1 AUD = 106.29 JPY
Check out our Japanese vehicle Importing FAQs
Our team live and breathe cars. Read through our extensive FAQ library for more information about importing a Japanese car to Australia.
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Examples of inspection reports that you can expect to receive when you work with us.
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Frequently Asked Questions
New import regulations for Australia from 2019/2020
The current and future Australian vehicle import regulations are explained in detail here.
After 5 years of talk and political back and forth, the Road Vehicle Standards Bill 2018 was finally passed by the Australian Senate on 27 November 2018.
It will be approx. 12 months from this date before this Bill becomes law – so around December 2019 before we can use the new rules to import cars.
New regulations will be attached to the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 to control day to day operations – we will provide a further update once these are available and the Govt. has provided full details on how they will operate and the associated costs.
What cars can be imported to Australia?
There are restrictions on the cars allowed for import to Australia. See Importing Cars to Australia for full details on import options
What is compliance?
Compliance is the process of checks and upgrades to ensure that relevant safety and emissions regulations are met prior to road registration.
The work required (and cost) depends on vehicle age, model and import method.
What does compliance cost?
SEVS compliance for common models usually ranges between $2,000 to $2,500 plus tyres depending on the type of vehicle and compliance availability (common models are cheaper). Often our clients save on compliance thanks to having access to trade prices through our regular contacts. Additional cost may be incurred if brake pads need replacing.
For personal imports (owned overseas for more than 12 months prior to the person returning home to Australia with their vehicle), an allowance of $1,000 is usually sufficient for minor compliance items such as 17 digit VIN (if required), child restraint points and engineer signoff. Cost will depend on the type of vehicle.
Can I use my own compliance workshop?
Yes. As part of our service we recommend a workshop to you (based on price, reliability and location) but you are not obligated to use them and can send your vehicle to any compliance workshop you like.
Can I import a modified vehicle?
Yes you can. There is no specific restriction against importing modified vehicles to Australia and some can present exceptional value given the cost of additional parts fitted by the previous owner (wheels, suspension, bodykit etc.).
Performance modified vehicles naturally carry additional risk of mechanical failure over time as making changes to factory parts can put more stress on a vehicle than if it remained standard. More often than not, a modified vehicle would also have been driven harder than one in standard condition.
These factors need to be considered against the value of the extra parts which often come with the car for little to no extra cost. We inspect all vehicles carefully and modified parts will be listed and photographed for you on auction day. We will check that the vehicle is running well and appears professionally modified with brand name parts.
Non-standard parts sometimes do need to be removed for compliance and first registration and this will cost a little more for labour and parts than standard compliance. The workshops we recommend generally have most common standard parts available for popular models but you might still need to source some factory parts yourself.
You can put modifications back again after compliance and registration providing they meet the roadworthy rules where the vehicle is registered. Permits may be required for some modifications, and they can also affect your insurance, so it’s best to do your homework on these things in advance if you’re considering a modified vehicle.
Non-standard parts and compliance
When a vehicle with non-standard parts such as airpod, exhaust, wheels or suspension is complied under SEVS, these parts may sometimes need to be removed and replaced with factory parts. However, given the value of the parts it may still be well worth the effort.
As a general guide, bodykits are usually fine as long as they don’t affect lighting positions. Aftermarket sound systems do not affect compliance either. Typical aftermarket parts that may require replacement include pod-style air filters, exhausts, steering wheels without airbag (where an airbag was factory fitted), suspension, wheels, racing seats etc.
The Registration Authority in your State or Territory may have an issue with certain modifications at the time of licensing, but this is a separate issue to compliance which is a Federal scheme.
Vehicles are shipped as purchased in Japan and all parts belong to you. The compliance workshop cannot take them from you or destroy them, as they are your property. You can receive the vehicle and make any changes you like, before taking it in for compliance.
Some workshops are flexible on modified vehicles so it is well worth discussing your ideas in advance with the workshop you intend to use. They will often assist you to replace the aftermarket parts with factory items they have available, and reverse the process following compliance and registration.
