creating tremendous forces against both vehicles involved, with the collision comparable to driving directly into a wall at speed. The impact usually kills the Pedestrian and creates high to extreme damage to the player's car with Niko sometimes being ejected and the Pedestrian's vehicle sustaining enough damage to combust internally. The Pedestrian vehicle has been termed the 'Rock Car'.
San Quentin Avenue Car Spawn Glitch[]
San Quentin Avenue, Bohan, has an extremely high spawn count for one particular type of vehicle in the spawn pool. Typically, spawn points on a road should spawn a variety of vehicles from the current spawn pool, but for some reason, this road only spawns primarily one type of vehicle. Affected areas can be observed at the North end of the avenue where it meets Grand Boulevard and the Southern end of the Avenue before it becomes Gainer Street. It is believed to be a development oversight. The glitch is present in all versions of the game.
Westdyke Gas Station Car Glitch[]
Sometimes, when driving by the gas station in Westdyke, two vehicles can be seen parked in the parking lot, one of which will sometimes be parked with its engine running, doors locked, and hazard lights on, which cannot be turned off by the player.
Fall Glitch[]
If a gap between by two objects is fallen into, such as between two cars or dumpsters, Niko will suffer minimal damage even when falling from a height that would normally result in death.
Food Vendor Glitch[]
Sometimes when ordering food at any food vendor, Niko may become stuck, standing in front of the vendor doing nothing. This glitch can be rectified by either reloading a previously saved game or by entering the Pause Menu for at least 10 seconds. When this glitch is experienced at Street Side Hot Dog stands, Niko will walk in a circle multiple times before sometimes finally walking to the front of the stand and receiving food. This particular instance can be avoided by ensuring Niko is facing the front of the Hot Dog stand and is stationary when ordering food. Cars and other objects have been known to block Niko's path when ordering food from a distance, triggering this glitch.
Francis International Airport Glitches[]
Ramp Glitch[]
If any large vehicle, such as a truck, is driven slowly up one of the ramps at Francis International Airport and is manipulated so the truck falls on its side, the truck will begin spinning in circles on the ground where it fell. This glitch is also present during the Online Multiplayer Mode, "Free Mode", where all players present can witness the glitch.
Building Glitch[]
It is possible to enter the airport building itself by jumping onto the pillars next to one of the Automated Arm Gate entrances to the Airport and navigating the top of walls. The building will have no interior, as it was never intended to be seen.
GetaLife Building Glitch[]
If Niko walks and falls onto the E of the logo at the top of the GetaLife building, he will take damage and move forward, causing him to fall, albeit at a slower than normal rate, often remaining in a lying down animation and taking no damage when reaching the ground.
Goldberg's Office Glitch[]
Goldberg's Office Interior can be accessed outside of the mission Final Interview if a Turismo is spawned using cheats between the inside of the hallway leading to Goldberg's office and the waiting area and the vehicle is successfully entered.
Hospital Time Glitch[]
Dying and being admitted to a hospital causes the in-game time to advance 12 hours, however, the day does not advance to the next. For example, if admitted to hospital at 7:00 on Saturday, when released it will be 19:00 on Saturday, but if admitted to hospital at 19:00 on Saturday, when released it will be 7:00 Saturday when it should actually be 7:00 Sunday. This glitch is present in the PC version of the Game.
Multiplayer Glitches[]
Bomb Da Base II Glitch[]
During the Online Multiplayer Mode "Bomb Da Base II", the screen can go black and then show the Loading... screen, with the player forced back to single player. This glitch is only present in the PS3 version, and was later patched by Rockstar.
Engine Glitch[]
During any Online Multiplayer mode, a vehicle whose engine doesn't start can be restarted if another player kicks the front of the vehicle.
No. 1 Mission Glitch[]
During the mission No. 1, if the game is left to idle near the race start, without the race triggered, the competition cars will drive off, forfeiting the race. Brucie will remain in the car and no mission failure will take place with the yellow arrow that begins the race still in place and the race still able to be run. This glitch is present in the Xbox 360 version of the game.
No Wanted Glitch[]
Very rarely, Niko will attain immunity from the Police, enabling the player to hijack police vehicles, and fire a weapon and even kill police officers with no consequences. It is unknown exactly what causes this glitch but some players believe is occurs after using the cellphone. This glitch is present in the PC version of the game.
