Start troubleshooting ship problems in Star Citizen by naming the symptom you can observe, then check whether the ship or affected action responds. A ship that will not start points to a different problem than one that starts but will not move, ignores a control input, shows damage, or will not fire its weapons. Related reading: Star Citizen Ship Engines Not Working Fix: What to Check.
Begin with the visible response: does the ship start, and does the specific action work when you try it? For example, note whether the engines respond while movement does not, or whether the ship moves but a weapon does not fire. A troubleshooting guide for hangar and ship issues likewise organizes common problems by the issue you are experiencing. [1]
Match the symptom to the next check
Keep the categories distinct: startup or engine response, movement, control input, visible damage, and weapon fire. If you test several unrelated systems at once, it becomes harder to tell which symptom you are actually trying to solve.
Use the symptom to pick a focused guide rather than changing settings or components at random. If the only clear issue is a weapon that will not fire, start with the weapons topic; if movement is the problem, use the movement topic. That keeps your next check tied to what you can observe instead of turning triage into a broad reset.
For a quick first pass, write down the symptom in plain words: “ship starts, but does not move” or “ship moves, but weapon does not fire.” Then follow the guide that matches that behavior. You can narrow the issue before trying changes, without assuming every ship problem has the same cause.
What should you check before changing anything?
Before you change ship components or settings, confirm the problem and isolate the action that triggers it. A short, repeatable test is more useful than several changes made at once.
Try the same action again under the same conditions, such as requesting a particular ship function while parked. Note what you did immediately beforehand and what happened afterward. If the symptom does not return, avoid treating a one-off hiccup as proof that a component needs replacing.
Next, check whether the problem is limited to one function or appears across several ship systems. For example, if one system fails while other ship functions behave normally, record that contrast; if several functions fail in the same test, note that too. This helps you describe the issue clearly without guessing at its cause.
Keep the first test simple: repeat the action, observe the result, and write down the details. A general troubleshooting guide can help you look for the relevant ship issue before making changes. [1]
Avoid swapping components or changing several settings before you know which symptom you are trying to affect. If you change multiple things together, you can make it harder to tell which change mattered. Instead, preserve the current setup while you confirm the behavior and narrow down whether it affects one function or several.
For instance, if one attempted action produces the same problem twice, record that action and result before touching the loadout. If the problem appears only after a different action, note that trigger separately rather than making both situations part of one diagnosis. A clear symptom gives you a better starting point for the next troubleshooting step.
Is it the ship, your controls, or a gameplay bug?
A ship that starts but behaves unexpectedly needs a symptom-specific check, not automatically a general reset. Match what you see to the system involved, then use the focused guide for that problem; Star Citizen’s ship troubleshooting guide is organized around searching for the problem you’re facing. [1]
Match the symptom to the guide
If the engines will not start or respond as expected, use the engine troubleshooting guide. A ship that powers on but does not move may call for a movement check instead; do not assume those symptoms have the same cause.
If your controls do not respond, use the guide for unresponsive ship controls. For movement problems, use the movement guide; for visible ship damage, use the damage guide; and for weapons that will not fire, use the weapons guide.
Keep your next check narrow. For example, if the ship starts and turns but its weapons will not fire, go to the weapons guide rather than restarting every ship system. If the ship starts but does not move, use the movement guide to focus on that symptom.
A symptom-specific check is also useful when a ship behaves oddly despite starting. Choose the closest matching guide instead of treating every unusual behavior as an engine-start problem or relying on a general reset. Then follow that guide’s checks; if the same problem remains, use the bug-reporting guide as your next step.
Work through these checks in order
Write down the ship, situation, and exact symptom. Note the ship you were flying, what you were doing, and what you observed—for example, “my Cutlass Black would not respond after I sat in the pilot seat.” A brief, specific note makes it easier to compare what happens when you test again. A ship-issue guide can help you look up a problem by its symptom. [1]
Check whether the affected system responds, then see whether other ship functions work. For example, if a weapon will not fire, check whether your other controls still respond; if the ship will not move, note whether its other functions appear to work. This is a triage check, not a reason to replace components or change several settings at once.
Pick the focused guide that matches the symptom: engines, controls, movement, damage, or weapons. If you are unsure which category fits, describe what you tried and what happened rather than guessing at a cause. The ship-issue guide is organized for readers to find a problem that matches theirs. [1]
Retest after the relevant checks, changing one thing at a time. Keep the ship and situation the same where you can, and note whether the symptom changes or stays the same. If it remains, continue with the matching guide’s next check; if the same symptom keeps returning, use the reporting guide as your next step.
When should you stop troubleshooting and report it?
Stop troubleshooting when the same ship problem reliably returns after you have completed the checks for that symptom. Repeating generic resets or changing unrelated settings is unlikely to give you a clearer diagnosis; capture the behavior and move to reporting instead.
Make the report useful by describing what you did and what happened, rather than labeling the ship simply “broken.” For example, note which ship and system were involved, the action that triggered the failure, and whether the same result occurred on a retest. Keep the details specific to the one symptom you can reproduce, and use the gameplay bug-reporting guide for help turning those observations into an actionable report.
If your issue remains unresolved and matches a known issue, RSI support guidance recommends adding it to a relevant Issue Council report and contacting Tech Support. [2] Check that the report fits your problem before adding your details, so other players can compare like-for-like behavior. You can then follow the focused guide for the symptom and use the reporting guide if the same failure persists.
Choose the guide that matches your symptom
Choose the focused guide for your symptom, then report the issue if it keeps returning after you complete the relevant checks. That gives you a clear next move without sending you back through generic troubleshooting.
Match the guide to the problem
For a ship that will not start or respond to engine commands, use the engine guide. If the ship starts but will not move, use the movement guide; for inputs that do not register, use the controls guide. Choose the damage guide for damage symptoms and the weapons guide if weapons will not fire.
A general hangar and ship troubleshooting page also lets you look for a specific problem in its compilation of common issues. [1] For example, if the only repeatable symptom is that your ship’s weapons will not fire, go straight to the weapons guide rather than trying unrelated engine or movement fixes.
If the problem keeps coming back
When the same problem returns after the relevant checks, stop cycling through fixes and document what you can reproduce. Note the ship and the exact action that triggers the symptom so another player or support staff can understand what happened.
For an unresolved issue, add it to a relevant Issue Council report and send a ticket to Tech Support. [2] Your next step is to use the guide that matches the symptom; if its checks do not resolve the problem, report the repeatable behavior rather than continuing to change unrelated settings.