Of course, each vehicle needs to be weighed up in terms of what would have to be replaced and you need to consider the additional costs and whether this is worthwhile. This is quite variable and is therefore not included in cost estimates.
Can I import a vehicle to Australia if I'm not a citizen or permanent resident?
Yes you can. Anyone in Australia can import a vehicle providing of course the import regulations relating to that vehicle are met – it depends on the type of vehicle, not the person importing it.
Read about the Australian Vehicle Import Regulations
What we do
We provide a reliable service to assist you to source and import a quality vehicle from Japan.
We are on your side from start to finish.
It’s really that simple! Here are some quick links to help learn more:
How Direct Car Import Works
How to Buy from Auction
What We Do
If you’d like to see the vast choice of vehicles available at auction throughout Japan, you’re welcome to use our online Auction Search or set up a free trial of our automated auction alerts system.
Can you ship to the US, UK, Europe, Canada or anywhere else?
From 2022 we specialise in importing vehicles only to Australia.
We source cars and people movers only – not motorhomes, buses, trucks or motorcycles.
Are you a licensed dealer?
Yes, we are a fully licensed vehicle import agent, our dealer’s license number is DL14688.
Why does your example vehicles section only show sold vehicles?
The Global Financial Crisis and ongoing volatility in world markets changed the way the Japanese do business. When we started our service in 1999 we were able to offer many suitable vehicles in agent’s yards that were ready for export. However few export agents in Japan hold stock these days.
As a result we source most vehicles to order from auction. Listing recent sale prices for selected vehicles is the best possible means to show you current and useful price information on real examples.
We have two options for viewing examples, our Auction Sales Archive and Past Client Inspections.
You can easily find your next vehicle or research past sale prices using our online Auction Search and Auction Alerts email system.
See How to Buy from Auction to see how we work on auction day.
Rest assured that there is a great deal of choice at auction, with plenty of quality vehicles at the best possible prices. With your help to advise us early, our service is designed to enable quick vehicle inspections and bidding. We will guide you every step of the way.
Where are you located and when are you open?
We are based in Perth, Western Australia and are open from 10am to 7pm AEST (Sydney time) Mon to Fri and 10am to 5pm on Saturday.
As we source vehicles to order we have no need for a car yard and our physical office location does not limit our service to any State or Territory (or country for that matter).
We have reliable contacts across Australia for customs clearance and compliance and have been sending vehicles around Australia and the world since 1999.
Do you have a car yard where I can view cars in stock?
No. As we are an import agent we source all vehicles to order according to client specifications.
This ensures the most choice of genuine vehicles at the lowest prices.
When you consider the role of a traditional dealer which is to source the cheapest vehicles and then sell them for the highest price, you might realise how holding stock would cause a conflict of interest with providing the highest quality vehicles for the best prices.
You can easily find your next vehicle or research past sale prices using our online Auction Search and Auction Alerts email system.
Our customer service policy
Being totally up front and honest with all clients is the very simple foundation of our customer service policy which has served us well since our commencement in 1999.
To have the best outcome, sourcing and importing a vehicle is a process that needs to be approached in a structured and organised way, and without any illusions. We want you to feel confident that we can supply the service that we promise you. Everyone deserves to be informed of the facts, particularly when paying for a service — this leads to better decisions and a happier end result with no surprises.
This is why we make our process and pricing completely transparent. You are able to see the vehicles at auction for yourself and make your own choice as to what you like.
It may sound simplistic, but our policy is to be totally honest with you from the very first contact. That way you are never under any misconception as to the process or costs involved. If there is a cheaper option we will suggest that to you, even if it means you don’t use our service !
Being totally up front is not only the right thing to be, but it is valued by clients and rewarded. We know that even if someone does not use our service then they are more likely to use us in future or refer us to others because we have helped them with honest advice. So at the end of the day if all we are able to do is to save you money, time or frustration with some quick and free advice then we will be satisfied with that.
