Buying
How to Read a Japanese Car Auction Sheet: Grades and Codes Explained
A buyer sends you a message: "What is the auction grade? Any accident?" If you can read the auction sheet, you can answer in a minute and sound like an expert. If you can't, you have to guess, and guessing about a car's condition is how trust gets lost. The sheet looks hard because most of it is in Japanese, but the condition ranks and damage codes that matter most are just numbers, letters and a small drawing of the car.
Where the auction sheet comes from
Many used cars in Japan are sold through big car auctions. Before a car goes on sale, an inspector at the auction house checks it and fills in a sheet: the grade, the mileage, the equipment, and every scratch and dent they find. Dealers use this sheet to decide what to bid.
Not every car has one. A car bought straight from a dealer or a previous owner, without going through an auction, won't have an auction sheet. That doesn't make it a bad car. It just means you need to judge it from the photos and the seller's own condition report.
The overall grade
This is the big number, usually near the top of the sheet. It gives a quick idea of the whole car. The exact meaning changes a little from one auction house to another, but this is the general guide:
| Grade | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| S or 6 | New or almost new |
| 5 | Excellent, very few marks |
| 4.5 | Very good, only light signs of use |
| 4 | Good, some small scratches or marks |
| 3.5 | Average, scratches, dents or interior wear you can see |
| 3 | Below average, needs some work |
| 2 or 1 | Poor, serious problems |
| R or RA | The car has had accident damage that was repaired |
Pay special attention to R and RA. Both mean the car has a repair history. RA is generally used for a smaller repair than R, but auction houses don't all use these letters in exactly the same way, so read the notes and the drawing to see what was actually repaired. If a sheet shows no grade, or symbols in place of a number, ask why before you quote the car.
The interior grade
Next to the overall grade there is usually a letter for the inside of the car:
- A: like new
- B: clean, very small signs of use
- C: average, maybe some stains, burns or worn seats
- D: poor, clear damage, smells or tears
- E: very poor
A car can be 4.5 outside and C inside. Buyers who sit in the car every day care about both, so mention both.
The car drawing and its codes
The sheet has a small outline of the car seen from above. The inspector writes short codes on it, at the exact place where each problem is. A letter tells you the type of problem. A number after it tells you the size: 1 is small, 2 is medium, 3 is large. Some auction houses use 4 or 5 for bigger damage.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | Scratch |
| U | Dent |
| B | Dent with a scratch |
| W | Wavy panel, usually a sign of an earlier repair or repaint |
| S | Rust |
| C | Corrosion |
| P | Paint problem, like fading or peeling |
| Y | Crack or hole |
| X | Part needs replacing |
| XX | Part has already been replaced |
| G | Stone chip on the glass |
So "A1" on the front bumper is a tiny scratch, nothing to worry about. "U2" on a door is a dent you will be able to see. Several "XX" or "W" marks in one area, like the front of the car, usually tell you where an accident happened.
Other parts of the sheet
The sheet also shows the mileage, the year, the model code and the equipment. The written notes, usually in Japanese, are where the inspector adds anything important, like engine noise, a warning light, or a part that is missing. If you can't read Japanese, use a translation app on a clear photo of the notes, or ask a colleague who can. Don't skip them. The notes are often more useful than the grade.
Tips before you quote the car
- Don't sell on the grade alone. A 4 with a clean drawing can be a better car than a 4.5 with notes about a noise.
- Check the mileage matches. The mileage on the sheet should match the listing and, later, the inspection record.
- Be careful with sheets from unknown sources. Edited or fake sheets do exist. Trust sheets that come from your own company or a proper verification service.
- Be honest about R and RA. A repaired car can still be a good buy at the right price. A buyer who finds out after paying will not buy from you again.
Once you know the car's condition, the next step is telling the buyer about it in a clear message. Our guide to writing vehicle promotions that get replies shows how to put the details together, and if the buyer is in a country that checks cars before shipping, read our pre-shipment inspection guide too.