What the car HUD shows you and where to find it

When you get into a car in GTA 5 single player, a display appears on your screen showing your vehicle's speed, engine health, and fuel level. This is called the heads-up display, or HUD. It sits in the lower left corner of your screen by default and updates in real time as you drive. The HUD tells you how fast you're going in miles per hour, whether your engine is taking damage, and how much gas you have left.

The car HUD also shows your wanted level (the stars that appear when police are chasing you) and a minimap in the corner. If you're driving a car with special features — like a taxi or a police cruiser — the HUD may display additional information specific to that vehicle's job or function.

Key Takeaways

  • The car HUD appears automatically when you enter any vehicle and shows speed, engine health, fuel, and wanted level in the lower left corner.
  • You can turn the entire HUD on or off through the Settings menu under Display, which also lets you hide individual elements like the minimap or speedometer.
  • The HUD position and size cannot be moved or resized in single player, but you can choose which elements appear on screen.
  • Switching between first-person and third-person camera views changes how much of the HUD you see and what information is most visible.
  • Damage to your engine shows as a red bar on the HUD; when it empties, your car stops running and you must repair it or find another vehicle.

Turning the HUD on and off

To hide or show the car HUD, go to Settings from the main pause menu, then select Display. Look for the option labeled "HUD" and toggle it on or off. When the HUD is off, the speedometer, fuel gauge, minimap, and wanted level all disappear from your screen. This gives you a clearer view of the road and the world around you, which some players prefer for taking screenshots or videos.

Turning off the entire HUD also removes helpful information, so you won't see your speed or how much fuel you have left. If you run out of gas with the HUD off, your car will straightforward stop and you won't get a warning beforehand. You can toggle the HUD back on at any time by returning to Settings and flipping the switch again.

Hiding specific HUD elements without turning everything off

If you want to keep some information visible but hide other parts, the Display settings menu lets you control individual elements. You can turn off the minimap while keeping the speedometer, or hide the wanted level stars while keeping everything else. This is useful if you find one part of the HUD distracting but need the rest for driving.

Each element has its own toggle in the Display menu. Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for your playstyle. Some players hide the minimap to focus on the road ahead, while others turn off the wanted level indicator because they know when police are chasing them by the sound and visual chaos on screen.

How the HUD changes in first-person versus third-person view

When you drive in third-person view (the camera behind your character), you see the full car HUD in the lower left corner. When you switch to first-person view by pressing the right stick on console or a key on PC, the HUD changes. In first-person, the speedometer and fuel gauge appear on the car's dashboard in front of you, making them feel more realistic and immersive.

The minimap and wanted level still appear in the corner in first-person view, but the speedometer is now part of the car's interior rather than a floating display. This makes first-person driving feel more like sitting in a real vehicle. If you find the first-person HUD harder to read, you can switch back to third-person or adjust your display settings to hide elements you don't need.

Understanding what each HUD element means

The speedometer shows how fast you're driving in miles per hour. It helps you stay under the speed limit to avoid police attention and tells you when you're going fast enough to perform stunts. The fuel gauge is a bar that empties as you drive; when it reaches zero, your car stops. You refuel by driving to a gas station and stopping at a pump.

The engine health bar appears as a red indicator and shows how much damage your car has taken. Crashing, hitting obstacles, or being shot at damages the engine. When the engine health reaches zero, your car catches fire and explodes. The wanted level shows as stars in the corner; more stars mean more police are after you. The minimap displays your location, nearby roads, and points of interest like shops and mission markers.

Why your HUD might look different or disappear

If your HUD suddenly vanishes while driving, you may have accidentally toggled it off. Press pause, go to Settings, select Display, and check that HUD is turned on. If you're in a mission that requires a specific view or camera angle, the game may temporarily hide the HUD to match the mission's style — it will return when the mission ends.

Some vehicles have custom interiors that change how the HUD appears. Luxury cars or special vehicles may display information differently than a standard sedan. If you're playing in a very zoomed-in or zoomed-out camera view, parts of the HUD might be harder to see. Adjusting your camera distance through the settings can help make the HUD more readable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move the car HUD to a different part of the screen?

No, the car HUD position is fixed in the lower left corner in single player and cannot be moved or resized. You can only turn individual elements on or off through the Display settings menu.

What happens if I run out of fuel while driving?

Your car slows down and stops. You must walk to a gas station to refuel, or find another vehicle. If the HUD is on, the fuel gauge warns you before you run empty. With the HUD off, you get no warning.

Does the HUD look the same in every car?

The basic HUD layout is the same for most cars, but some special vehicles display additional information. Police cars show radar, taxis show fare information, and armored vehicles may show armor status. The core speedometer and fuel gauge remain consistent across all vehicles.

Can I take screenshots without the HUD showing?

Yes, turn off the HUD through Settings before taking your screenshot. This removes all on-screen displays and gives you a clean view of the game world for photos or videos.