Decode a Japanese auction sheet
A sheet grades the car, marks the damage on a diagram, and names the terms in Japanese. This page covers the marks that mean the same thing at the large auction houses. Grading conventions vary by house, so read the inspector's notes and the damage diagram with the number.
62 entries. Type to narrow the lists; with JavaScript off all 62 stay visible.
01
Overall grade
One summary mark for the whole car, from the inspector's walk-round. It is a starting point, not a condition report.
| Grade | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| S | As new, no repairs recorded. | Rare, and not every house issues it. Read the notes and the damage diagram. |
| 6 | New or as-new, usually delivery mileage. | Little to check beyond the sheet. |
| 5 | Excellent. At most a minor scratch, no repairs. | A strong car for its age; confirm the mileage and service record. |
| 4.5 | Very good. A few small scratches or dents, no repair history expected. | The grade most clean used imports carry. Check where the marks are. |
| 4 | Good used condition. Noticeable scratches, dents or wear, no major damage. | Normal for a 25-year-old car. Read the damage diagram, not the number. |
| 3.5 | Average. Clear defects, and possibly a repaired panel. | Ask what was repaired and look at the panel in photos. |
| 3 | Rough. Significant defects; repairs or rust are possible. | Budget for bodywork. Check the underside and the sills. |
| 2 | Poor. Major defects or repair history. | A project car unless the price says otherwise. |
| 1 | Very poor, heavily modified, or not running. | Treat as a parts car or a restoration. |
| R | Repaired. The sheet records repair history, often with a number after it (R1, R2). | Ask for the repair record and who did the work. |
| RA | Accident repair recorded. The suffix conventions differ by auction house. | Have the structure checked before you bid. |
| 0 / *** | No grade issued, or the car was not inspected in the usual way. | Ask the auction or your broker what the mark means for that lot. |
02
Interior grade
A letter for the cabin, separate from the overall number. JDM interiors are slow to source, so price the grade in.
| Grade | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A | As new. | Little or no wear. |
| B | Good. Light wear on the driver's seat and touch points. | Normal for the age. |
| C | Noticeable wear: bolster wear, stains, a worn wheel or trim. | Price it in; interiors are slow to source. |
| D | Heavy wear or damage; trim missing or torn. | Budget for replacement parts. |
| E | Poor, or the interior has been modified or stripped. | A project-grade interior. |
03
Damage codes
The letters mark the kind of damage and the numbers mark how far it goes, usually 1 for small through 3 for large. The same letter sits on the diagram at the panel it affects.
| Code | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Small scratch. | Cosmetic. |
| A2 | Moderate scratch. | Cosmetic, may need paint. |
| A3 | Large or deep scratch. | Check whether the paint is broken. |
| U1 | Small dent. | Paintless repair may fix it. |
| U2 | Moderate dent. | Bodywork likely. |
| U3 | Large dent. | Bodywork, and check what is behind the panel. |
| B1 | Small dent with a scratch. | Dent and paint together. |
| B2 | Moderate dent with a scratch. | Bodywork and paint. |
| B3 | Large dent with a scratch. | Bodywork and paint; check the panel gap. |
| W1 | Small wave or repaired area in a panel. | Evidence of prior repair. |
| W2 | Moderate wave or repaired area. | Ask who repaired it. |
| W3 | Large wave or repaired area. | Look at the panel in daylight photos. |
| S1 | Light surface rust. | Common underneath; check the sills. |
| S2 | Heavy rust. | Structural risk. Inspect before bidding. |
| C1 | Light corrosion. | Watch the seams and the floor. |
| C2 | Heavy corrosion, through the panel. | A repair, not a detail. |
| P | Paint mark or paint defect: a mismatch, a peel, or a poor repaint. | Visible in person far more than in photos. |
| X | Panel needs replacement. | Price the panel and the paint. |
| XX | Panel has already been replaced. | Ask why, and check the adjacent panels. |
| Y | Crack, in glass or a panel. | Glass is usually available; body cracks are not. |
| G | Stone chip. | Cosmetic unless it has started to rust. |
| E | Small dimple, a dent with no paint damage. | Usually a paintless repair. |
04
Japanese terms on the sheet 用語
The words that decide the paperwork, the mileage and the price. Read them with the English beside them, never instead of it.
| Japanese | English | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 車台番号shatai bangō | Chassis number | Match it to the export certificate and the plate. |
| 型式katashiki | Model designation | The type approval code, not the chassis code. |
| 初度登録shodo tōroku | First registration | When the car was first registered in Japan, not when it was built. |
| 製造年月seizō nengetsu | Month of manufacture | The date the 25-year count runs from. |
| 走行距離sōkō kyori | Mileage | In kilometres. Divide by 1.609 for miles. |
| 排気量haikiryo | Engine displacement | In cc. It decides the tariff line for a passenger car. |
| ミッションmisshon | Transmission | AT or MT. |
| 駆動方式kudō hōshiki | Drivetrain | 2WD or 4WD. |
| 修復歴shūfukureki | Repair history | Marked where the sheet records structural repair. |
| 評価点hyōkaten | Grade | The overall number or letter, explained above. |
| 内装naisō | Interior | The interior letter grade. |
| 装備sōbi | Equipment | Air conditioning, power windows, and so on. |
| 車検shaken | Japanese inspection | Road-worthiness inspection, with its expiry date. |
| ワンオーナーwan ōnā | One owner | A claim on the sheet; ask for documents. |
| 禁煙車kin'ensha | Non-smoker car | A claim on the sheet. |
| 現状車genjōsha | As-is, current condition | No warranty. This is the normal basis at auction. |
| 書類shorui | Documents | What paperwork comes with the car. |
| 抹消済masshōzumi | Deregistered | Removed from the Japanese register, ready for export. |
| 輸出yushutsu | Export | Export paperwork and destination. |
| 落札rakusatsu | Winning bid | The price the car sold for. |
| 陸送費rikusōhi | Inland transport fee | Moving the car from the auction to the port. |
| リサイクル料金risaikuru ryōkin | Recycling fee | A Japanese end-of-life charge, sometimes prepaid. |
| 諸費用shohiyō | Miscellaneous fees | The catch-all line; ask what is inside it. |
05
How to read a sheet in order
- Check the chassis number and the month of manufacture against the export certificate. The month sets the 25-year date.
- Read the mileage, and compare it with the service record and the wear on the pedals.
- Read the overall grade, then the interior letter, then the damage diagram. Where they disagree, believe the diagram and the notes.
- Look for repair history (修復歴) and for R or RA. Those marks change what the car is worth more than the number does.
- Price the damage. A sheet describes the car on the day of inspection, not the day it lands, and it is not a mechanical report. TheJapan car auction guide covers how bidding works.
Grading varies by auction house
USS, TAA, Aucnet and the smaller houses do not use identical scales or identical suffixes. A grade from one house is not directly comparable with a grade from another. Ask your broker which house issued the sheet and what its scale means.
General information only, not legal, customs or tax advice. Auction grades are the inspector's summary, not a warranty. Confirm the condition of any car before you bid.