An important difference to note between ourselves and the alternatives is the level of customer service. From the time you contact us you will deal only with the one person. We are on call for customers from 10am to 7pm AEST (Sydney time) Mon to Fri and 10am to 5pm on Saturday. We answer all e-mails, usually the same day and most within a few hours.
We do everything we can to ensure that all clients receive quality vehicles and accurate descriptions. Other import services tend to spring up overnight and disappear as quickly, they don’t have the same level of commitment and availability to serve you.
More than 70% of our business is generated through referrals and repeat clients, which means we must be doing something right.
How long does the process take?
Allow 8 to 10 weeks to be on road in for most States of Australia from the day of purchase. WA and SA can take 2 to 4 weeks longer due to shipping schedules, and allow another 2 weeks for TAS / NT due to additional road transport, or where compliance is limited or not available in your State for the model you want.
Rest assured that your vehicle will be shipped on the first available vessel and all paperwork will be handled efficiently for the quickest possible import.
Based on your circumstances we can provide the most cost effective option and likely timeframe.
Where do you source your vehicles?
We source most vehicles for our clients from the large centralised auctions in Japan. This is the cheapest source of vehicles, provides the most choice, and allows physical inspection of many thousands of vehicles in each location. The system is very reliable and efficient as it is controlled by a strict membership system.
You can easily find your next vehicle or research past sale prices using our online Auction Search and Auction Alerts email system.
Our Auction Alerts system will email you all auction vehicles matching your requirements daily. Our agents will then inspect those of interest at auction, with more pictures and details provided to you until we find what you want at the right price.
Free Trial our Daily Auction Data for any make / model of interest including sale prices.
How do auctions work?
The Japanese auction system operates on a vast scale and is nothing like vehicle auctions anywhere else in the world. View a short video at How to Buy from Auction and read our Auction Guide for more detail.
How does auction grading work?
Our Japanese Auction Guide has a full explanation of how the auctions work, and more detail about the grading including abbreviations used on the auction inspection reports. Most relevant information is readable by anyone, and positive and negative comments in Japanese will be translated for clients. So you don’t need to read Japanese ! We use the auction reports as a guide only, and always inspect vehicles for ourselves, in person. See our FAQ Vehicle condition and the importance of vehicle inspections below for why this is so critical.
Most vehicles are graded from 0 to 6 (6 is best) with A to D (A is best) used for interior grade. 0, R, A are all used to denote repaired vehicles, with RA, A1 being minor repairs. *** is used when there is major existing damage or mechanical fault.
Auction start prices
Auction start prices provide a general guide as to what vehicles may sell for if you are used to monitoring the auctions and are familiar with general pricing for a model. Of course, the amount buyers will bid is extremely variable and there is no hard and fast rule. Sometimes vehicles starting at zero end up being quite expensive, and others with high start prices will pass in and not sell. Generally the more common the vehicle, the easier it is to anticipate the sale price as there is a more consistent market value, but spending too much time trying to guess what a vehicle will sell for is often counter-productive and will take the focus off what is most important – what is a fair market price for the vehicle based on your other options, and how much the vehicle is worth to you.
It is no good basing your bid limit on what you think a vehicle might sell for, then realising you would have paid more once you’ve lost the auction. This is particularly true for vehicles which are difficult to find, and this is the reason why rare or unusual vehicles sell for unpredictable amounts and are difficult to price.
If you win the auction you only pay what the car actually sells for, so you should set your maximum budget at the absolute most you would be prepared to pay for the vehicle, that way you won’t be too disappointed if you miss out and we will simply continue searching.
Auctions generally require patience and persistence to achieve the best result.
Final auction prices
Final prices are generally shown on our system the day after the auction for Non-USS auctions.
USS auctions no longer publish sale prices so select ‘PAST’ for the Auction Date in our Auction Search together with ‘Non-USS’ for Location to view 3 months of past auction results, most of which will show the final price.
This may be the SOLD price, PASSED IN (unsold, reserve not met) price, or sold on NEGOTIATION (in which case the price is only known to the buyer and seller and not displayed online). Our system displays final prices where available from auction, occasionally these may remain unavailable depending on the situation.
