If your Assetto Corsa EVO mods are not working, it almost always comes down to one of four causes. The .kspkg file may not be sitting loose in Saved Games\ACE\mods, or the car may have been exported before 0.8.1, so servers reject it. Your version of the car may not match the server’s, which has checked it by SHA since 0.8. Or the mod hasn’t been updated for the current version of the game, 0.9.1 (September 1, 2026). Checked on October 27, 2026; each case and its fix are below.
Quick diagnosis
| What’s happening | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The car doesn’t show up in the game | The .kspkg is still inside the .zip, in a subfolder or in the Steam folder | Copy it, loose, into Saved Games\ACE\mods |
| You can’t join a server with mod cars | You’re missing the car or have a different version | Install the same version as the server; since 0.8.1 the game tells you which car is missing |
| The server rejects a car or doesn’t offer it | Car exported before 0.8.1, or not in the ACE-Server folder | Ask the creator for a re-exported version and put it in Saved Games\ACE-Server\mods |
| It stopped working after a patch | The mod hasn’t been updated for the new version | Look for an update on the creator’s page |
| The external livery won’t apply | The car wasn’t saved, or you’re on a version before 0.9 | Update the game, customize the car and save |
| HUD apps don’t show up | ACE UI App Loader is out of date | Install the latest version of the loader |
| Rented server has no mod cars | The official rental service doesn’t support mods (as of Oct 22, 2026) | Run your own dedicated server |
1. The right folder and format
EVO doesn’t load mods from the Steam install folder. It loads them from C:\Users\<your user>\Saved Games\ACE\mods. If that folder doesn’t exist, create it. The car has to be a single .kspkg file copied directly into that folder. If the creator ships it as a .zip, extract it first.
Cars from the original Assetto Corsa (folders with .kn5 files) don’t work in EVO, and neither do Content Manager or Custom Shaders Patch. We explain why in Assetto Corsa vs Assetto Corsa EVO.
2. Multiplayer with community cars
Since 0.8 (July 8, 2026), cars made with the official editor (SDK) can be used online. The server runs a SHA check and rejects modified cars or the wrong mod version. That means:
- Every driver needs exactly the same version of the car as the server. When the creator releases a new version, everyone should update at the same time.
- The server doesn’t hand out cars: each driver downloads them from the creator’s page before joining.
- The server rental service linked from acevo.gg didn’t support mods as of October 22, 2026. Details are in our Assetto Corsa EVO multiplayer guide.
Re-exporting after 0.8.1
Update 0.8.1 (July 22, 2026) changed how the server, the backend and the game talk to each other for the SHA check. Cars released before it had to be re-exported with the SDK to generate the .json file the server needs. If a car hasn’t been updated since July, it may fail online checks, as we note on the GD808 FormulaCOUPE page. It usually still works in single player. Only the creator can re-export it, so don’t try it with someone else’s files.
If you run the server
Since 0.8.1, the dedicated server reads cars from Saved Games\ACE-Server\mods. You then enable the car in ServerLauncher.exe. Tools like ACE Manager or EVO Web Server Manager make this easier, but they still need the same car version on the server and on every driver’s PC.
3. After a game update
EVO is still in Early Access, and any patch can break something. Mod cars survive updates because they live in your user folder, but that doesn’t guarantee they’ll work. If the game won’t start after you install mods, move the last .kspkg you added out of the folder and try again. Then check the creator’s changelog, which tells you which game version the mod is built for.
4. Liveries, apps and tracks
- External liveries: 0.9 fixed the bug that stopped them from applying to a saved car. Go to Vehicles › My Cars › Customize, make any change and save. LiveryLab Evo needs 0.8.1 or later.
- HUD apps: they depend on ACE UI App Loader. After a patch, update it first. Better Delta Bar, for example, needs loader 0.26.0 or later.
- Tracks: there’s no official tool. Hina’s Drift Club tracks, like Ronin Pass, use their own .exe installer. According to the creator, that installer doesn’t support symbolic links yet, so it may fail if you moved your mods folder to another drive with
mklink. Windows may also warn you because it isn’t signed.
Mods to avoid
Many of the first cars going around were conversions of original Assetto Corsa mods. Avoid conversions made without the creator’s permission and cars with models or sounds ripped from other games. They aren’t legal, they can be taken down at any time and they don’t get the re-exports multiplayer requires. The original alternatives are in the best Assetto Corsa EVO mods.
More Assetto Corsa EVO guides: how to install mods in Assetto Corsa EVO, multiplayer and servers, the version roadmap and system requirements and graphics settings.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Assetto Corsa EVO mods folder?
It’s at C:\Users\<your user>\Saved Games\ACE\mods. If it doesn’t exist, create it and copy the .kspkg files there, with no subfolders.
Why can’t I join a server with mod cars?
Because you’re missing the car or have a different version. Since 0.8 the server checks the SHA, and since 0.8.1 the game tells you which car you’re missing.
Do cars need to be re-exported after every patch?
Not always. It was mandatory with 0.8.1 for server use. After any patch, check whether the creator has released a new version.
Do original Assetto Corsa mods work in EVO?
No. EVO only loads .kspkg cars made with its SDK. AC1 mods and tools like Content Manager don’t work.
Do mods work in Free Roam?
We don’t know yet. Free Roam arrives on December 9, 2026, and KUNOS hasn’t said anything about mod cars in that mode. We’re tracking it in our Assetto Corsa EVO Free Roam guide.