You’ve probably been there. You gun it toward a broken piece of concrete in the Port of Los Santos, fly 200 feet through the air, land perfectly on all four wheels, and then—Stunt Jump Failed. It’s enough to make you want to drive your car straight into the Alamo Sea. Honestly, the stunt jump physics in this game are legendary for being both satisfying and completely nonsensical.
There are 50 stunt jumps in total scattered across San Andreas. If you’re going for that 100% completion stat, you only actually need to nail 25 of them. But let's be real: if you want the "Show Off" achievement or you're just a completionist who can't stand seeing "1 remaining" on a checklist, you're going for all 50.
Most people think these are just about speed. They aren't. In fact, going too fast is usually why you're failing.
The Hidden Mechanics of a Successful Landing
Basically, every single jump has a "landing zone." It’s this invisible box on the ground that the game doesn't show you. If you overset that box by even an inch, the game treats it like you just fell off a curb. You could pull the most majestic triple backflip in history, but if you don't land "rubber side down" in that specific spot, it’s a failure.
Also, don't touch anything. Seriously. If your fender clips a light pole or a stray traffic cone mid-air, the stunt is instantly voided. This is especially annoying on the jumps around the Los Santos International Airport (LSIA) where there’s junk everywhere.
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The game also wants you to land flat. If you’re on a bike, try to get both tires to touch at the same time. On a car, aim for all four. A little tip: you can use the left analog stick (or your keyboard binds) to tilt the car while you're in the air. This "air control" is literally the only way you're going to pass some of the tighter jumps near the Pillbox Hill skyscrapers.
Picking the Right Ride
Don't just grab the fastest thing in your garage. While a fully upgraded Vapid FMJ Mark 5 or an HSW Banshee might be great for highway racing in 2026, they're often too fast for these stunts. You'll overshoot the landing zone every time.
A lot of pros swear by the Pegassi Bati 801. It’s dirt cheap (like $15,000) and gives you insane control. Plus, motorcycles are way easier to thread through narrow gaps than a wide-body supercar. If you prefer four wheels, the Bravado Gauntlet Interceptor or even a classic Dominator provides enough weight to keep you stable without the "floaty" physics of lighter sports cars.
The Jumps That Everyone Messes Up
There are a few specific spots that have been ruining save files since 2013. Let's talk about the Lighthouse jump. This is jump #12 for most people following the standard guides. You have to jump from the cliffside down toward the El Gordo Lighthouse. Most people fly way too far and end up in the ocean. You actually need to aim for a tiny patch of rock right in front of the lighthouse. If you have a Stromberg or a Toreador, use it here—if you miss and hit the water, you won't lose the car.
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Then there’s the Rockford Hills parking garage. You’re supposed to jump through a literal billboard. It looks like a movie stunt, but the landing zone is weirdly short. If you hit the gas too hard, you’ll clear the street and hit the building opposite. You basically want to "fall" off the ramp rather than launch off it.
A Quick Rundown of Key Areas
- Elysian Island: This place is a nightmare. There are about 8 jumps here involving trailer ramps and shipping containers.
- Los Santos Drain: The concrete river has a few jumps under the bridges. Watch out for the water level if it's been raining.
- Paleto Bay: Much more chill, usually involves dirt piles or broken bridges.
- LSIA: Look for the "Prepare for Takeoff" signs. These are the most iconic, but the security guards will get annoyed if you're in story mode.
Why 100% Completion is a Trap
If you're doing this in GTA Online, completing jumps actually unlocks things, like the Lime Green paint job. Back in the day, this was a huge flex. Nowadays, people mostly do it for the career progress rewards or just to say they did.
In single-player, it's one of the "Miscellaneous" tasks. To get that 100% checkmark, you need:
- 25 stunt jumps (out of 50).
- 25 "Under the Bridge" challenges.
- 8 "Knife Flights."
- All the spaceship parts and letter scraps.
Honestly, the stunt jumps are the most fun part of that list. Collecting 50 hidden scraps of paper in the desert is a chore. Launching a muscle car off a construction ramp into a police station parking lot? That’s just a Tuesday in Los Santos.
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How to Actually Pass Them Consistently
Stop guessing. If you're on a PC or a modern console, use the Quick Save feature on your in-game phone. Park right in front of the ramp, pull out the phone, and save. If you fail the jump or blow up your car, just reload. It takes 20 seconds and saves you a trip to Mors Mutual or the impound lot.
When you're in the air, the camera usually goes into "Cinematic Mode." This looks cool, but it's terrible for landing. You can actually toggle this off or use the right stick to adjust the camera. Keeping a steady eye on your shadow can help you judge where you're going to land. If your shadow is moving past the target road, pull back on the stick to create "drag" and slow your descent.
The Most Common Fail Reasons
- Hitting a pedestrian: Even a slight "thump" cancels the stunt.
- Speed: Too much is worse than too little.
- Angle: Hitting the ramp at a 45-degree angle usually sends you into a death roll.
- Vehicle health: If your car is smoking, the physics can get wonky.
If you’re stuck at 49/50, it’s almost certainly the one at the Los Santos Golf Club or the one on the Pacific Bluffs balcony. Check those two first. The balcony jump requires you to land on a very specific part of the sidewalk below, and it's notoriously finicky.
To wrap this up, don't rush it. Grab a bike, put on some good music on Vinewood Blvd Radio, and treat it like a sightseeing tour. Start at the bottom of the map at the docks and work your way north. By the time you hit the jump at the construction site in Paleto Bay, you'll be a pro at mid-air corrections.
Go check your Social Club stats to see which ones you're missing. If the map shows a jump is "Found" but not "Completed," that’s the one you need to revisit with a slower car and a better angle. Load up your latest save, grab a Bati 801 from the street, and head to the docks to clear out those industrial ramps first.