Many people like to track and record sale prices, coming up with an exact budget they want to spend based on averages for a certain grade of vehicle. While this can be quite a useful tool to get a general guide on prices initially, please consider that this evaluation neglects the actual vehicle condition which is the most critical factor when judging price. Drawing too many conclusions without real condition information can be counter-productive as condition varies considerably and even graded 4 and above vehicles can be rusty, smell of smoke, or otherwise not be up to the standard we would source for our clients.
Grading also varies considerably between different auctions.
So, there is a lot more to buying from auction than just raw prices and grades. It is important to be realistic in setting budgets for the best quality vehicles. We can guide you in this based on many years of first hand auction experience in buying the best quality vehicles.
Negotiation at auction
If a vehicle ‘passes in’ at auction (owner’s reserve price not reached) we can negotiate on it through the auction negotiation desk. This must be done the same day of auction for all auctions except USS Tokyo on Thursday for which we have up to midday on Friday. However, negotiation is best done immediately after the car passed in to provide the best chance of buying it. The highest bidder has first right of negotiation.
What if two clients bid on the same car?
We work on a first-come first-served basis which is the only way to be fair. In this situation we give priority to the client that commenced searching with us first, ie. when our service fee was received.
Where a second client has a higher limit we will continue to bid for them ONLY IF the auction carries the price beyond the first client’s limit.
For this reason, for popular models where we usually have ongoing orders we recommend commencing your search as soon as you have decided to use our service, which will give you priority over later clients.
When you are considering our service we will let you know if your specification is similar to another actively searching client.
See Preparing to Bid at Auction for more information.
Do I have to buy the first car inspected?
Of course not!
We are here to find you the RIGHT car, not the first car, and you should never feel any pressure. This can often require inspection of a number of possible options before we achieve the right quality / price. For rare cars the search may take some months or longer and we never give up!
We inspect and bid on as many vehicles as needed to find you the right one, and there is never any charge for auction inspections – it’s all part of our service.
We will guide you as to suitable bid limits and advise you of outstanding vehicles that are worthy of a maximum budget, but will never pressure you to buy no matter how long the search may take or how many vehicles we need to inspect.
How much do I pay if the vehicle sells for less than my budget?
You only pay the amount the vehicle actually sold for at auction plus the standard Japanese agent fee (starting from 100,000 yen depending on vehicle price). Total = FOB price. The agent fee allows for auction fees, transport, deregistration, export paperwork and procedures, bank transfer fees and EMS postage of important paperwork and any vehicle books / spare keys to you. The fee is incrementally higher on more expensive vehicles as price rises above 1 million yen.
What does FOB mean?
FOB = Free On Board.
This is the total price including all costs paid to export the vehicle. It consists of the actual car cost plus the agent’s fee, which will vary depending on the location and vehicle cost. FOB is used by Customs to calculate import duty and GST so we always use this amount for determining total cost in our Cost Calculator. When we discuss your maximum budget for a vehicle, it will be in FOB. This avoids any misunderstandings when it comes to bid limits.
Can we check auction vehicles for service history, books etc?
Log books and full service records are never included in the car on auction day as they tend to go missing. Occasionally they are noted on the auction sheet if it’s considered a sales point, but usually not.
Service records if included, are only received after we have bought the vehicle, when the registration document, books, any spare keys and other items are sent to our agent up to a week following the auction.
Sometimes there are stickers on the car itself which can of course provide evidence of servicing and timing belt changes etc, pictures are taken of those where useful.
So we need to evaluate the vehicle based on its condition on auction day. Generally though we will have quite a good idea of how well maintained a vehicle is just based on its overall condition.
What happens after I find my car?
Once successful at auction we will provide your comprehensive Vehicle Import Guide in PDF with simple step by step instructions for you to follow. This is specific for your vehicle and location and will explain everything you need to do to import your vehicle. It will include details for sending payment, shipping, compliance, Customs clearance and registration, and contact details for the compliance workshop and Customs Agent.
We will provide your contact details and the vehicle details to your Customs Agent and compliance workshop.
