Understanding Grade Sheets

What are Grade Sheets?

The overall auction grade is the auction inspector's assessment of the overall quality of the car. You can usually find it written in the top right corner of most auction inspection reports.

However, there are three things that need to be emphasized about overall auction grades:

• They are subjective with different inspectors and different auctions more or less strict.
• The details the inspector writes about the car are much more important.
• They are broad categories covering a range of levels of quality.

In summary, a grade 3.5 at one auction may not be as good as a grade 3.5 at another auction, but may be better than the same grade at a third auction. So anyone who tells you they have a great grade 4 you should bid on is not giving you the whole story.

But I can't read Kanji?

Understanding Kanji would certainly be a huge advantage! However, by reading this guide you should have a far better understanding of auction grade sheets.

Much of the information is in english. Other vital information is "hidden in plain sight" (such as item 2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14) which can drastically effect the price at auction or be the deciding factor on whether to bid or not.

S

Specification. A list of most common features found in Japanese cars.

Mark	Description
PS	Power steering
PW	Power windows
ABS	Anti-lock braking system
エアB	Air Bags
AW	Alloy wheels
SR	Sunroof
ナビ	Navigation
TV	Television system. This can also be a rear screen.
本革/カワ	Genuine leather

D

Diagram showing damage on the body. Some auctions houses grade these areas from 1-3 (1 being minor, 3 being major) others 1-5.

Mark	Description
A	Scratch.
AU/UA/B	Scratch with dent.
C	Corrosion.
E	Paint dimples.
G	Stone chip in glass.
H	Paint fade.
P	Paint defect. Also includes sun lacquer damage.
S	Surface rust. Not to be confused with Corrosion (C).
U	Dent.
W	Repair mark/wave.
X	Damaged panel/glass.
XX	Previously damaged panel that has been replaced in the past. Usually found on Grade R/RA vehicles.
Y	Hole or crack in body work. Common on aftermarket bumpers.

1

Lot Number assigned by the auction house.

2

Date of first registration in Japan. This isn't based on the Western Gregorian Calendar but the Japanese Calendar which is based on years of the Emperor. The example below is 19 6月. 19 is based on H19 which is 1988 + 19 = 2007. 6月 is the 6th month of the year (June).

3

Vehicle description. This includes make/model and guise.

4

Drivetrain (2WD or 4WD).

5

Individual grading for Exterior (外観) and Interior (内部). Grading is between A-E. A being like a brand new car, E being one in terrible condition, usually with panels or seats missing/seriously damaged. Don't be put off by a C interior as many C graded vehicles just need a good clean and are easily B interiors that just need better presentation.

6

Full chassis type. As a vehicle has a revision the first type of the code changes. For example, a pre facelift DC5 Integra is an LA-DC5 and a facelift is ABA-DC5. All of these chassis types are listed in our JDM Auto Data system.

7

Engine capacity. This may be rounded up (2395cc to 2400cc for example).

8

Seating capacity (入).

9

Number of doors (ドア).

10

Type of use in Japan. This is important! Private use is shown as 使用. Vehicles used for commercial use such as taxis will not have this text. The data below this is the date of expiry for the domestic shaken. Again, this is in Japanese date format, not Western Gregorian. For this RB1 Honda Odyssey the shaken expiry is H33 1 27. Which in Western Gregorian Calendar is 27/01/2021.

11

Mileage (in KM). Odometers could be replaced for legitimate reasons (such as 300-320kph clocks). The first thing to look for is an asterisk (*) next to the odometer reading on the auction sheet. This means that the auction believes the odometer has been changed, and has not been presented with any records which would indicate that the change was legitimate. Of course, this does not mean that the car has necessarily been clocked – the odometer could have been replaced for a perfectly legal reason – but it does mean that the current seller cannot prove this to the auction, so they are selling it clearly marked as a car with a changed odometer. If a car does have some sort of record, then the auctions will mark the KM reading with "$" or "#".

12

R Fee or Recycle Fee. This is a fee payable when ownership or a vehicle changes or it is de-registered. This fee is added to the total Japanese balance which is the 2nd payment paid for a personal import.

13

Manufacturer colour code.

14

Transmission type (manual or automatic and many list number of gears - F5 for example = 5 Speed Manual)

15

Sales points. Anything particular with the car the seller wants bidders to know. For this example HID lights, Pioneer navigation.

16

Vehicle auction information. This can include first time in auction etc.

17

Inspector notes. These can include condition of the underside, details of damage to the interior, any aftermarket parts,

18

Chassis number. Although these are not stored in the auction system and searchable they can be used to carry out a JDM VIN check.

19

Area of registration in Japan and current registration. Some auction houses choose to list this information. It can be useful to determine if the car is currently registered in a high risk area for rust and/or radiation.

20

Vehicle dimensions. Sometimes not filled in by the auction house. We list dimensions for over 3,500 Japanese models in our JDM Auto Data.