Pick a recovery method from the situation
| What happened | Try first | Fallback |
|---|---|---|
| Wheels spin, a tree is reachable | Attach to a useful fixed point and pull toward a clear exit. | Reposition before repeating an ineffective pull. |
| No useful natural anchor | A portable winch anchor, if equipped. | A teammate or a discovered respawn point. |
| Vehicle has rolled | The jack can reposition the vehicle. | Winch help or respawning if the terrain leaves no usable recovery. |
| Vehicle is in the water | Check whether a tree or teammate can pull it to an exit. | Return to a discovered cabin or merchant. |
The developer gave these tool choices in a June Demo answer. The current tools reference still lists the anchor and jack. The route through the choices is our synthesis; it does not establish a universal recovery angle or a guaranteed water rescue. [1] [2]
Useful default inputs to check
| Action | Keyboard | Xbox pad |
|---|---|---|
| Quick winch / pull | O | Y |
| Extend winch | L | A |
| Release winch | P | B |
| Radial menu | Q | Right stick press |
These are the current community-recorded defaults, checked October 19. Rebound controls and context prompts take precedence; the dedicated Winch Action shortcut has no default binding in that reference. Check the in-game controls before assuming a key is broken. [3]
When repeated pulling is not helping
Stop and inspect the exit path. A taut cable aimed into the same obstacle does not show that a stronger engine is needed. Try a different usable anchor or bring a helper into a position that changes the pull direction. If the car is rolled, consider the tool intended to reposition it before spending more time on the same line.
These are recovery decisions based on the available tools, not measured physics thresholds. For an extraction involving a meteorite rather than your car, use the separate meteorite checklist.
Pack for the failure you actually had
If the recurring problem is an empty landscape with no tree, make room for a portable anchor. If you keep ending up on your side, consider the jack. When your tool space forces a choice between both, the inventory upgrade is a relevant decision rather than simply chasing more speed. [2] [4]
If you cannot recover, use the known map fallback and return with the appropriate equipment. There is no requirement to force the same failed approach indefinitely.