<p>The presence of ice on the water surface significantly influences the load and motion characteristics of vehicles, and ice-breaking water exit is critical for equipment safety in ice-covered regions. However, research remains limited regarding ice-breaking load, motion characteristics, and ice sheet failure modes during vehicle transit through breakable ice sheets. This paper establishes a numerical model for vehicle ice-breaking water exit using the Arbitrary Lagrange-Euler (ALE) method. The numerical model was validated through comparison with small-scale ice-breaking water exit experimental results. Using this model, the study examined how ice thickness and vehicle initial velocity affect ice-breaking load, vehicle motion characteristics, and ice sheet failure modes. The findings demonstrate that ice failure occurs in four distinct stages. Increases in ice thickness and vehicle velocity substantially alter the ice sheet failure mode and result in multiple increases in peak vehicle load. Additionally, the relationship between failure mode and ice sheet stress distribution was analyzed.</p>