Breakdown

A Ride Breakdown occurs with most rides in RollerCoaster Tycoon, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. Breakdowns have a number of causes and a number of effects depending on the ride type and other factors. Breakdowns generally increase in frequency as the ride ages and as the reliability of the ride decreases. Adjusting the inspection time for Mechanics can help delay this. Certain rides never break down, thus, never requiring inspection. A complete list of rides that never break down can be found here.

Safety Cut-out / Emergency Stop
This is the most common breakdown, and affects most rides. The details of the breakdown are not explained, but it has a number of effects. If the ride consists of trains or cars that are powered by the track, such as a Monorail or Car Ride, those vehicles will stop moving. If the ride is a roller coaster that consists of a lift hill, trains being pulled up the lift will stop once a breakdown occurs. In all cases, trains waiting to exit the station will not be allowed to depart until the breakdown is addressed, even if they have exceeded their maximum wait time. This break down can result in a crash if a roller coaster has a part where a train is moving really fast but then goes up a chain lift hill because the car could get stuck on the hill while another car will collide into it. The term 'Safety Cut-out' is used in RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, while the term 'Emergency Stop' is used in RollerCoaster Tycoon 3.

Restraints Stuck Open/Closed
This breakdown occurs when the safety restraints on a ride either are stuck open after a train has loaded and is preparing to leave the station, or if the restraints are stuck closed as a train arrives in the station. The only difference between the two is that when the restraints are stuck open, guests who have already been around the circuit of the ride can exit. However, they are stuck until the ride is fixed if the restraints are stuck closed.

(Station) Brakes Failure
This type of brakedown can only occur in RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2.

This is an often severe breakdown, where the brakes on a ride, specifically the brakes in the station, fail to function. This breakdown can often result in a ride crash if a train enters into a station at too high a speed while another train is waiting to depart, though whether a ride will crash depends on a number of factors including the size and speed of the train. This breakdown also affects brakes outside of a station, but does not negatively impact block brakes.

This type of breakdown can be easily negated by having a small number of trains, or by having a large lift hill leading up to the end of the station. A train will not crash if it is traveling at a minimal speed; for example, the speed at which a train travels up a lift hill. Decreasing the maximum wait time can also help, as trains will just speed throught the station if there are none already present.

This type of malfunction occurs more frequently in Katie's Dreamland (A.K.A. Katie's World) in RCT1, resulting in both pre-built roller coasters crashing at some stage unless improvements are made.

In RCT2, this breakdown is extremely rare and some Roller Coasters would never even get this breakdown unlike RCT1 in which most Roller Coasters are prone to brakes failure. The roller coaster in RCT2 most vulnerable to this breakdown is the Suspended Swinging Coaster.

A little extra feature that is unusual about this breakdown is the way it is fixed. The mechanic will move to the back of the station and will start hitting the brakes with a hammer; these hits are very loud sounding.

This failure, especially in RTC1 (and included expansion packs) seems to be linked to the age of the ride; the older the ride, the more likely it can occur. However, some rides can suffer from a breaks failure within the first year of operation.

Vehicle Malfunction
This breakdown involves a problem with a ride train. It has no specific effects.

Control Failure
This breakdown affects the Merry-Go-Round, causing it to spin rapidly and for the music playing to speed up. The ride may begin to shake after it has broken down for a long period, but other than that, the control failure is pretty harmless and will only cause the guests to think, "I want to get off of *ride*." However, it can (and does) effect many more rides in RCT3 since almost every ride has a visible control panel.