Japanese Auction Sheet Codes Breakdown
Grading reports or Japanese auction sheets are used to list the details of the vehicle and its condition.
Reporting formats varies depending on the auction house that it was listed on, but generally the basic information remains the same.
Numeric values from 0 to 6 (6 being the best) are used to determine the overall grade, while A to D grades (A being the best) the interior condition of the vehicle. Sometimes, an additional A to D grade is included for the vehicle’s body condition. EG: 5 A A
Interiors graded A should be virtually as new. B is also considered extremely clean, and C is often used for average condition.
For some auctions a C is still very good, while at others it will mean the interior is dirty, has cigarette burns, or obvious wear and tear. C for a vehicle older than 10 years is generally expected, but would be cause for concern on a 2-year old vehicle.
D usually means very untidy, dirty, smoke-affected, or stripped out for racing.
Grade 3 or 3.5 can also be the result of a minor accident repair.
Repairs are usually denoted with XX on the affected panels, but can be hidden in the auction sheet notes section written in Japanese.
Very minor repairs to front panels may be considered where it’s obvious that only bumpers or front panels have been repainted and any parts replacement has not affected the front structure.
If there is any doubt about this we will avoid the vehicle as it is simply not worth the risk of rejection by your compliance workshop.
We generally source only vehicles graded 4 and higher on the Japanese auction sheet.
Occasionally a lower grade vehicle might be worth considering, e.g. some large scrapes and scratches on the bodykit / bumpers could result in a 3.5 grade for what is otherwise a nice vehicle.
This cosmetic damage may be easy to fix yet result in significant savings on newer vehicles.
Grade 2 indicates very poor condition or water damage.
Grade 1 is a sign of ‘significant modifications’ – this could be performance upgrades such as larger turbos, a transmission change from auto to manual, an engine change, or prepared for racing.
It is therefore a matter of reviewing the Japanese auction sheet and pictures for any vehicles of interest with an open mind to determine those worth further inspection.
Any that look promising will be physically inspected by our agent at auction to confirm actual condition and more pictures will be taken.
We then contact you to discuss condition and your budget.
Breakdown Table for Overall Grades
| 6 | New |
|---|---|
| 5 | As good as new with no flaws |
| 4.5 | Very clean, one panel affected by minor paint blemish |
| 4 | More than one panel affected by minor paint blemishes |
| 3.5 | Some attention to panel and paint is required |
| 3 | Rough overall condition |
| 2 | Serious panel damage, rusty or water damages |
| 1 | Significant performance upgrades or mechanical changes |
| A, 0, R | Accident damage and repair |
A, 0, R and variations (RS, R0, RA, A1) are all used to denote repaired vehicles, with RA, A1, R1 being minor repairs.
Breakdown Table for Interior Grades
| A | As good as new with no condition faults |
|---|---|
| B | Very clean and nice |
| C | Average / Clean for age including expected wear and tear |
| D | Cigarette burns / smell, rips, tears, or other damages to interior |
Breakdown Table for Options Codes
| SR | Sunroof |
|---|---|
| AW | Alloy Wheels |
| PS | Power Steering |
| PW | Power Windows |
| AB | Airbag |
Breakdown Table for Vehicle Diagram Codes
| XX | Panels have been replaced due to repairs and / or painted. |
|---|---|
| W |
Wavy Can mean the affected panel has been painted, and the paint is not as smooth as the original factory paint. However, in some cases even when marked with a W it is impossible to tell with the naked eye whether paintwork has been done. Auction staff can make mistakes also, and mark panels W when they are uncertain. W or W1, W2 and W3 are used, with 1 being least noticeable. |
| A |
Scratch
|
| U |
Pin dent Only a small dent such as you would pick up in the carpark. U1 to U4 are used to denote the size of the dent, with 1 being the smallest. |
| B |
Larger dents These are more serious than pin dents. They are quite noticeable dents and range from B1 to B4. |
| G |
Chip You might see a G, X or even an A marked on the windscreen. This usually indicates a small stone chip or scratch and often these are quite small, the size of a pin head or so, and not easily visible. They are the sort of things most cars pick up through normal use and if you see them noted it doesn't mean the windscreen needs replacing. |
| Y |
Cracks Y1 to Y4. Usually in bodykits or lights and often not a major issue as repair or replacement is fairly simple. |
| P |
Paint damage P1 to P4. Fading, scratches or discolouration from sun damage, polishing, peeling, crazing or poor paintwork. |
| S/C |
Rust / Corrosion S and C1 to C4 are generally used. An S or C1 on the body can mean a small stone chip has some surface rust or there is a spot of rust on the edge of a sunroof which might be easily addressed. In other cases S noted in the negative comments section could indicate extensive underbody rust. C indicated on the wheel arches is a sign there is serious corrosion due to use in snowy areas. Physical inspections are undertaken for rust regardless of whether it is noted on the Japanese auction sheet, as even grade 4.5 vehicles can be rusty. |
The Best Auctions
While Japan has more than 80 auctions each week and many agents claim coverage of them all, in reality most vehicles are sourced from a much smaller number of major auctions and these are the main auctions attended weekly by reliable auction inspection agents.
