05/04/2007
Grand Theft Auto V offers a sprawling narrative filled with memorable characters and thrilling missions. Among them, the 'Father/Son' mission stands out as a pivotal early-game experience, introducing players to Michael's chaotic family life and the essential Los Santos Customs garages. However, many players, particularly those delving into the vast world of Los Santos for the first time, often encounter frustrating roadblocks when trying to complete this mission. Whether it's a mysterious glitch preventing car repairs or simply figuring out how to initiate the quest, these issues can halt your progress and enjoyment. This comprehensive guide, tailored for our UK readers, aims to demystify the 'Father/Son' mission, providing clear solutions to common problems and ensuring a smooth journey through one of GTA 5's early highlights.
Unlocking the 'Father/Son' Mission
Before you can even begin to tackle any potential glitches, you need to ensure you've properly unlocked the 'Father/Son' mission. This quest, officially Mission 6 in the main storyline, becomes available after you've successfully completed Main Mission 5, titled 'Complications'. Once 'Complications' is in the bag, the 'Father/Son' mission marker, represented by an 'M' on your world map, will appear at Michael's residence in Rockford Hills. You can approach this mission's starting point as either Franklin or Michael, though selecting Michael offers a slightly richer introductory cutscene that provides more insight into his dysfunctional family dynamic. Regardless of your choice, the core objective remains the same: assisting Michael's son, Jimmy, with a rather unfortunate incident involving the family yacht.
A Walkthrough of the 'Father/Son' Mission
While this guide primarily focuses on troubleshooting, a brief overview of the mission's progression is useful for context. The mission begins at Michael's sprawling estate. Shortly after, Jimmy calls, reporting the family yacht has been stolen and is being transported on a truck. Your task, as Michael, is to chase this truck in Amanda's Ubermacht Sentinel, with Franklin joining you. The pursuit requires careful driving to allow Franklin to jump onto the trailer and then onto the yacht itself. A crucial moment involves saving Franklin by taking a precise shot at an assailant, followed by a frantic rescue of Jimmy, who ends up dangling precariously over the motorway. You must quickly position your car beneath him to catch him. Following these dramatic events, Michael's car malfunctions, leading you to the Los Santos Customs garage. Here, you'll be introduced to the vehicle customisation system, with the primary objective being to repair Amanda's car. The mission concludes once you've returned Jimmy home safely.
Common Glitches and How to Fix Them
The 'Father/Son' mission, particularly the segment involving Los Santos Customs, is notorious for a few frustrating glitches. If you find yourself unable to progress, freezing, or simply unable to interact with the garage, don't despair! Here are the most effective solutions, ranging from simple retries to more unconventional, yet proven, methods.
The Los Santos Customs Freeze/Interaction Bug
One of the most widely reported issues is the game freezing or becoming unresponsive when you reach Los Santos Customs to repair Amanda's car. Players might find themselves unable to enter the garage, select options, or the game simply grinds to a halt. This bug can be incredibly frustrating, but there are multiple ways to tackle it:
The 'Three Attempts' Method
This is often the simplest solution to try first. If the game freezes or prevents you from repairing Amanda's car on your first attempt, simply exit the mission (if possible) or allow it to fail, and then try again. Many players have reported that the bug resolves itself on the third attempt. It seems the game sometimes needs a few tries to properly load the mission's scripts or trigger the correct events within the garage. It's a bit of a patience game, but often effective.
The 'Run Over the Mechanic' Workaround
This method sounds outlandish, but it has proven to be a surprisingly effective fix for the Los Santos Customs glitch, particularly when you can't interact with the garage or the options menu. This workaround is most relevant if you're stuck at the point where you're supposed to drive into the garage, but nothing happens. Here’s how to perform this rather aggressive fix:
- When you arrive at Los Santos Customs and the game isn't progressing, locate the mechanic character standing inside or near the garage entrance.
- Deliberately drive your car over the mechanic. You'll likely fail the mission for 'killing a civilian'.
- Repeat this action two more times. After the third time you run over the mechanic and fail the mission, the game should present you with an option to 'Skip' or 'Quit' the scene.
- Select the 'Quit' or 'Skip Scene' option. Instead of spawning back on a bridge (which is typical for mission failures), you should be returned to a cutscene where Michael is talking to Franklin.
- Once back in this cutscene, repeat the entire process: drive to Los Santos Customs, and if the glitch persists, run over the mechanic three more times.
- After the second set of three failures, when you choose to skip the scene, the game should properly load the Los Santos Customs interface, allowing you to repair Amanda's car and continue the mission as intended.