Your vehicle will be transported from auction to our agent’s holding yard awaiting payment and shipping. More pictures will be taken for you. De-gassing of the a/c system is not required as an exemption is available to private importers.
See How Direct Car Import Works and What We Do for further details.
Vehicle condition and the importance of vehicle inspections
The most important factor in the entire process is to have every vehicle of interest personally inspected by someone you trust – it’s useless going to the effort of importing if the vehicle is no good!
Our agents inspect every vehicle of interest prior to auction, this includes running the engine, checking transmission / clutch while at rest, and more pictures inside, outside and underneath. This is how we ensure our high quality standards on every vehicle. We then call you to describe the vehicle, good and bad points, and your budget if you wish to bid. We often assist clients to set their budget if they’re not sure what a vehicle is worth.
Part of our inspection process is to list any modifications and provide pictures for you. Once you are a client, we will inspect as many vehicles as needed to find the one you want and there is no extra charge. Please see Preparing to Bid at Auction for more information.
Surely such low kms in Japan can't be genuine?
Read about the Prestige Motorsport Mileage Guarantee
Actually low kms are not unusual for Japan and as few as 3,000 kms per year is not that uncommon, particularly for rare models which the owner bought with that in mind.
Japan is a relatively small country with a very accessible and efficient public transport system and comparatively high road tolls. Car parking is limited and expensive. Many people choose to use the bus and train for the majority of their travel, particularly in city areas.
Typically, vehicles in Japan average between 5,000 km to 15,000 km per year.
These days it would be quite difficult to find a car at auction with inaccurate kms where this had not already been noted by auction staff on the inspection report. If a vehicle has been auctioned before with higher kms, this will be reported.
When buying from auction direct you can be confident of the kms shown. Where genuine repairs have been done to the odometer this is recorded on the auction sheet and records provided to the auction as proof. This situation will be denoted by a “$” sign next to the kms, with further detail on when the odometer was replaced and the kms showing at the time.
We also inspect every vehicle of interest in person and evaluate kms versus condition.
Upon export, Japanese Customs produce an Export Certificate from the de-registration paper which shows the actual kms recorded at the last two re-registration inspections (mandatory inspections are at 3 years from new, then 2-yearly intervals).
From this you can see the progression of kms over time. The original copy of the export certificate is sent to you by EMS following shipping.
We have never sourced any car where the kms have not been 100% supported by this document. Therefore, you can be confident of the kms for any vehicle you import using our service.
On the other hand, ask a dealer or private seller for the Export Certificate and auction sheet and see what happens… If they are reluctant to supply you with a copy or give you a funny look, then you can be sure something is not right.
Mostly altering odometers is done either by the exporter at the request of their customer prior to export from Japan, or by a dealer in another country after receiving the vehicle. So it is important to check the documentation for any local vehicle you are considering – if they won’t supply, don’t buy ! After all, if the kms are real then it’s in the seller’s best interest to provide that proof.
Most people that take their time to evaluate the options realise that there is a big difference in buying a secondhand vehicle locally and selecting their own from Japan for direct import. We receive constant reports of fresh imports being offered locally with false kms and accident repair. Don’t be deceived, and dig beyond the advertisement.
Our specialty is sourcing vehicles in very nice condition and with genuine low kms. This is what our reputation is built on. Regardless of whether you import using our service, another company or buy locally, our main concern is that you don’t get ripped off.
So how can you tell you are getting what you pay for ?
Simple. If the vehicle was imported recently, ask the seller for a copy of the auction sheet showing condition, kms and chassis number. With virtually all vehicles being sourced from auction in Japan, don’t believe them if they tell you it wasn’t (that’s the standard answer)… Record the chassis code and investigate further for yourself.
You can use our Auction Search tool for free access to auction sheets, grading, chassis numbers and sale results going back up to the last 3 months. It takes less than a minute to set up and results will be emailed to you immediately.
This allows you to check whether you are being told the truth about many vehicles being offered for sale, if they were imported in the last 3 months.