Several small auctions are held on Monday but most are online only such as AUCNET and NPS Tokyo Nyusatsu which don’t enable physical inspections as there is no centralised auction location.
Other auctions are so small that it is not viable to have an agent there to inspect vehicles.
For the best selection of vehicles, condition and prices our favourite auctions are in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe and Fukuoka
| Tuesday | USS Yokohama, JU Saitama, CAA Tokyo, CAA Gifu |
|---|---|
| Wednesday | JAA, CAA Chubu, BAYAUC, BCN Saitama |
| Thursday | USS Tokyo, Hanaten Osaka, KCAA Fukuoka |
| Friday | USS Nagoya, USS Osaka |
| Saturday | HAA Kobe, JU Gifu, USS Fukuoka |
Fukuoka in the south of Japan has a couple of good auctions each week and can offer some good deals. Allow for additional transport of about 40,000 Yen to Osaka for shipping if required, as vessels do not always call into nearby Moji Port.
Auctions We Avoid
We specifically avoid all Sapporo auctions due to rust issues.
Sapporo is on the island of Hokkaido in the far north of Japan very near Russia, they have about 7 months of snow each year and salt the roads. That means nearly all vehicles there are affected by rust, such that no reliable buying agents regularly attend. Transport to the nearest Port of Yokohama also costs an additional 60,000 Yen.
We also avoid auctions in Gunma on Thursday and Saturday, as like Sapporo this is a heavy snow area.
BCN Saitama auction on Wednesday has been renamed ‘MiRIVE’ and is located in Fukuya City, Saitama prefecture. It is only a small ‘outback’ style auction.
Arai Oyama auction on Thursday is not very good for the type of vehicles we source. In our experience they have loose auction gradings as it is a very “backwoods” primarily truck / 4WD vehicle auction. As the area is a very mountainous one, the vehicles generally tend to be quite rusty. It is also about a 3 hour drive from Tokyo, and quite expensive for transport to the Port.
Reading a Japanese Auction Sheet – Example 1
This vehicle was a 2007 Nissan Skyline V36 370GT coupe, base model. Graded 3.5 due to a rear repair. Note XX in the notes section, but not shown on the vehicle diagram in this case. Body and interior were graded C and B.
Reading a Japanese Auction Sheet – Example 2
Here is another example for a 2006 V35 Skyline Premium coupe in a slightly different handwritten format for USS auctions. The same information is there.
General Definitions
| F | Front |
|---|---|
| R | Rear, right (rare) |
| D | According to the driver’s something (seats, door and etc.), according to the door (about mirror, handle and etc.) |
| E/G | Engine |
| HID | Xenon headlights |
| CS | Cassette recorder |
| T-BELT | Timing belt |
| ST-T | Studless tires |
| CP | Central cap |
| 右 | Right |
| 左 | Left |
| 下 | Bottom |
| 大 | Large (about scratches, damps and etc.), strong (about contaminated, fraying and etc.) |
| 小 | Small (about scratches, damps and etc.), slight (about contaminated, fraying and etc.) |
| 多 | Lots of something, numerous |
| 穴 | Hole, something missing |
