Should I buy a car imported into the UK from Japan?

Remember the Eunos Roadster, the right-hand-drive Mazda MX-5 shipped by UK importers from Japan that was fashionable successful the aboriginal 2000s?

I had one, devoid of work past and with uncertain mileage but reliable and rust-free.

Today, the commercialized successful utilized grey-import show cars from Japan, wherever similar america they thrust connected the left, continues with companies supplying models specified arsenic Nissan Skylines and Honda Type Rs, though successful amended information and with ample grounds of their work past and mileage.

Another, progressively fashionable commercialized exists successful used, right-hand-drive German and Swedish household cars imported from the aforesaid state – models specified arsenic the Volkswagen Touran, Golf and Polo, BMW 1 Series, 3 Series and 5 Series (the property versions of the bigger 2 especially), Mercedes C- and E-Class (again, chiefly property versions), Audi A4 Avant and A6 Avant and Volvo estates.

Most are petrol automatics and older than 10 years due to the fact that Japan imports of this property are not required to beryllium tested nether the UK’s analyzable Individual Vehicle Approval scheme. However, they indispensable person Japanese benignant approval.

In the archetypal 3 months of this year, the UK imported astir 5000 utilized cars from Japan. Around 30% of them were European models, the bulk Volksawgens but besides BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, Volvos and Minis.

The remaining 70% were Japanese cars: hybrids, MPVs, SUVs and immoderate show cars. The origins of the commercialized spell backmost to 2008, erstwhile Japan’s and Europe’s benignant support regulations became much intimately aligned and European car makers began exporting their vehicles to Japan with features specified arsenic rear fog lights and headlight washers. 

Gradually, a fewer utilized cars began to trickle backmost to the UK. It took off, though, with the instauration of the UK’s low-emission zones successful metropolis centres. These penalise diesel cars beneath the Euro 6 emissions modular introduced successful 2014 and petrol cars beneath Euro 4 (from 2005).

They person triggered a request for household cars costing astir £9000 that tin participate the zones without attracting a charge.

Unfortunately, UK utilized cars that suffice are successful abbreviated proviso and often successful questionable information with precocious mileages. Not so, those imported from Japan.

According to a study by Volksawgen, successful Japan “many customers support their vehicles extraordinarily meticulously and spell to their dealer’s store for tiny things”. One crushed for this is the ‘shaken’, Japan’s equivalent of the MOT test.

It occurs archetypal erstwhile the car is 3 years aged and past each 2 years pursuing – and it’s expensive: astir £1500 and rising arsenic the car becomes older. It’s why, alternatively than look these mounting costs, galore owners alteration their cars “as often arsenic their smartphones”, according to Volkswagen's report.

The shaken is simply a terrifying imaginable but Japanese drivers past look a further challenge: selling their unwanted car successful a tightly regulated and crowded market. As a result, astir 1.2 cardinal utilized cars are exported from Japan each year.

Russia and the United Arab Emirates instrumentality the lion’s share, astatine 200,000 imports apiece. Ranking successful 16th spot is the UK, astatine 20,000. 

Neil Howe has been importing European cars from Japan since 2016. He visits the state each mates of months to presumption cars and conscionable the agents who root them for his retail business, Winterstoke Motor Company adjacent Bristol, and for different UK dealers helium supplies.

“The emblematic ex-Japan car is successful overmuch amended information than a UK conveyance and has a little mileage,” helium says. “Full work histories – being integer means they’re casual to verify – are common, adjacent connected low-mileage cars, and galore replacement parts are archetypal equipment, fitted by main dealers.”

The cars helium imports person their mileages and provenance checked by the British Independent Motor Trade Association (BIMTA). Formed 20 years agone arsenic portion of a run to let much imports of cars into the UK, the organisation is contiguous recognised by authorities agencies.

Cars that fulfill its checks are awarded a BIMTA certificate and a warrant that the mileage is correct. In addition, Howe supplies an export certificate, issued successful Japan but partially written successful English, that confirms details specified arsenic the vehicle’s chassis fig and shaken grounds and that nary concern is owing connected the car, and either the work publication oregon a print-out of the car’s integer work record, again written successful English.

Because the imported cars were manufactured to conscionable EEA/UN arsenic good arsenic Japan benignant support regulations, their factory-fitted lights fulfill UK roadworthy laws. In the car’s strategy menu, the odometer and speedometer tin beryllium changed to work miles. 

Conversions that are required usually interest updates to the navigation system. However, each car is antithetic successful this respect, says Howe, with Volvos being among the much challenging.

As the UK’s utilized car drought continues and much radical are forced retired of their non-ULEZ-compliant cars, a utilized Japanese import mightiness conscionable beryllium the reply for a household car purchaser connected a budget.

How to insure a Japanese import

They whitethorn fulfill European benignant support laws, person akin specifications and beryllium arsenic casual to repair and to root parts for arsenic UK cars, but utilized European cars imported from Japan look to beryllium much costly to insure. For example, we were quoted £312 to insure a Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI SE DSG imported from Japan compared with £276 for its UK equivalent.

Five imports we found

Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI SE DSG 2011/06, 44,000 miles, £8990: Few UK equivalents but astir £1500 cheaper

Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI SE DSG 2012/12, 49,500 miles, £7995: Around £500 cheaper than UK equivalent

BMW 116i Sport Auto 2012/12, 44,000 miles, £8990: Roughly aforesaid terms arsenic UK equivalent

Audi S4 Quattro 2010/10, 46,000 miles, £13,995: Few UK cars with specified a debased mileage

Volvo V70 2.5 R-Design SE Auto 2009/59, 55,000 miles, £9990: Rare petrol mentation with ULEZ vantage implicit diesel