How to Read a Japanese Used Car Auction Sheet
The auction sheet is the closest thing to ground truth on a used Japanese car. Here's exactly how to decode the grades, the area diagrams, and the comments — and what the codes quietly tell you that the dealer hopes you don't notice.
18 min read · Category: buying
How to Read a Japanese Used Car Auction Sheet
Satellite article draft v1.1 · ~3,500 words · June 23 2026 Pillar 3 — The transaction · Article 3.1 · SEO + LLM crown jewel
A Japanese auction sheet (出品票) is the one-page condition report an auction inspector writes for every car that crosses an auction lane. It has four pieces of information that matter: an overall grade (most commonly 1 through 6, with R, RA, and ★★★ as special categories), an interior grade (A through D), an exterior diagram marked with two-character codes describing every visible defect, and a comments box where the inspector writes anything that didn't fit the diagram. Read in that order, an auction sheet tells you more about a car's real condition than 30 minutes with the car in person — because the inspector has examined hundreds of similar cars that week and knows what to look for. This guide walks through every field, the grade scales, the defect codes, and the things the auction sheet quietly tells you that the dealer hopes you don't notice.
At a glance
| Section | What it tells you | Where to look first |
|---|---|---|
| Overall grade (総合点) | The headline condition score | Top right corner, usually circled |
| Interior grade (内装点) | Interior wear independent of exterior | Just below or next to overall grade |
| Exterior diagram (車両外観図) | Every dent, scratch, rust spot, panel repair | Center of the sheet |
| Defect codes | Two-character codes (A1, U2, W3, X) describing each mark on the diagram | Around the diagram |
| Comments (備考欄) | What didn't fit elsewhere — odors, repairs, accident history flags | Bottom or side panel |
| Auction house | Determines how reliable the grading is | Top of the sheet (USS, TAA, JU, HAA, etc.) |
| Mileage and year | Independently verified by the inspector | Vehicle data block |
The single most useful pattern: the diagram and the comments often disagree with the headline grade. A 4 with three U2 marks and a comment about "previous repair to rear panel" is materially different from a clean 4. Auction sheets are honest, but the honesty is in the details, not the grade.
What is an auction sheet, and who writes it?
Almost every used car sold in Japan passes through one of the country's auction houses — USS, TAA, JU, HAA, Aucnet, and a handful of others. When a car arrives at the auction lot, an in-house inspector walks around it for 15–30 minutes, checks the interior, starts the engine, and fills out the auction sheet. The car is then assigned a lane, and dealers bid against each other in a 30-second auction window per vehicle.
The inspector is the auction house's employee, not the seller's. They have no incentive to grade generously — the auction's credibility depends on accurate sheets, because the buying dealers are repeat customers who will stop participating if the grades don't match what they receive. Most inspectors examine 30–60 cars a day and have done this for years. Their assessments are calibrated against thousands of similar cars.
This is the part most foreign buyers don't fully appreciate: an auction sheet is one of the most reliable used-car condition reports in the world, because the entire Japanese used-car market depends on it being accurate. It's not a sales document. It's a report that determines whether a dealer pays ¥800,000 or ¥1,400,000 for the same car the following Tuesday.
When you're buying from a Japanese used-car dealer, you can almost always ask to see the auction sheet for the car. Reputable dealers keep them on file and will show you on request. A dealer who refuses or "lost" the sheet is telling you something.
How do I read the overall grade?
The overall grade is the single most important number on the sheet. The scale most auctions use:
| Grade | Meaning | Typical condition |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | New or near-new | Under 10,000 km, no visible defects |
| 5 | Excellent | Under 30,000 km, minor cosmetic wear only |
| 4.5 | Very good | Light cosmetic wear, no significant defects |
| 4 | Good | Normal wear for age, some minor cosmetic defects |
| 3.5 | Fair | Visible wear, possibly repaired panels, still solid |
| 3 | Average | Visible wear, and multiple cosmetic issues; higher mileage common. |
| 2 | Below average | Significant defects, often previous accident repair |
| 1 | Modified or seriously damaged | Heavy mods, frame damage, flood, fire |
| R | Repaired accident car (frame straightened) | Reported frame repair; can still be sound |
| RA | Minor repaired accident car | Minor frame work, lighter damage history |
| ★★★ | Special category | Auction-house-specific; usually denotes notable provenance |
| 0 | Not graded | Inspector couldn't grade — often heavy mods, parts car, or flood |
A few things to know about how the grade is actually used:
- 4 is the foreigner sweet spot. It's the most common grade in the practical-car market, indicates normal wear, and dealers can resell it without surprises. If you're buying a ¥1.0M–2.5M practical commuter, you're almost certainly looking at a 4 or 4.5.