| 欠 | Absence |
| ミラ | Mirror(s) |
| ドア | Door(s) |
| ばんぱ | Bumper |
| スポ | Spoiler |
| エアロ | Body kit |
| モール | Molding |
| ホイル | Alloy wheels |
| CPホイル | Caps |
| 下廻り | Underbody (on the perimeter) |
| 足廻り | Suspension system |
| バッテリ | Battery |
| コアサポート | Radiator core support |
| クロスメンバ | Cross member |
| フェンダ | Fender |
| インサイドパネル | Inner panel |
| サイドメンバー | Side member |
| エンドパネル、バックパネル | Rear panel |
| トランクフロア、（Tフロア） | Trunk floor |
| ピラ | Pillar (front, central, rear) |
| シート | Seats |
| ダッシュ板，ダッシュボード、ダッシュ | Dashboard |
| ハンドル | Steering wheel |
| シフトノブ | Shift knob |
| ヘッドレスト | Headrest |
| フロアマット | Floor mat(s) |
| オーディオ | Audio |
| ナビ | Navigation system |
| キズ、傷 | Scratch(s) (Alphabetic designation A) |
| へこみ、凹 | Dent(s) (Alphabetic designation U,B) |
| 補修あと、ホシュウアト | Repair Mark(s) (Alphabetic designation W) |
| フショク | Corrosion (Alphabetic designation С) |
| スレ | Worn |
| ズレ | Shift |
| 歪、ヒズミ | Deformation |
| 修理、シュウリ | Repaired |
| 修理要、シュウリヨウ | Need to be repaired |
| 不良、フリョウ | Defective |
| 汚れ，ヨゴレ | Contaminated |
| コゲ | Cigarette marks |
| コゲ穴 | Cigarette holes |
| シワ | Wrinkles (seat’s cover), unevenness (exterior) |
| ヒビ | Crack |
| ワレ | Crack |
| トビ石、トビイシ | Chip (stone scratch) |
| リペア | Repaired |
Benefits of the Car
| ワンオーナー | Single owner |
|---|---|
| ユーザー買取車両、ユーザーカイトリシャリョウ | Owner is selling car |
| 初出品、ショシュッピン | This lot appears first time at auction |
| キセノンライト、キセノン、ＨＩＤ，ディスチャージヘッドライト | Xenon headlights |
| フォグランプ | Fog lamps |
| 社外品有、シャガイシナアリ | Including non-standard parts |
| ソナー | Sonar |
| コーナーセンサー | Corner sensor |
| ブルガード | Bullbar |
| カーボンボンネット | Carbon bonnet |
| エアロパーツ | Body kit |
| ルーフレール | Roof rail |
| サンルーフ | Sunroof |
| 保証書付、ホショウカキツケ | Including warranty book |
| キャリア | Carrier |
| アンテナは後日送り、アンテナハゴジツオクリ | Antenna will be sent latter |
| 電格ミラー、デンカクミラー | Electric mirror |
| 純正アルミホイール、ジュンセイアルミホイール | Original alloy wheels |
| 社外アルミ、シャガイアルミ | Not original alloy wheels |
| 社外足廻り、シャガイアシマワリ | Not original suspension system |
| 車高調、シャコウチョウ | Increased ground clearance |
| リフトアップ | The car is raised |
| ロタウン | Decreased ground clearance |
| Ｒスポ | Rear spoiler |
| 純正リヤスポ、ジュンセイリヤスポ | Original rear spoiler |
| 社外マフラー, シャガイマフラー | Not original muffler |
| 社外マフラー積込、シャガイマフラーツミコミ | Original muffler located inside the car |
| 車内積み社外マフラー、クルマナイツミシャガイマフラ | Not original muffler located inside the car |
| 背面、ハイメン、ハイメンタイヤ | Spare wheel located on the rear door |
| 革、カワ | Leather interior |
| 革シート、カワシート | Leather seats |
| 本革シート、ホンカワシート | Seats covered by natural leather |
| パワーシート | Power seats |
| シートヒーター | Seat’s heater |
| ＦのみＰ/Ｗ | The only front powered windows |
| 社外ハンドル、エアＢ欠、シャガイハンドル、エアＢケツ | Not original steering wheel without airbag |
| モモステアリング | МОМО steering wheel |
| ウッドコンビハンドル | Steering wheel with wooden insert |
| ウッド調パネル、ウッドチョウパネル | Wooden stile dash board |
| カーボン調パネル、カーボンチョウパネル | Carbon style dash board |
| 外シフトノブ、ガイシフトノブ | Not original shift knob |
| 純マット、ジュンマット、純正フロアマット、ジュンセイフロアマット、ドアバイザー付 | Original mats |
| ＣＤチェン | СD-changer |
| 純正ナビ・ＴＶ・ＣＤ・ＣＳ | Original navigation, TV, CD, cassette recorder |