There are some reputable importers that offer a good service, you pay a premium for having the vehicle available to you here and now which is fair and reasonable if that’s the service you want and don’t mind paying more for the convenience. These companies have nothing to hide and will gladly supply the information you need to confirm condition.
So, to recap, there are certain things you can do to protect yourself and ensure you get what you pay for. You can check the kms and condition in 2 ways:
Use our system to check whether the vehicle was sold at auction in the last 3 months or so. The auction sheet shows the chassis number identifying the vehicle, also the condition and the kms when it was auctioned. If the kms are false or questioned by the auction this will be clearly noted.
Every vehicle exported from Japan has it’s deregistration document converted to an Export Certificate by Japanese Customs. This shows the kms at the last two registration inspections (3 years from new then every 2 years). The importer is sent this document from Japan and in the case of Australia, the original is retained on file by the compliance workshop as a SEVS requirement. Our opinion is that anyone selling a vehicle will be happy to supply a copy of this document to you IF it supports the kms shown on the vehicle. If they can’t or won’t supply then you can try contacting the compliance workshop listed on the compliance plate. If you still can’t get confirmation on a relatively fresh import after all that work, then odds are the kms are not genuine.
Can you buy from dealers in Japan?
Yes, we can do that for you however do bear in mind that dealers in Japan are just like dealers in any country – they sell cars with a profit margin and therefore the final price is likely to be significantly higher than auction.
Buying direct from auction nearly always offers the lowest prices.
Not only are dealer prices substantially more expensive, but dealers can also be hard for exporters to deal with as they prefer to sell vehicles to the domestic market (they often make more money from add-ons such as registration and associated services for domestic buyers, AND prefer to see special vehicles stay within Japan).
Being located in any part of Japan, it can often be time consuming, expensive and difficult to arrange physical inspections of dealer vehicles. Reliability of the dealer in terms of vehicle quality, transport, and provision of paperwork required for export are also unknown except for those we have dealt with before.
We can certainly buy from a dealer for you as long as you are aware of these issues and particularly the additional time and cost involved.
Due to the recent rise in collector / classic vehicle prices and the difficulty of finding good examples at auction, we have started to focus more on selected dealers that specialise in these types of vehicles.
It is also possible to search on Goo-net Exchange which many dealers in Japan use to list their stock.
Specialist GTR dealers in Japan
Due to market changes for pricing and availability we no longer source any Skyline model. The following was current for 2019 and is only included here for general info.
Listed below are links to sites for dealers that sell top-quality classic vehicles and some that specialise in GT-R’s. We consider the first one, “Rocky Auto”, as the best choice in the whole of Japan for classic cars.
It is also possible to search on Goo-net Exchange which many dealers in Japan use to list their stock.
If you find a vehicle of interest please email through the link, we can work out an approximate total price for you if the dealer sale price is displayed, or contact the dealer to find out the price for you.
Please note that communicating with Japanese dealers takes time, effort and patience.
Classic car dealers in Japan
Due to market changes for pricing and availability we no longer source cars older than 15 years. The following was current for 2019 and is only included here for general info.
Listed below are links to sites for dealers that sell classic vehicles. We consider the first one, “Rocky Auto”, as the best choice in the whole of Japan.
It is also possible to search on Goo-net Exchange which many dealers in Japan use to list their stock.
Can you help me import a car from a company that I've found in Japan?
Generally not, unless we are able to have one of our agents physically inspect the vehicle and deal directly with the company involved.
We only deal with trusted agents in Japan that we know will efficiently and reliably export your vehicle. We have traveled to Japan and spent time getting to know our agents, how they work, and inspecting vehicles with them at auction. We have dealt with them for many years.
If you buy through an unknown company you found on the internet without any further checks there is no telling what you will receive in terms of condition, that the model will be correct, or that it will arrive at all. If the vehicle has unstated repairs or rust this could exclude it entirely from SEVS compliance / registration.