Playboy X's Apartment Glitch[]
The roof of Playboy X's penthouse suite can be accessed by jumping on a power box to the right of the patio door from a certain point of the box so Niko grabs onto the roof. Jumping too close to the edge oddly will not allow the player to make it onto the roof. It is possible for footprints to appear on top of the box, indicating exactly where Niko's feet must be to make the jump. It has also been observed that these footprints will turn to blood spatters after shooting someone, and will only reappear when Niko is standing on the box and is being shot at, thus drawing your own blood.
Prostitute Glitches[]
Vehicle Commandeering Glitch[]
Sometimes, when a prostitute has been invited into a car, which is then bailed out of at speed, the prostitute will slide over to the driver's seat and drive off with the car. Strangely, if the vehicle is pursued and the driver inspected, a male Pedestrian will be found in the driver's seat, with the prostitute nowhere to be found.
Passenger Hijack Glitch[]
When a Pedestrian vehicle with a passenger is stopped with the intention of inviting a prostitute into the vehicle, the prostitute will pull the passenger out of the car and enter the passenger's seat. The passenger will sometimes then become hostile towards the Prostitute, attempting to pull them back out of the car, proceeding to attack the prostitute if successful in doing so. Interestingly, the driver will recognize the prostitute as an ally and begin attacking their passenger, with most examples of the glitch ending in a fisticuffs between both driver and passenger in the street.
Pick Up Glitch[]
When an NPC car is approaching a prostitute, it will immediately stop no matter how fast the car is, and pick up or ignore the prostitute. (Tested in the PS3 version of the game)
Resist Arrest Glitch[]
Sometimes, when Niko obtains a 1 Star wanted level and an arrest is attempted by police while the Niko is on foot, the arrest cannot be resisted as the resist arrest notification fails to appear and Niko will be arrested no matter what controls are pressed.
Sara Random Encounter Mission Glitch[]
Sometimes, after completing the second mission for Random Encounter Character Sara, the package picked up will remain in Niko's hand, along with his weapon. Weapons can be cycled through normally, but cannot be used and aiming is glitched. This glitch can be rectified if Niko is Wasted or Busted.
Shop Door Glitch[]
Shop doors can be observed vibrating and distorting if forced open by a vehicle.
Sleeping Pedestrian Glitch[]
There is a rare chance that a pedestrian will spawn lying on the ground, continuing to converse with other pedestrians, talking about the day an hitting on or responding to being hit on. The pedestrian will return to a normal animation if acted upon by an outside force such a vehicle, the player or a bullet.
Strip Club Glitch[]
If any strip club's bouncer's are made hostile or a lap-dance session is spent with a stripper, gang members from areas all around the city will become hostile if they are bumped, but will flee if attacked. Strangely, hostile drivers who would normally attempt to attack Niko upon the player crashing into their car are completely absent.
Subway Glitches[]
Train Glitch[]
Occasionally, when the public transport Subway system is used, Niko will be stuck to his seat, unable to exit the train at the end of the journey, no matter what controls are pressed and the train will remain at the station. The only known way to rectify this glitch is to restart the game. This glitch has so far only been confirmed at Suffolk, Frankfort Ave, and Easton (K/C) Subway Stations.
Tunnel Glitch[]
In the Subway Tunnels, if the player is riding a motorcycle and is trapped between the tunnel wall and a moving train, Niko will be forced through the wall into Blue Hell and knocked from the bike. If a large vehicle is used, such as the Bus, and the player is shoved by two subway trains traveling in opposite directions, Niko will also be forced into Blue Hell. When in Blue Hell, Niko falls briefly for a several seconds before being teleported to the ground above.
Swing Glitch[]
If a vehicle is driven directly into one of several glitched swing sets around the city, the vehicle and Niko will be catapulted high into the air at considerable speed, often destroying the vehicle or damaging it greatly upon landing. Certain vehicles have been reported to be more responsive to the glitch. The most infamous of these swing sets is located in the Firefly Projects playground on Mohegan Avenue in Broker. The player can also climb onto a swing set.
