Japan, which is by far the largest supplier of right-hand drive export automobiles, is frequently viewed as the most intimidating country due to linguistic differences. Our team at JP True Report is highly skilled at reading the Japanese Car Auction Sheet because we are experienced auto exporters. This article deconstructs each section of the sheet to help you understand what you are reading and what to look for when deciding which Japanese auction car to buy.
Before a car auction starts, every used car in Japan is subject to a thorough inspection. Japanese car auction sheets are made by qualified inspectors working for auction houses and show the ratings of the vehicles.
The car auction sheet is completed after a thorough mechanical inspection. During testing, the interior and exterior of the vehicle are graded using a set of criteria. Along with the vehicle's grades, the Japanese car auction sheet includes the inspector's justification for each grade as well as a rating for the vehicle's general condition.
As we go over the 12 important things to keep in mind, we've included the three most typical types of auction sheets, which we strongly advise you to consult.
To make each sheet easier to understand, we've made a key:
The number of years the current Emperor has been in power is used to calculate the years on the Japanese calendar. The table below depicts the relationship between their years and the Western calendar. Additionally, you ought to be able to read the registration month. The car in Example 1 is number 11, indicating that the month was November. You frequently ask your agent to confirm the month before deciding to buy the car because the duty payable for imports is based on the month of registration.
You can determine the car's model and whether it has 2 or 4 wheels by looking at the chassis code. The main benefit of knowing this is that when comparing cars that look similar, you must use the same chassis code. If they differ, the two vehicles you are comparing have a fundamental difference. It is easier to obtain this information from your dealer. If you want to do it yourself, you should look into a website like goo-net exchange. Significant amounts of information about the cars that Japan has supplied over the past 10 years are shown in their specification section.
The meaning of this is obvious. Make sure the supplier you are purchasing from offers a mileage accuracy guarantee.
The exterior grades are distinct and range from 0 to 6, with 6 being the best. Our condition report guide thoroughly breaks this down.
Interior quality is rated on a scale of A to E, with A being the best. More information on these is provided in our condition report guide.
Occasionally, this is not noted on the sheet. Therefore, we advise you to check the details against the chassis code you have by asking your supplier for this information or looking at Google Exchange.
There will be a display of the vehicle's trim level, such as SE or HSE. Again, you can crack the code by comparing it to information on the internet and asking your supplier.
Japanese automobiles tend to be automatic. So, anticipate seeing AT written. If the vehicle is a manual, you will see the letters MT. If you see anything other than AT or MT written on the sheet, we strongly advise you to check with your supplier because they may have other ways of writing the transmission.
However, air conditioning is not the same as climate control, even though you should expect a Japanese car to have it. Be sure to check if something is unclear.
This is very simple to understand and written in the manner you would anticipate.
Since this is frequently left blank, we advise you to carefully examine the photos, especially if you're looking for a third row of seats. If that doesn't work, make sure to get confirmation from your supplier.
Each car receives a grade for both its interior and exterior condition, as we previously mentioned. The grades for the exterior range from 1 to S, while the grades for the interior range from A to D. On the condition report, there are a lot more annotations that can be made. Defining a ding or a scratch. Please read the diagram below for a detailed explanation of a condition report.
The information is entirely in Japanese. Google Translate can assist you in deciphering the information if the report is digital rather than handwritten. You can anticipate reading in-depth descriptions of the car's main features: PS = power steering, PW = power windows, SR = sunroof.
Typically, an inspector will record information, such as flaws they have found. Determining what they have mentioned is therefore worth the effort.
Every vehicle should be accompanied by a condition report and an auction sheet. If any of these documents are missing or insufficient, we recommend that you obtain the necessary information before purchasing a vehicle. If you don't, the cost of investigating these omissions will rise quickly. Find a provider who can be more helpful if your current one is unwilling to share the information.
The condition reports will provide you with all the information you need regarding the wear and damage that has occurred and are also quite helpful. We examine these in greater depth in our explanation of the condition reports so that you can determine whether your automobile has small dings or significant damage.
