Japan car auction grade sheets explained
The Auction grade system
The Japan car auction grade system is very good, probably the best that is possible for used cars anywhere in the world. There are some slight differences between the Japanese auction house groups, and they do update the wording of criteria from time to time; however, the table below contains the main points and is also based on our experience at inspecting cars.
| Auction Grade | Condition | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S | New | No damage, no repair, no modification |
| 6 | Almost New | No damage, no repair, no modification. less than 36 months old from the first registration date and travelled less than 30,000 km. |
| 5 | Immaculate | No replacement of any panels. The exterior may have some very minor scratches and marks (very hard to see any). The vehicle has travelled less than 50,000 km. |
| 4.5 | Very good | The exterior generally has more minor scratches and marks than grade 5 (still very few). May have a replacement of a panel that is fixed by screws (e.g. doors, fenders). The vehicle has travelled less than 100,000 km. In our experience, these are some of the best quality used cars, usually requiring no work. |
| 4 | Good | The exterior has some scratches or scrapes and possibly minor dents. The vehicle has travelled less than 150,000 km. May have had panel replacement, but none replaced that require wielding (e.g. rear quarters, door sills). In our experience, this grade is a good quality used car but sometimes needs minor bodywork or paint (bumpers, plastic parts) to be perfect. |
| 3.5 | Average | The exterior usually has some more noticeable scratches, scrapes or dents. May have had panel replacement that required re-wielding (e.g. rear quarters, door sills). In our experience, this grade usually has some scratches or dents (bumpers, plastic parts, wheel arches) |
| 3 | Low condition | May have a panel replacement or modification that required wielding of the structure (e.g. rear quarters, door sills). The exterior may have more noticeable large scratches, scrapes, paint blemishes or larger dents. It may also be a modified car (race car) or a repaired car. |
| 2 | Very Low | Very poor condition. It may have large corrosion holes or significant structural issues. |
| 1 | Major issue history | Flood or Fire Damaged Cars |
| R | Repaired | Has had some repair to the structural parts in the table below. In our experience, the repair quality varies and we would suggest having an inspection. Sometimes they can be good, and sometimes they are no so good. |
| RA | Minor repair | Cars that have had minor repairs to structural components, or, they are well repaired. In our experience, these cars can look as good as a grade 4 or above. |
| * * * | Recycle Cars | Cars that have been entered into the "recycled auction section". Usually damaged cars, but sometimes they are running with engine or transmission issues. Non-running cars are moved by forklifts and require special transport procedures which are more costly. These cars are not graded by the auction house. |
Criteria for a repaired vehicle to be an R Grade
In order to be an R grade, the structural parts below need to have been replaced or repaired. However, this does not apply to any structural components that could be attached by bolts or screws, it therefore only covers the "skeleton" (that's the Japanese translation) that is weilded together.
| No | Structure | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross member (front and rear) |
Has a bend, is dented or repair trace |
| 2 | Side members (front and rear) |
Has a bend, is dented or repair trace |
| 3 | Inside Panel (front) Dash panel (firewall) |
Dents or repair traces that have spread through the panel |
| 4 | Pillar (front, centre, rear) |
Replaced, re-spot weilded, dents or repair traces that have spread through the panel |
| 5 | Roof | Replaced, a dent or repair traces speading from a pillar or on the inside part of the roof |
| 6 | Centre floor panel Floor side member |
Replaced parts, joints seperating, cracks, bends or repair traces |
| 7 | Rear floor panel Trunk floor |
Replaced parts, joints seperating, cracks, bends or repair traces |
| * 8 | Radiator core support (see bleow comment) |
Replaced parts, joints seperating, cracks, bends or repair traces |
* From April 1 2016 The radiator core support is excluded from the above table
Interior Car Auction Grades
| A | The interior condition is excellent, maybe a few minor scracthes. |
|---|---|
| B | The interior condition is very good, maybe some minor wear or scratches. |
| C | The interior is worn, maybe average condition for the age. Possibly some stains, scratching, loose apolstry, more scratches or some burns. |
| D | The interior is very worn. Possibly heavy stains, loose apolstry, dashboard cracking, seats torn, burn holes in seats. |
| E | The interior is in very poor condition and will need extensive repair or replacement of parts. |
A Japan auction Sheet in English
