Grand theft auto isn’t the only charge an individual could face. Carjacking and joyriding are other crimes that involve the use of someone else’s vehicle. Some states have different names for these charges, but the overall premise is the same. Grand theft auto In grand theft auto, the owner claims that someone took their car without their permission. And, that the alleged thief had no intention of ever returning the vehicle. Perhaps they planned to keep the car for themselves, give it to a third party, or sell it. The vehicle's value must also meet the state's criteria for grand theft. Some jurisdictions refer to grand theft auto as larceny of a vehicle, felony theft, or first-degree theft. Carjacking Carjacking is similar to grand theft auto. The key difference is the car owner (or another party who had permission to use the car) was present at the time of the theft. Often, defendants allegedly use force or the threat of force to take the car. Carjacking could fall under a state's robbery or aggravated robbery crimes. Joyriding Joyriding occurs when someone uses a car without the owner's permission. However, they have no intention of keeping the vehicle and return or plan to return it to the owner. Another term for joyriding is unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.