| ナビディスク後日、ナビディスクゴジツ | Navigation disk will be sent later |
| 純正ステレオ、ジュンセイステレオ | Original stereo system |
| 走行中ＴＶ－ＯＫ | TV is working during driving |
| DVD－プレーヤー | DVD Player |
| ヘッドレストモニター | Monitors in the headrests |
| サンバイザーモニター | Monitors in the sun visors |
| キーレス | Remote key |
| キーレス後日、キーレスゴジツ | Remote key will be sent latter |
| 社外セキュリディ、シャガイセキュリディ | Not original car alarm system |
| ルームクリーニンク清、ルームクリーニンクシン | Interior is after dry cleaning |
| 禁煙車、キンエンシャ | no one was smoking in the car |
General Interior Defects
| 内装うす汚れ、ナイソウウスヨゴレ | Slightly interior contamination |
|---|---|
| 内装スレ汚れ、ナイソウスレヨゴレ | Worn and contamination in the interior |
| ルーム内汚れ、ルームナイヨゴレ | Interior contamination |
| 内装小汚れ、ナイソウコヨゴレ | Slight interior contamination |
| 内装汚れ（大）、ナイソウヨゴレ（大） | Strong interior contamination |
| 天張り汚れ、テンバリヨゴレ | Dirty roof in the interior |
| 天張り小汚れ、テンバリコヨゴレ | Slightly dirty roof in the Interior |
| 室内キズ汚れ、シツナイキズヨゴレ | Scratches and interior contamination |
| シートコゲ穴、シートコゲアナ | Cigarette holes |
| シートコゲ | Cigarette marks |
| シートシワ | Wrinkles on the seats |
| Dシートスレ | Worn on the driver’s seat |
| シートヘタリ | Seat is squashed |
| シートキレ | Cuts on the seats |
| Dトリムコゲ数コ、トリムコゲカズコ | some cigarette marks on the door’s casing |
| 室内異音、シツナイイオン | Noise in the interior |
| 室内臭い、シツナイニオイ | Unpleasant smell in the interior |
| ダッシュ板のリアト、ダッシュイタノリアト | Glue marks on the dashboard |
| ダッシュ板キズ多し、ダッシュイタキズオオシ | Numerous scratches on the dashboard |
| ハンドルスレ | Warn on the steering wheel |
| 荷室、かしつA | Scratches in the trunk |
| 灰皿欠、ハイザラケツ | Ashtrays missing |
| オーディオレス穴、オーディオレスアナ | Audio missing |
| オーディオ外し穴、オーディオハズシアナ | Audio missing |
| CSレス穴、レスアナ | Cassette recorder missing |
| シフトノブ欠、シフトノブケツ | Upper part of shift knob is missing |
| AC不良、フリョウ | Defective air conditioner |
| AC回らず、マワラズ | Defective air conditioner |
| モニタ不良修理要、モニタフリョウシュウリヨウ | Defective monitor, need to be repaired |
| シート色アセ | Faded seat’s cover |
| ジャッキ欠品、ジャッキケッピン | Jack missing |
| Ｐ/Ｗ不良修理要ス、フリョウシュウリカナメス | Defective power windows, needs to be repaired |
Defects of Crashed Cars
| 左側面現状、ヒダリガワメンゲンジョウ | Left side is damaged |
|---|---|
| 冠水車、カンスイくルマ | Flowed car |
| 左右面現状、サユウメンゲンジョウ | Left and right side of the chassis is damaged |
| Ｆ現状、ゲンジョウ | Front chassis is damaged |
| 右Ｒ現状、ミギＲゲンジョウ | Back right side of the chassis is damaged |
| 右Ｆ足廻り現状、ミギＦアシマワリゲンジョウ | Front right side of the chassis is damaged |
| Ｆルーフ現状、Ｆルーフゲンジョウ | Front side of the chassis is damaged |
| 走行不明車、ソウコウフメイクルマ | Millage is unknown |
| Ｅ/Ｇ異音、イオン | Engine is knocking |
| ＡＴ現状、ゲンジョウ | Automatic transmission is damaged |
Front window defects
| ワインバーキズ | Scratches from the wipers |
|---|---|
| ワレ | Front window is broken |
| トビＡ | Scratch(es) from the stone |
| ヒビ | Crack on the front window |
| トビ石、トビイシ | Stone chip on the front window |
| ヒビトビ石、ヒビトビイシ | Crack and stone chip on the front window |
| リペア | Front window was repaired |
Repaired car's defects
| Ｆ事故ーＦジコ | Damaged into the front chassis side |
|---|---|
| 右面事故、ミギメンジコ | Damaged into the right chassis side |