- 3.5 is where bargains live, and where mistakes hide. Some 3.5s are perfectly fine cars with cosmetic wear. Others have repair history the diagram doesn't fully capture. Read the comments box hard on any 3.5.
- R and RA are not automatic disqualifiers. A well-repaired R-grade car at the right price can be a fine purchase — especially for daily-driver Niseko-area buyers who care about price-to-utility more than resale. But the resale value will be permanently lower, and insurance can be harder to write.
- 0 and 1 grades are for specialists. Don't buy these unless you know exactly what you're doing.
The grading is consistent within an auction house but not perfectly comparable across houses. A USS 4 and a JU 4 are close but not identical. USS is generally considered the strictest grader; smaller regional auctions can be 0.5 grades looser.
How do I read the interior grade?
Interior grades are letter-based (sometimes also numeric on certain auction houses):
| Grade | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | Like new — almost no wear, no smell, no staining |
| B | Light wear, very clean, no significant issues |
| C | Average for age — some wear, possibly minor staining or smell |
| D | Heavily worn — significant staining, tears, smoke odor, or pet odor |
A few subtleties:
- Smoke is the most common reason for a C or D interior on an otherwise clean car. Japan has historically been a high-smoking-rate country among older male drivers. A 5-year-old car driven by a smoker is usually B or C with a comment about "煙草臭" (cigarette smell). The smell doesn't fully come out, even with professional cleaning.
- Pet odor (ペット臭) is comment-flagged separately. Same deal — hard to fully remove.
- A "C" interior is normal for an 8–10-year-old car and shouldn't scare you off. A "D" should.
The interior grade is independent of the exterior grade. A 4 / C combo is common: solid exterior, well-used interior. A 4 / D combo is more concerning, especially if the comments mention smoke.
How do I read the exterior diagram?
The diagram is the schematic line drawing of the car from above (and sometimes from the sides), with two-character codes scattered across it. Each code tells you about a defect at that location. This is where the real condition information lives.
The defect-code system varies slightly by auction house, but the most common codes are nearly universal:
Scratches and dents (the everyday stuff)
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A1 | Small scratch (under ~10cm), barely noticeable |
| A2 | Scratch, moderate |
| A3 | Long scratch, visible from distance |
| A4 | Significant scratch, may need repaint |
| B1 | Small dent (palm-sized), no paint damage |
| B2 | Moderate dent, possibly with paint damage |
| B3 | Larger dent, paint damaged |
| B4 | Significant dent, will need bodywork |
| E1–E4 | Small, moderate, larger, or significant dings (similar scale to dents) |
Repairs and bodywork
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| U1 | Small repair / small paint patch (under ~10cm) |
| U2 | Moderate repair, paint blending visible |
| U3 | Major repair, panel repainted |
| W1 | Wave (slight panel deformation, repaired) |
| W2 | Wave, moderate |
| W3 | Wave, significant — panel was hit and re-formed |
| XX | Panel replaced (bolted-on panels: doors, hood, trunk lid, fenders) |
| X | Panel replaced (welded panels — this is more serious; suggests accident repair) |
Other markers
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S1, S2 | Rust — minor, then moderate |
| C1, C2 | Corrosion — minor, then moderate (more serious than rust) |
| P | Painted (color may not match factory exactly) |
| Y1, Y2 | Cracks (Y1 small, Y2 larger) |
| G | Glass damage (chip or crack) |
| H | Hail damage |
| BP | Bumper plastic repair |
The diagram tells you not just what is wrong but where. A U2 on a front fender is a paint blend after a minor parking-lot scrape — basically a non-issue. A U3 across the entire rear quarter panel with a Y1 nearby is a meaningful repair to a structural area, and you should look at the underbody and trunk floor for further damage.
The pattern most foreigners miss
A diagram with several A1/A2 scratches and a B1 or two is just a normal 8-year-old car. That's the background pattern.
