Forza Horizon 5 What Is Car Pass? | Know What You’re Buying

“Car Pass” gets tossed around in store listings and bundle names, yet it’s easy to misread. Some players assume it’s a timed subscription. Others think it unlocks every new car that drops in seasonal updates.

It’s neither. Car Pass is a single purchase that unlocks a fixed list of extra cars. This guide explains what you get, what you don’t, how claiming works, and how to tell if it fits your play style.

What Car Pass Means In Forza Horizon 5

Car Pass is a paid add-on that unlocks a set list of cars for Forza Horizon 5. Once you own it, each included car becomes available as a one-time, zero-credit claim in your garage. After you claim a Car Pass car, it behaves like any other car you own: drive it, tune it, paint it, and take it into events.

Car Pass isn’t a monthly plan. It doesn’t expire. It also isn’t a “pick any cars you want” voucher system. You’re buying access to a predefined catalog that’s tied to your account and the storefront where you purchased it.

The headline number is 42 cars total, including eight Formula Drift cars. The official description also spells out the “one-time free addition” rule. Car Pass details from Forza confirm those basics.

What You Get After You Buy Car Pass

Car Pass delivers extra cars without draining in-game credits when you add each one to your garage the first time. That’s the whole pitch.

One free claim per included car

Each Car Pass car can be added once at zero credits. If you delete it later, the free claim doesn’t reset. You can still own another copy, yet you’ll pay credits like you would for any other purchase.

All cars are already released

When FH5 launched, Car Pass cars rolled out on a weekly schedule. If you buy Car Pass now, you’re not waiting. The full set is already out, so you can claim any of the included cars right away.

Formula Drift pack included

Eight Formula Drift cars are part of the 42-car total. If you enjoy drift builds, that bundle is a meaningful chunk of the value. Store listings also call it out directly. Xbox store description for Car Pass lists the 42-car total and the one-time free claim rule.

What Car Pass Does Not Include

Car Pass only covers the Car Pass cars. It doesn’t unlock the big expansion maps, and it doesn’t hand you every new car that appears in monthly updates.

• No expansions: extra maps and campaigns are separate purchases.
• No VIP perks: VIP is its own add-on with its own benefits.
• No seasonal rewards: Festival Playlist cars are earned through play, not granted by Car Pass.

Forza Horizon 5 What Is Car Pass? The Details That Matter

If you’re comparing editions, it helps to keep the moving parts in one place. Use this table to confirm what you’re buying and what you should not expect.

Detail	What It Means	Buying Tip
Total cars	42 DLC cars in a fixed list	Eight of the 42 are Formula Drift cars
How you get them	Claim each car once at zero credits	Deleting a car later won’t bring the free claim back
Timing	All Car Pass cars are already released	Buy now, then claim what you want right away
Where you claim	DLC/Car Packs tiles inside the game	Don’t rely on Autoshow listings for the free claim
Bundles	Included with Deluxe, Premium, and Premium Add-Ons Bundle	Check your edition before purchasing again
Account tie-in	Owned on the storefront account that bought it	Steam and Xbox storefront purchases may not carry over
What it excludes	No expansions and no VIP perks	Buy expansions if you want new maps
Who it fits	Players who like collecting and trying new builds	If you drive a small rotation, you may skip it

How To Claim Car Pass Cars In-game

Buying Car Pass is step one. Step two is claiming your cars, since they often sit behind a “free” tile until you grab them. Menu labels can differ slightly between platforms, yet the route is usually close to this:

1. Go to any Festival Site or a player house.
2. Open the Buy & Sell tab.
3. Select Car Packs (or a DLC car pack tile).
4. Open Car Pass, then claim each car with the zero-credit option.

After claiming, sort your garage by “recent” or clear any manufacturer/class filters. New cars can be easy to miss in a garage with hundreds of entries.

What “free” covers

The free claim is only for adding the car to your garage once. Upgrades still cost credits. Duplicate copies still cost credits. That’s normal.

Ownership Notes: Editions, Game Pass, And Storefronts

Car Pass is sold as a DLC license. That license lives with your account on the store you used to buy it.

If you bought Deluxe or Premium

Car Pass is included in Deluxe and Premium editions, plus the Premium Add-Ons Bundle. If you bought one of those, you may already own Car Pass. The fastest check is in-game: open the Car Packs area and see if Car Pass shows as owned and the cars show a free claim option.

If you play through Game Pass

You can play FH5 via Game Pass and still buy Car Pass. If your base game access ends, you can’t use the DLC cars until you regain access to the base game on that platform. Your add-on purchase stays tied to your account.

If you switch between Steam and Xbox storefront

FH5 supports cross-play, yet store licenses don’t always transfer between storefronts. If you’re thinking about changing where you own the base game, decide that first. Then buy DLC on the same storefront to avoid split ownership.

Is Car Pass Worth It For You?

Car Pass can feel great or forgettable, depending on how you play. A collector who likes variety will use it constantly. A player who drives a tuned handful of favorites might barely touch it.

Buyers who tend to be happy with it

• Players who rotate cars often and like trying new tunes.
• People who enjoy filling out manufacturer counts and garage goals.
• Drift fans who want the Formula Drift cars bundled in.
• Long-term FH5 players who expect to keep playing for months.

Buyers who often regret it

• Players who stick to a small car rotation and rarely experiment.
• Anyone who mainly wants new maps and new campaign content.
• Players who plan to switch storefronts soon.
• Anyone who’s fine earning cars through seasonal play.

Table: Car Pass Compared With Common FH5 Purchase Paths

When you’re choosing between editions and add-ons, this comparison keeps the decision simple.

Option	What You Get	When It Makes Sense
Car Pass	42 DLC cars, each claimable once at zero credits	You want more cars without spending credits to add them
Deluxe Edition	Base game plus Car Pass	You want the base game and extra cars, not expansions
Premium Edition	Base game plus Car Pass, expansions, and extra add-ons	You plan to play long-term and want the full DLC bundle
Premium Add-Ons Bundle	Car Pass plus expansions and add-ons (base game sold separately)	You play via Game Pass and want DLC without rebuying the base game
Expansions only	New maps and expansion campaigns	You care more about new places to drive than extra cars
Single car packs	Smaller themed sets sold separately	You only want a specific niche pack, not the full Car Pass list

Common Car Pass Snags And Fixes

Most issues are small, yet they waste time if you don’t know the pattern. These checks solve the usual headaches.

Cars aren’t showing after purchase

Open the Car Packs area and claim them. After that, check your garage with filters cleared and sort by “recent.”

Cars still show a credit price

Make sure you’re on the Car Pass claim tile, not the Autoshow. The Autoshow price is still there for buying duplicates. The free claim lives in the DLC area.

Only one account can access the cars on shared hardware

DLC ownership follows the purchasing account and platform rules. If more than one person plays on the same device, confirm which account owns the add-on and which account launches the game.

Final Checklist Before You Spend Money

• Confirm your edition so you don’t buy Car Pass twice.
• Decide which storefront you’ll stick with (Steam or Xbox ecosystem), then buy DLC there.
• Expect a one-time free claim per included car, not endless free copies.
• Buy expansions if you want new maps; buy Car Pass if you want extra cars.
• After purchase, claim the cars inside the Car Packs area.