How to read a Japanese auction sheet

• Grade 6 / S — Brand new or nearly new. Registration-only or demonstrator cars, usually under a year old with very low mileage. Rarely seen in Kenya because of the price.
• Grade 5 — Excellent — like new. Very low mileage, no repairs and almost no marks. Expect to pay a clear premium.
• Grade 4.5 — Very good. Low mileage with only tiny marks that a polish may remove. A top choice for buyers who want a clean car.
• Grade 4 — Good. The sweet spot for most Kenyan buyers: a sound car with minor scratches or small dents, perhaps a repainted panel. Check the damage codes on the diagram.
• Grade 3.5 — Average. More visible scratches and dents, possibly higher mileage or some repair work needed. Fine at the right price — read every damage code.
• Grade 3 — Below average. Plenty of dents and scratches, possibly rust and high mileage. Budget for bodywork and have it inspected thoroughly.
• Grade 2 — Poor. Heavy wear, corrosion or holes. Usually a project car, not a daily driver.
• Grade 1 — Very poor or heavily modified. Used for cars with serious problems — flood, fire or major mechanical faults — or heavy modifications, depending on the auction house.
• Grade R / RA / A / 0 — Repaired accident history. The car has had accident damage repaired, possibly to the frame. RA usually means a lighter repair. Not always a deal-breaker, but it should be clearly cheaper and inspected by a mechanic who checks the chassis and panel gaps.
• Grade *** — Not graded. Damaged, not running or sold as-is. Avoid unless you are a specialist.

• A — Excellent. Like new — clean, no wear, no smells.
• B — Very good. Clean with light normal wear. The usual target for a quality import.
• C — Average. Noticeable wear, some stains, marks or small burns. Budget for a deep clean.
• D — Poor. Dirty or worn, with stains, tears or holes. Expect to repair or replace trim.
• E — Very poor. Badly damaged or very dirty interior.

The number after a letter is the size or severity: 1 is small (roughly thumbnail-sized), 2 is medium (roughly palm-sized) and 3 is large. Exact definitions vary a little between auction houses such as USS, TAA, CAA and JU.

• A — Scratch (A1: small scratch; A2: scratch; A3: large scratch)
• U — Dent (U1: small dent; U2: dent; U3: large dent)
• B — Dent with scratch (B1: small dent with a scratch; B2: dent with a scratch; B3: large dent with a scratch)
• W — Repaired or wavy panel (repainted) (W1: repair mark that is hard to see; W2: visible repair or wave; W3: obvious repair that may need redoing)
• S — Rust (S1: light rust; S2: rust; S3: heavy rust)
• C — Corrosion (C1: light corrosion; C2: corrosion; C3: heavy corrosion)
• P — Paint marking or paint damage (P1: light paint marking; P2: paint marking; P3: heavy paint damage)
• H — Faded or deteriorated paint (H1: slightly faded paint; H2: faded paint; H3: badly faded paint)
• Y — Crack or hole (Y1: small crack or hole; Y2: crack or hole; Y3: large crack or hole)
• E — Dimples (small dents) (E1: a few dimples; E2: several dimples; E3: many dimples)
• X — Part needs replacing
• XX — Part has been replaced
• G — Stone chip in the glass

• Most Kenyan buyers aim for an overall grade of 4 or better and an interior grade of B or better.
• Compare the mileage on the auction sheet with the export inspection certificate and today’s odometer — mileage can only go up.
• Look for W, X and XX marks on structural panels and pillars: repainted or replaced panels hint at past accidents even when the grade isn’t R.
• Ask the seller for the original auction sheet, not a copy retyped by the yard, and check the chassis number on it matches the car and the logbook.
• A GariCheck report verifies the auction sheet against official records and translates it into plain English.

Verify an auction sheet with GariCheck