Understanding The Grading System in Japanese Car Auctions

Grading is a crucial element in preparing inspection sheets for Japanese used cars. Auction halls make these inspection sheets to provide all the minute details about the vehicle. And it also tells you about the condition of the vehicle. If you want to buy a used car, all these details help you make the right decision. The grading system gives you an accurate idea of the vehicle's state without physically being witnessed.

You can get a closer look at the grading system below.

Overall grades

• S – First registration of the vehicle took place within a year, and the car is equivalent to a new one
• 6 – The vehicle is in excellent condition and doesn't need any repair work. It also says that car mileage is below 30,000 KM
• 5 – This grade is similar to grade 6. But the only difference here is car mileage is below 60,000 KM
• 4.5 – The vehicle is in good condition, and it may require repair, but it's not necessary
• 4 – A well-maintained vehicle which may require a little bit of repair work
• 3.5 – It shows that the car is high mileage and has some visible flaws like dents and scratches
• 3 – Vehicle with the acceptable condition but it has very high mileage and needs severe repair
• 2 – Vehicle having a bad state and requires significant repair work
• 1 – Denotes modified, salvaged, or affected cars (from a hailstorm, flood, etc.)
• R – Accidental vehicle which has gone through severe damages
• RA – Highly damaged and repaired car, due to an accident
• R1 – It refers to both 'R' and '1' grades, showing an extreme case of a car accident
• RA1 – Mixed grading of 'RA' and '1' grades, displays an accidental and not repaired car. Such vehicles are not appropriate for driving, but their parts can get reused or recycled.

Interior grades

• A – The vehicle is in excellent condition. It has no missing parts, nor does it require any repair
• B – The car is in above average condition. It has no visible dents or scratches
• C – Some noticeable food stains, cigarette burns, screw holes are visible. The vehicle needs some cleaning and repair
• D – The car has stains and burns that can't get reversed. So the car is in below-average condition
• E – It denotes that the vehicle is in poor condition. It may have gaps in the dashboard, torn seats, and stains, etc. which requires major repair work

Exterior grades

• A – A well-maintained exterior
• B – The vehicle has 5CM to 15CM long scratches
• C – The car has dents, waves, scratches, which may be 15CM to 30Cm long
• D – The car has rust or corrosion, scratches which are all highly noticeable
• E – The car requires re-painting, and it has severe corrosion, scratches. It may also need panel replacement

Various types of defects

When buying Japanese used cars, it's essential to ensure that vehicle is free from any flaws as below.

• Dents: Identified with U1, U2, U3
• Scratches: Three types of scratches such as A1, A2, and A3
• Wave: Displayed by grades W1, W2, and W3
• Rust: Shown as S1, S2, and S3

Note that numbers shown with letters represent the intensity of the defect. E.g., A1 means tiny scratches and A2, and A3 refers to highly visible scratches.

In a nutshell

The details mentioned above of grading systems used at Japanese used cars auctions. Grading denotes the quality of the used cars and their usage. Vehicles receive these grading after undergoing rigorous and strict inspections. So you can rely on these grading and purchase the vehicle if it meets your needs.