While unconventional, this method forces the game's script to reset in a way that often bypasses the glitch, allowing you to proceed. It's a testament to the quirky nature of game bugs!
Understanding the Los Santos Customs Glitch
Why does this glitch happen in the first place? Gamers have speculated that this issue often arises if you've played Grand Theft Auto Online before extensively playing the story mode. It's believed that certain online assets or script behaviours might conflict with the single-player mission's requirements, leading to the unresponsive garage. Additionally, ensure you don't have a police wanted level when approaching Los Santos Customs. If you're being chased by the police, you won't be able to interact with any services, including the garage, which isn't a glitch but a game mechanic.
Final Resort: Reinstallation
If the above methods fail to resolve your issues, and you're still unable to complete the 'Father/Son' mission, a more drastic but often effective solution is a clean reinstallation of the game. This should be your last resort, as it involves significant download times, but it can clear up deeply ingrained corruptions or bugs.
- Exit the game completely. Ensure GTA 5 is not running in the background.
- Delete the game data. This is crucial: make sure you are deleting the *game installation data* and NOT your *save data*. Save data is usually stored separately and should not be touched unless you intend to start the entire game from scratch. Consult your console or PC's system settings for how to delete game installations.
- Re-install the game. Once the old game data is gone, proceed to reinstall GTA 5 from your disc or digital library. This will ensure you have a fresh, uncorrupted installation.
- Try the mission again. With a fresh install, there's a very high chance the 'Father/Son' mission, and any other problematic areas, will function correctly.
Rewards and 100% Completion
Successfully completing the 'Father/Son' mission yields several important rewards and unlocks critical game features. These include:
- Michael being added to Franklin's personal contacts list.
- Jimmy being added to Franklin's personal contacts list.
- Michael's house becoming fully unlocked, providing access to various activities within the estate.
- Michael's personal vehicle, the Obey Tailgater, becoming available.
- The garage next to Michael's house being unlocked.
- All Los Santos Customs garages across the world map becoming accessible.
For players aiming for 100% mission completion, while the core completion is straightforward, specific requirements might involve completing the mission within a certain time or without damaging Amanda's car too much after the repair. Always check the in-game mission checklist for precise objectives to achieve a perfect rating.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is 'Father/Son' in GTA 5?
'Father/Son' is the sixth main story mission in Grand Theft Auto V. It serves as a pivotal mission that integrates Franklin into Michael's family life, showcasing the chaotic dynamics between Michael, his son Jimmy, and his wife Amanda. It also introduces players to the crucial Los Santos Customs vehicle modification system. The mission's opening can vary slightly depending on whether you initiate it as Michael (showing a cutscene with Tracey and Amanda arguing) or Franklin (Michael already by the pool).
How much does Los Santos Customs cost in GTA 5?
Los Santos Customs garages themselves, as standalone businesses, can be purchased by Franklin for a sum of $350,000. The most significant benefit of Franklin owning a Los Santos Customs garage is that all car modifications and repairs become entirely free for him at any Los Santos Customs location. This is an incredible perk for players who enjoy customising their vehicles without worrying about the cost. While the 'Father/Son' mission provides a free repair as part of the storyline, owning the garage truly unlocks a world of free vehicle customisation for Franklin. In GTA Online, Los Santos Customs also offers features like fitting remote bombs into cars, typically unlocked at Rank 50, which can be useful for various online objectives.
Why can't I repair Amanda's car?
The inability to repair Amanda's car at Los Santos Customs is a common bug, often leading to a game freeze or unresponsiveness. As detailed above, the primary solutions involve trying the mission multiple times (the 'three attempts' method) or, if that fails, using the more unconventional 'run over the mechanic three times' workaround. Ensure you do not have a police wanted level, as this will prevent any interaction with Los Santos Customs.
Conclusion
The 'Father/Son' mission is an integral part of the Grand Theft Auto V narrative, offering both thrilling action and character development. While its notorious glitches at Los Santos Customs can be a source of immense frustration, the solutions outlined in this guide – from simple retries to the peculiar 'run over the mechanic' trick and, as a last resort, reinstallation – should equip you with the knowledge to overcome these obstacles. Remember, patience and persistence are key when tackling game bugs. With these tips in your arsenal, you'll be able to successfully complete the mission, unlock new features, and continue your criminal escapades across the vibrant, yet sometimes glitchy, landscape of Los Santos. Happy motoring!
If you want to read more articles similar to Conquering GTA 5's Father/Son Mission: A UK Guide, you can visit the Automotive category.