Seatbelt Glitch[]
In a police cruiser, prop your vehicle onto the swing and access the police computer ready to be catapulted. Wait until you are launched from the swing. Once you have been catapulted from the swing, you can exit the police computer after your vehicle came to a stop. You should now have a “seatbelt” on and you will not fly out of the windshield from a crash. This goes for any vehicle you enter from now on.
Taxi Driver Side Mission Glitch[]
When completing the taxi Driver Side Missions for Roman, if the cab is stopped next to street-side objects, such as newspaper boxes or dumpsters, when picking up a fare, the fare will walk into the objects and become stuck. The only way to rectify this glitch is to reload a previously saved game. This glitch is present in the Xbox 360 version of the game.
Taxi Mini-Map Glitch[]
Sometimes, after skipping the journey in a taxi with the destination being a gun shop, the mini-map will disappear from the HUD. This glitch can be rectified by entering the pause menu then resuming the game. This glitch is present in the PC version of the game.
TW@ Internet Cafe Glitches[]
Kick Glitch[]
If a Pedestrian is kicked whilst they are using a computer in any TW@ internet cafe, their health will be completely or mostly drained. This does not work if the Pedestrian is sitting at a chair with no computer. This glitch is present in the Xbox 360 version of the game.
Sanchez Glitch[]
If a Sanchez is spawned inside the Northern Algonquin TW@ internet cafe whilst the player is outside the cafe looking in, and the motorcycle is then entered, Pedestrians and even the player will become invisible. This glitch is present in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game.
Wanted Level Glitch[]
A 5 or 6 Star wanted level can be reduced to a 4 Star wanted level by entering Francis International Airport and driving on or near the runway or by entering the Civilization Committee grounds.
Water Post-Mission Glitch[]
After any mission in which an enemy was shot or blown into water at the end of that mission, such as Uncle Vlad or when triggering the cinematic kill-move in Bleed Out, the body of that particular enemy will not be shown in the water, even if the cut-scene ended with the player only a few feet away from the sea.
The only exception to this glitch is mission Tunnel of Death, as Aiden's body can be seen tumbling down to the base of the cliff where it remains until the area is reloaded. It is thought this is an exception since the death of the character takes place in real-time with the player executing the kill, rather than taking place in a cut-scene.
The Ballad of Gay Tony Glitches[]
Assault SMG Glitch[]
If the Advanced Weapons cheat is entered while in any vehicle with an SMG or Micro-SMG selected as the drive-by weapon, the weapon will be replaced with an Advanced SMG, which cannot normally be used in drive-by mode. When firing the Assault SMG while still in drive-by mode, Luis' body will become extremely deformed due to there not being a proper animation for firing the weapon from a vehicle. On the PC version this is also possible without using cheats by scrolling down with the mouse wheel.
Blue Hell Helicopter Glitch[]
If a helicopter is crashed into the Rotterdam Tower above the second ledge on any side, the helicopter and Luis will enter Blue Hell momentarily teleporting either above the Rotterdam Tower or above the Firefly Projects.
Invisible Helicopter Glitch[]
If the swing glitch is attempted using a helicopter, the aircraft become invisible, with only Luis being visible. The glitch is easier observed using the Buzzard. This glitch is present in the PS3 version of the game.
Luis' Apartment TV Glitch[]
When starting a new game, Luis' Apartment Television will sometimes appear broken as if it had been shot at. The glitch can be rectified by watching the TV. This glitch is present in the PC version of the game.
Vehicle Light Glitch[]
Sometimes, the tail lights of cars unique to The Ballard of Gay Tony expansion will not light up correctly, with the most notable example being the 2nd Generation Schafter. This glitch is present in the PC Version of the game.
Parachute Glitch[]
When the player has an equipped parachute and jumps off the left pier on Happiness Island, Luis will be on free fall animation even the pier isn't tall enough to activate the animation. This glitch is tested in the PS3 version of the game.
FIB Buffalo Glitch[]
It is possible to spawn an FIB Buffalo inside Luis' apartment. Stand outside his apartment facing to the door/windows and activate the spawn FIB Buffalo cheat. Sometimes it spawns in the street instead, but if you change your position, there's a chance that the vehicle will spawn inside. Make sure you are still facing through the door/windows of the apartment. If the vehicle has successfully spawned inside, it will become invisible although it's still solid. Pressing the enter vehicle button will make the car visible and gives you vision to the Blue Hell.