Foreign agents have little interest in ensuring that your vehicle can be imported, their concern is simply receiving payment for another unit. Few have any idea of the import restrictions applicable to Australia or other countries. We know this as we are constantly contacted by foreign companies offering us vehicles which are simply not eligible for import, and individuals in the past have asked us to ship vehicles they have already bought which can’t be imported to their country.
The sad fact is that the world is rife with scams. We recommend you are very cautious with your money and only choose to deal with a company where you can be sure of their track record.
Can you buy from Yahoo!, GOONet or other online auctions?
GOONet / GOO EXCHANGE is very similar to Tradecarview (see below). It is basically a system setup for wholesale and export dealers to use “ghost-cars” to drum-up orders, and / or broker cars that don’t actually exist. The point is basically to get the person who is inquiring to send a “deposit” which usually leads to a typical response “sorry the car was already sold, but I will find you another one just like it…” etc., in which case they already have you locked in, and your deposit goes to funding their operations minus a “service / cancellation fee” in the end (if they ever do actually find a car or refund any money). Be very wary of these types of websites.
Technically we could buy from Yahoo! and some import agents do, but we choose not to. There is too much risk involved in buying from unknown online sellers. Being located in any part of Japan, it can often be time consuming, expensive and difficult to arrange a physical inspection just like dealer cars. Reliability of the seller in terms of vehicle quality, transport, and particularly provision of the paperwork required for export would also be unknown in most cases. We feel these risks are unreasonable – if you are set on buying this way then we recommend using another import agent and wish you luck !
We only deal with trusted agents in Japan that we have met in person.
Can you buy from Tradecarview?
We could source Japanese cars from Tradecarview but we don’t, for a number of very good reasons.
Tradecarview was set up a few years ago and has become popular to research prices for those who don’t know how the used car market in Japan works. Mostly this is due to their website being in English together with clever advertising and promotion which puts them at the top of many search results.
Unfortunately what most people looking to import a car from Japan don’t realise is that Tradecarview is simply a ‘dumb portal’ for anyone to list Japanese cars online. Specifically:
Tradecarview actively recruits for Japanese car sellers worldwide by offering free listings for Japanese cars on their website (we ourselves received an invitation to list cars on their site, yet we are in Australia !)
There is no active checking of sellers or of the vehicles they display
Any seller can list two Japanese cars for free and no action will be taken by those running the Tradecarview site to remove listings until at least two complaints have been made.
As such, Tradecarview and similar websites focussing on Japanese import cars are a constant source of frustration for those sourcing genuine quality vehicles and of disappointment for buyers, as they create a falsely low impression of real prices.
Look carefully at the Tradecarview listings and you will notice that many Japanese import cars on their website are displayed with just several auction pictures and inspection report or are listed multiple times by different sellers. This is a good indication that the cars are not really for sale.
To be more specific, Tradecarview is rife with sellers using “tag-advertising”, that is, advertising a Japanese car that doesn’t really exist so as to generate an enquiry from you. The seller’s response to you then would be something like, “Sorry that car has been sold, send a deposit and we will find you another one for the same or similar price.” At the same time they are telling you this, the car of course remains listed on Tradecarview to continue attracting further enquiries, and they are not telling you the price was set unrealistically low…
Now let’s assume you fell for this dirty trick and did send money to one of these Tradecarview sellers, believing they would find you a similar vehicle for the same price.
Can you trust them ?
Well, firstly if you are a one-off customer then they have no loyalty whatsoever to you as they know whatever they do is unlikely to impact on future sales.
Secondly, like every other country Japan has it’s fair share of sharks in the secondhand car import game. This has become even worse in recent years as business has become more competitive than ever before.
So we always wonder why anyone would consider sending money to a company or individual in another country they didn’t know / hadn’t been recommended through a trusted source ?
OK, so what happens after you’ve sent your money and they “start searching for your Japanese import”. Now you’re locked in to them with your deposit (partially or fully non-refundable minus some fairly large international transfer and refund processing fees to make you think twice), they can take their time to present you with other options. These are likely to be much higher priced dealer cars or cars from auction. The questions then are:
Will what’s offered match the Japanese import car you are looking for ?
