Buying a Used Vehicle from Japan

Here is the good, the bad and the ugly about buying a car from Japan. We have noticed a large increase in the number of cars being imported into Canada from Japan. Over all we think this is a good trend as it raises the awareness that there are some great quality left and right hand drive vehicles available in Japan.

We cannot help but noticing that all the cars being sold in Canada from Japan are not always of the best quality. Many people are being taken by unscrupulous individuals or dealers due to a lack of knowledge.

Here we will try to educate you on what you can look out for and what you should be looking for prior to purchasing a car that has been imported into Canada from Japan. (This information also applies to our foreign customers as well).

We have an associate inspect every car that we are interested in purchasing. Not inspecting a car prior to purchase increases the risk substantially of having it arrive with serious problems which someone will have to pay for. In the end though it will be an added cost to the customer. About 25% of the cars we are interested in purchasing are rejected after an inspection by our associate in Japan.

We also have all cars we are interested in purchasing have the auction sheet translated from Japanese to English prior to making a possible purchase. The Japanese are very detailed in their reports on a car that is up for auction. Not knowing what is on the auction sheet prior to purchase is leaving you wide open for unexpected problems that no one wants.

Unfortunately I have seen too many people buy a car from Japan only to be disappointed. Problems can be eliminated prior to purchase if some due diligence is done as with any used car purchase. Since all these imported cars from Japan have to have an Out of Province Inspection done; make sure it is done prior to purchasing the car! We also recommend that a simple pressure test of the cooling system is done. If you are not a gauge or idiot light watcher you do not want to be stranded with a possible blown motor due to driving with no coolant. It makes for a very expensive lesson.

What you want to see is as much information on the car as possible; usually there is very little. We estimate that 95-98% of these cars are purchased at an auction. The auction house usually provides quite a bit of detail on the car being auctioned. Here is an example of that data:

In the above example the Grade is the most important thing. We Usually only purchase Grade 4 or 4.5. In cases where a car is rare or hard to find we may consider a grade 3.5.

An exterior grade of 4 or 4.5 will usually sell for Double that of a grade 3 and about 50% more than a grade 3.5. You get what you pay for. We believe that how a cars exterior and interior is maintained will also reflect how the owner looked after the entire car including the mechanical.

Though we are not always able to obtain service records with the cars we purchase you can expect less repairs on a car that is looked after which reflects in an exterior grade of 4.0-4.5 and an interior grade of "A" or "B". Trust me it shows. Your family and friends will notice the difference. Why purchase an older car with low kilometers if it does not look stunning? For a slightly larger investment you can drive a car that looks new yet has low kilometers and save thousands over buying a new car.

There are very few cars for sale in Japan that are 15 years old and have a 4 or 4.5 grade exterior with an " A" or "B" interior. I would estimate about 3-5%, probably less. If you are looking to purchase a Japanese import from a dealer who has a large inventory of imported cars from Japan then chances are they are mostly an exterior grade of 3.0-3.5 exterior with a "C" interior.

The next important data on the Auction sheet is the mileage. Here is what to avoid at all costs. We never purchase cars having the below items marked on the auction sheet.

• ? If this symbol is next to the mileage it means the mileage is in question.
  • Example: 61,000?
• * If this symbol is next to the mileage the odometer has been turned back.
  • Example: 61,000*

• If you considered purchasing a car that had one of these symbols on the auction data would you be happy? How would you even know if the person you were buying the car from did not show you the auction data for that car?

  Cars with the above symbols next to the mileage sell for significantly less money at the auction.

We may consider purchasing a car that has the $ symbol next to the mileage. An example would be if a car was imported into Japan that had the odometer in miles and had to be changed to Kilometers to meet Japanese government regulations and it had all proper documentation showing the mileage at the time of change.

• $ If this symbol is next to the mileage the odometer has been changed, with date and mileage at change known to the auction house.
  • Example: 61,000$

WOF/MOT Expiry date is the date that the car is registered in Japan until. This can be very useful if there is a date here. It means that the car has passed the extensive "shaken" safety and emissions test that are much more stringent than Canadian safety and emission requirements. All used cars must pass this shaken test after they are 3 years old and every 2 years thereafter. Having a current or future WOF/MOT Expiry date greatly reduces the possibility of costly repair bills.

Use the chart below for full details on grading.

In addition to the above data there is usually an Auction Sheet like the one below.

There is a wealth of information here however we will only go over the most important data. Note that in the upper right hand corner is the number "4". This is the exterior grade for the car. Below to the right of the number 4 is the letter "B". This is the interior condition of the car. We strive to only purchase A and B interior condition cars. The next lower grading would be "C" and "D". Once again a "C" or "D" interior grade usually sells for quite a bit less due to its poor condition.

If you are considering purchasing a vehicle from someone and they are not willing to provide you with the above auction sheet data, what are they trying to hide from you or don't you want to know? Maybe it would be best to not take a chance and just look for another car.

Currently For Sale

2008 Fleetwood Avalon Highlander Series

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