Auction Sheets Guide

Buy Japan Auction Report
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
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

A1 is a tiny scratch, and generally you would expect this to buff out or be an easy touch up.

A2 is a medium scratch through the top layer of paint, and won’t easily be hidden.

A3 is a deep scratch such as a serious scrape or intentional key mark, and will definitely require paintwork if you want to fully address it.

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.

Auction Sheet Translation
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
Right
Left
Bottom
Large (about scratches, damps and etc.), strong (about contaminated, fraying and etc.)
Small (about scratches, damps and etc.), slight (about contaminated, fraying and etc.)
Lots of something, numerous
Hole, something missing
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Water is leaking from radiator 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
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