What does a Japanese auction sheet mean?

Many people find that glancing at a Japanese vehicle auction sheet may be very intimidating and confusing. To help you quickly comprehend what you could be looking at for any automobile, here is a brief reference to some of the basic level information you might encounter when looking at an auction sheet.

The first thing people ask is how to purchase vehicles from Japan, but after using Auto Portal to view the available automobiles, you want to know about their condition.

Almost all cars on the chart below a Grade S will have one or two ‘A’ markings. These provide scratches that vary in size from tiny (1) to huge (3).

Similar to human beings, automobiles will occasionally get dents or bumps over their existence. These range in size from tiny, hardly noticeable dents (1) to bigger, more noticeable dents (3) on Japanese used automobile listings.

The state of a car’s paint might be one factor that individuals find difficult to perceive. This may also be the case when examining Japanese used cars at auction houses such as USS Tokyo, USS Nagoya, HAA Kobe, USS Osaka, and numerous others. This is because the cars are frequently parked in multi-story parking lots with poor light visibility, making it more difficult to see parts that have been painted or marked.

This is where the auction sheet comes in handy, since the auction house will indicate any paint problems before it is parked, ranging from little ones (1) to bigger, more noticeable spots (3).

An essential marking for the auction sheet is the X or XX mark, which donates in the event that a part has to be replaced or has already been changed.

More seriously, you should keep an eye out for ones that are marked on the front bumper, front fenders, hood, rear bumper, or rear panels as these can frequently be associated with a car that has experienced some kind of minor or major crash damage. This may be the case with a cracked windshield.

Similar to a common cold, rust cannot be completely prevented, however for automobiles with significant rust, the auction house should make every effort to include a ‘S’ marking on the auction sheet.

Due to the short time frame for grading cars, they may not always show up. By working with our team at Auto Portal and our inspection personnel on the day of the auction, we can help you further assess the quality of any cars you may be considering.

Beyond rust lies corrosion, an additional aspect of maintenance that none of us want to witness.

Once more, it might not always show up on the sheet, but if it does, it’s a very strong indication that you should pass on the automobile and hunt for something cleaner overall.

Beyond these fundamental indicators, a Japanese car auction sheet will always have additional information listed, such as specific engine notes, seat stains or tears, tobacco odors, worn-out steering wheels, damage to the core support, malfunctioning air conditioning, and a host of other details you may find useful.