Will they actually check the Japanese auction cars for you and provide more pictures and details of faults ?
What control do you have over how much you spend ?
Can you trust what they tell you the car sold for ?
Will you receive any sort of personal attention ?
Are you going to be paying the best price for the best quality car ?
The fact is, once they have your money they can pretty much do what they like. In the end after a lengthy period of frustration, you may have to settle for a car that is not what you wanted, just to get your money back. Of course, once the car arrives in your country (assuming it arrives at all) you may find that:
the condition doesn’t match what they said
the car is not eligible for import due to past accident repair, chassis damage, rust, water damage, adjusted odometer or simply being the wrong model
Any of these things will cause you a major import headache / wallet-ache and quickly suck the joy from your Japanese car import experience. Unfortunately over the years we have been contacted by many people asking for help to solve these sorts of problems.
As for the Tradecarview car prices, for anyone that knows the current value of vehicles at auction (you can research 3 months of REAL sale prices yourself straight from the auctions themselves using our Auction Search), many prices on Tradecarview are either too low to be genuine, or the condition simply cannot be as stated (kms, past repair etc).
The fact is that the large Japanese auctions are the cheapest place to buy cars in Japan. So if Tradecarview prices are significantly cheaper than the Japanese auction prices then why wouldn’t they be putting the car through auction ?
After all, if it was a genuine vehicle then they’d make more money and it would be a lot easier, quicker and cheaper than exporting a Japanese car to a foreign buyer, with all the extra time and effort that entails. The obvious answer is that after the car has left Japan there is nothing you can do if you’re unhappy with it.
Obviously there will be exceptions and the occasional genuine Japanese car for sale on Tradecarview, but in our experience these are few and far between and there is no way to be certain before you buy.
There is just way too much risk involved in buying from unknown online sellers such as those on the Tradecarview website with whom you have no recourse once they receive your money. Physical inspection by a reliable agent is always critical to confirm condition, as is choosing an agent you can trust with the payment and import process.
It’s for these reasons that we strongly recommend our clients NOT to source their Japanese import from Tradecarview. Sourcing directly from Japanese auctions through a good agent is the most reliable method for finding a quality Japanese import car at the lowest price.
I've bought a vehicle in Japan and want to use it for a short time while on holidays, before I export?
We have been asked this many times over the years. The quick answer is NO.
Here is why.
When you buy a vehicle in Japan the registration has to be changed to the new owner by law within several weeks.
So to legally use the car in Japan it needs to be transferred to your name. When you do that you must 10% GST on top of the car price together with all the local registration and insurance costs – in short this will be a LOT more expensive and a great deal more trouble than simply hiring any car you want for use during your stay.
In addition, to register a vehicle in Japan requires insurance and a car park space. For foreigners this is very difficult to organise and not something you could do if you’re only in Japan for a short time as it requires a local sponsor plus a trip to the police station, whereupon they will organise to inspect and measure your carpark to ensure it is suitable for the intended vehicle !
When our agent buys a vehicle for you, the title is transferred to their company name at the time of deregistration ready for export, usually within a week or so of purchase. So it’s not going to be practical for you to use it in Japan, and would end up being quite risky to all involved should you choose to drive it illegally.
So – hire a car if you wish to drive in Japan and keep the export process entirely separate
I'm in the United States, can you help me import a car?
Yes, we can source a vehicle for you from Japan and export it to the Port nearest you in United States. Please note that there are restrictions on importing vehicles to the US which you need to consider before using our service.
The best import option for US clients is the 25 year rule, which allows RHD vehicles of this age or older to be imported. There are many good options in this age range that we could source and ship to you.
See Auctions for what’s available.
Can you source motorhomes, trucks, motorbikes or general equipment?
Certain motorhomes, trucks and motorbikes can be imported along with earth moving equipment etc. but unfortunately we are unable to assist you with this service as we source only cars to order.
Can you source parts/half cuts/body shells?
Sorry no, we simply source whole cars to order and don’t deal with parts, half cuts or rolling shells in any way.
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