| Ｆ－Ｒ事故 | Damaged into the front and rear chassis side |
| 側面修理歴、ソクメンシュウリレキ | Both sides of the chassis were repaired |
| 冠水歴有、カンスイレキアリ | Flooded car was repaired |
| コアサポートヒズミ | Radiator core support was deformed |
| Ｆクロスメンバー歪み、Ｆクロスメンバーユガミ | Side member was deformed |
| 右Ｆインサイドパネル歪み | Front right Inner panel was deformed |
| 右バッフル修理歴み、ミギバッフルシュウリレキミ | Right side of the radiator core support was deformed |
| 右ピラー修理、ミギピラーシュウリ | Front pillar was repaired |
| 左センターピラー修理、ヒダリセンターピラーシュウリ | Left central pillar was repaired |
| 右Ｒインサイドパネルヒズミ | Right rear inner panel was deformed |
| 右フェンダーｘｘ | Right rear fender was replaced |
| エンドパネル歪み、エンドパネルユガミ | Rear panel was deformed |
| バックパネルーXX | Rear panel was replaced |
| バックステップ歪み、バックステップユガミ | Backstep was deformed |
| Ｔフロア先修理、Ｔフロアセンシュウリ | Trunk floor was repaired |
| トランクフロア歪み | Trunk floor was deformed |
General defects of chasses and engine
| ミラーA | Scratches on the door’s mirror |
|---|---|
| Ｄミラーキズ | Scratches on the door’s mirror |
| ボンネット飛び石小、ボンネットトビイシコ | Light chips on the bonnet |
| 外装うすい線キズ、ガイソウウスイセンキズ | Light scratches on the chassis |
| オーバーフェンダーキズ | Scratches on the fender |
| サイドモールキズ | Scratches on the molding |
| エアロキズ | Scratches on the body kit |
| Ｒズポイラーキズ | Scratches on the rear spoiler |
| 各キズ凹、カクキズボコ | Scratches and dents on the chassis |
| 下廻りＡＵ、シタマワリＡＵ | Scratches, dents and repair marks on the chassis |
| 補修アト、ホシュウアト | Repair marks on the chassis |
| 外装仕上げ跡、ガイソウシアゲアト | Repair marks on the chassis |
| ルーフ凹（多) | Numerous dents on the roof (often mean that car was under hailstorm) |
| ルーフ凹（多）の為ヒョウ害 | Numerous dents on the roof, the car was under hailstorm |
| 右ＣピラーＵ小、ミギＣピラーＵコ | Light dent on the right central pillar |
| 左ＣピラーＵ小、ヒダリＣピラーＵコ | Dent on the left central pillar |
| Ｐハゲ | The paint is ripped off |
| RすぽいらーＰハゲ | The paint is ripped off rear spoiler |
| 外装Ｐアセ、ガイソウＰアセ | Faded paint on the chassis |
| Ｃ2穴、Ｃ２アナ | Holes from the corrosion (number 2 near the C mean how strong is it) |
| Ｅ/Ｇ（ｅｎｇｉｎｅ）ルーム内サビ | Rust in the engine room |
| 足廻りサビ、アシマワリサビ | The suspension system has corrosion |
| 下廻りサビ、シタマワリサビ | Underbody rust |
| バッチリー下サビ | Rust under battery |
| ズレ | Rear bumper was shifted |
| 脱着、ダッチャク | Trunk hood departing |
| Ｒワイパー欠品、Ｒワイパーケッピン | There is no rear wiper |
| アンテナ曲がり、アンテナマガリ | Antenna is banned |
| バッタリー上がり、バッタリーアガリ | Battery is discharged |
| Ｅ/Ｇ異音修理要す、Ｅ／Ｇイオンシュウリヨウス | Unusual noise when engine is working, need to be repaired |
| Ｅ/Ｇ異音、Ｅ／Ｇイオン | Unusual noise when engine is working |
| Ｅ/Ｇ廻り異音、Ｅ／Ｇマワリイオン | Engine is knocking |
| Ｅ/Ｇ廻りオイルにじみ | Oil leaks around the engine |
| 足回り修理要、アシマワリシュウリヨウ | Suspension system needs to be repaired |
| ラジエーター水漏れ、ラジエーターミズモレ | Water is leaking from radiator |
| セルモーター廻り異音、セルモーターマワリイオン | Unusual noise during starter works |
| 排気もれ、ハイキモレ | Exhaust pipe is leaking |
| WＴ‐ＢＥＬＴ点灯、ＴーＢＥＬＴテントウ、点滅、テンメツ、Ｔベルトランプ点灯、Ｔベルトランプテントウ | Timing belt lamp lights up |
| メーター交換車、メーターコウカンシャ | The car with changed odometer, near the mileage marked with the star (*) |
| P/S不良、Ｐ／Ｓフリョウ | Power steering is defective |
| 元れんた、モトレンタ | The car used for rental purpose |