What you're really scanning for:
- U codes — especially U3. Any "repaint" mark means there was something to cover. Single U1 or U2 is usually cosmetic; multiple Us in a localized area suggests collision repair.
- W codes — especially W2 and W3. A "wave" means the panel was bent and re-formed. This is harder to do well than a U-grade paint job, and it's a strong indicator of impact.
- XX vs X. If panels were replaced (XX), look for matching color. If welded panels (X) were replaced, the car has had real bodywork — possibly accident repair — and the underlying structure may have been pulled. Cross-check with the comments box for an R or RA flag.
- Rust (S codes) under the car. S marks on the floor, frame, or wheel wells are a much bigger deal than S marks on a fender. Hokkaido cars rust less than coastal cars; coastal cars (especially Pacific-side and Sea-of-Japan-side) often have S1–S2 on the underbody. We've covered this in detail in our piece on rust and region.
- G on the windshield. A G mark on the windshield is a future ¥80,000–150,000 expense for replacement, plus the calibration of any forward-facing cameras.
What do the comments tell me?
The comments box is where the inspector writes anything that didn't fit on the diagram. This is the highest-information-density part of the sheet. Read it twice.
Common comments you'll encounter:
| Comment (Japanese) | Translation / meaning |
|---|---|
| 修復歴あり | "Has repair history" — accident repair, possibly frame work |
| 修復歴なし | "No repair history" — no frame damage on record |
| 煙草臭 / タバコ臭 | Cigarette smell |
| ペット臭 | Pet smell |
| エアコン不良 | Air conditioner malfunction |
| エンジン異音 | Abnormal engine noise |
| ミッション異音 | Abnormal transmission noise |
| 下廻りサビ | Underbody rust |
| 改造あり | Modified (could be minor, could be serious) |
| 社外マフラー | Aftermarket exhaust |
| 社外ホイール | Aftermarket wheels |
| タイミングベルト交換済 | Timing belt replaced (positive — good maintenance signal) |
| 記録簿あり | Service records present (positive) |
| 記録簿なし | Service records missing |
| ナビ社外 | Aftermarket navigation system |
| ETCあり | ETC unit installed (toll system — useful) |
| 革シート | Leather seats |
| ワンオーナー | One owner from new |
Three patterns to internalize:
- 修復歴あり is the single most important comment. It means the car has frame-repair history. Grade R or RA cars will have this flag; sometimes 3-grade cars do too. Not an automatic no, but a price-and-purpose decision.
- 異音 (abnormal noise) is a yellow flag. Inspector noticed it, but didn't have time to diagnose. Could be a ¥30,000 fix or a ¥300,000 fix.
- タイミングベルト交換済 plus 記録簿あり is the positive combo. Maintenance done, paperwork to prove it. These cars cost a little more but are worth it.
How do mileage and year fit in?
The mileage (走行距離) and year (年式) are listed in the vehicle-data block. Both are verified by the inspector against the odometer and the registration document. Auction sheets in Japan are functionally tamper-proof on these two fields — it's why mileage fraud is rare in the Japanese domestic market compared to many other countries.
Mileage notation you may see:
- 修正歴あり (mileage history modified): The odometer was replaced at some point. Doesn't necessarily mean fraud — sometimes the original cluster failed and was replaced under warranty. But it does mean the current mileage isn't fully verified.
- メーター交換 (meter replaced): Same as above, explicit.
- 不明 (unknown): Mileage can't be verified. Treat with caution.
If neither flag appears, treat the mileage as accurate.
Auction house matters
Five major auction houses in Japan, with different reputations:
| Auction | Reputation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| USS | Strictest grader, largest volume | The benchmark. USS grades are conservative. |
| TAA (Toyota Auto Auction) | Reliable, Toyota-leaning inventory | High-quality Toyotas often funnel through here |
| HAA (Honda) | Reliable, Honda-leaning inventory | Similar to TAA for Hondas |
| JU | Mid-tier, somewhat looser | Used by smaller regional dealers |
| Aucnet | Online-only, photo-based | Don't rely on the auction sheet alone — verify with photos |
A USS 4 is generally cleaner than a JU 4. If you're comparing two cars at the same listed grade from different auctions, give the USS one a small edge.
What the auction sheet doesn't tell you
A few things the sheet usually won't capture:
- Engine internal condition. The inspector starts th
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