Common Mistakes When Importing Second Hand From Japan

There is no doubt and nobody can debate on Japan being a leader in auto making. The Japanese automakers have been in the global industry for close to a century and today they are the leading country producer of vehicles. There is however another market that has grown robustly and there are no signs that it can slow down anytime soon. And that is the second hand auto market, which has been a phenomenal industry all over the world. Since the Japanese autos are known for their superior quality, performance and reliability, everyone across the globe is scramming to get them.

The other main reason why there is such a huge market for these vehicles is because they are considerably affordable and one can even get a good deal on a recently owned vehicle. One might be tempted to ask why these vehicles come at a low cost, even more than you will find with any other vehicle models. There are a number of reasons and things that makes the Japanese second hand vehicles so cheap, and one of them is the fact that newer vehicles in Japan attracts lower insurance. So, as many Japanese car owners are trying to ease that burden, it opens up another cheap vehicle markets for the world.

In this guide, we will go through some for the crucial things and mistakes that many people make every single day when they are importing a second hand vehicle from Japan. Understanding this will help you get a way around it and get to import second hand Japanese vehicles much smoothly.

Failing To Do Due Diligence On The Vehicle

There are a lot of things that one needs to keep in mind when purchasing a vehicle. And these things will determine whether you will get a good service out of it or not. You need know and understand many things about the vehicle and ask the dealer as much questions as you can. For most advanced car dealers, like here at Substar, you will be provided with photo footage of the vehicle and one can also ask for a video footage to learn how the vehicle runs and idles. Doing this can be very beneficial in avoiding faulty vehicles that come and break down.

Among some of the things that one should check to ensure that they are getting a good vehicle that is ready to go includes tires, body, paint-work, engine performance, gear box, the hydraulic system among others. This might seem like a lot of things to check out, but it is really worth it. Sometimes getting a mechanical report or maintenance record on the vehicle is also important in helping asses and better understand the vehicle that you are getting. This will help you know the problems that the vehicle has had and whether there is a serious issue that could come up soon.

Ignoring Scams

One needs to be extra vigilant and watchful about every move that they make in order to get the vehicle that they are yearning for. Scams are on the rise and that is something that can come to anyone out there. A good example of a scam instance is when a scammer pretends to be owning a car dealership and that they are selling vehicles from Japan. They will always try to make one believe that they have been in business and will do anything to convince person that they are getting a good deal. In most instances and in such cases, you will find that the scammers are from different countries and not even based in Japan. To avoid such kind of scammers and many others, you need to first know the car dealer that you are working with, check out their website and do more to really ascertain that they are in business and doing that. You can always check car dealership forums and discussion boards and see if there are good or bad reviews or scam alerts to steer away from such.

Failing To Negotiate

Second hand vehicles are pre-owned and with that perception, we all know that they have been subjected to different kind of work and they cannot all have the same price tag. Perhaps the best thing with getting second hand vehicles is that there is always room to bargain and that there is always that vehicle that will suit one’s budget which is nothing that you will see in brand new vehicles.

Car dealers and owners are always willing to compromise and negotiate the price of a vehicle since there is no fixed price and in most instances they are looking to dispose the vehicle to get another one which makes it better for you as the buyer.

Buying To Repair

Some people always believe that they can find a vehicle that is in bad shape and have it repaired and assume that they will be getting a good deal. While this can be true, it is pure gamble and you could find yourself in a fix. This is especially if you are still new to second hand vehicles and moreso with the fact that you are importing it from Japan and you may not have physical contact or get to see the vehicle first hand. It could end up becoming to expensive to repair and make the necessary adjustments to the vehicle and as such, you should avoid these vehicles an only focus on getting one with good records and ready to be driven.

Final Word:

There are lots of nightmare stories that car buyers have had to go through when buying second hand vehicles abroad. Hopefully, this guide will shine a lot of light on that and help someone do the right thing to get the vehicle that they have always wanted.

Please take some time and check out some for the vehicle that we have in our listing page. We have plenty of second hand Japanese mini trucks, mini vans and many other vehicles. You can then get in touch with us for more details.