History checks built for Japanese imports
The whole story of your import, from auction to MOT.
A normal UK check starts the day the car landed. We join its Japanese records to its DVLA and MOT history by chassis number, and tell you in plain English whether the mileage, identity and paperwork add up.
Mileage timeline
Kilometres probably recorded as miles
The first UK MOT recorded 72,610 miles, almost the same number as the 72,400 km in Japan on 2021-09-14. The car's real mileage is more likely about 45,118 miles: the dial probably still reads km and the tester wrote it down as miles. The 4 later MOTs carry on from that figure, so they probably overstate the mileage too.
Made-up sample car. See its full report
27,787
used vehicles shipped from Japan to the UK in 2025
Japan Ministry of Finance export statistics
+54%
more in January to August 2026 than the same months of 2025
Same source
0
Japanese records in a standard UK history check
They start at UK registration
Why imports are different
The problems hide at the border.
Most of what goes wrong with a Japanese import happened before it had a UK number plate, or got lost in the crossing.
01
Kilometres or miles?
Testers sometimes record the km figure as miles, and some sellers swap the instrument cluster. We line up the Japanese and UK readings and say which it is.
02
Is it the car it claims to be?
A Type R badge is cheap; an EK9 chassis isn’t. We decode the chassis code and check it against DVLA and the advert.
03
What did Japan say?
The auction sheet grades the car, marks repairs and notes rust. The full report brings that history in and translates it.
How it works
One chassis number. Every record we can find.
- 1
Enter the registration and chassis number
The chassis number is on the V5C and stamped on the car. It’s the one key that links Japan and the UK.
- 2
We gather the records
DVLA and MOT history, our own chassis-code library, and, in the full report, Japanese auction history plus UK finance and write-off data.
- 3
Rules flag what doesn’t add up
Fixed rules check identity, mileage and history. Every flag shows the records behind it, and anything we couldn’t check is listed, never hidden.
What you get
Start free. Go deeper when it matters.
Free check
£0
- Import confirmed, with Japanese and UK registration dates
- Chassis code decoded and checked against DVLA and the advert
- Every MOT, with advisories explained in plain English
- UK mileage timeline with unit and rollback checks
- Repeated MOT problems and known faults for the model
- Questions to ask the seller, and a clear list of what we couldn’t check
Full report Coming soon
£29
- Everything in the free check
- Japanese auction history: date, grade, mileage and inspector notes, translated
- Japanese mileage joined to the UK MOTs, with the import crossing checked
- Outstanding finance, stolen and write-off records
- Keeper count and plate changes, and the chassis on the UK record
- Recalls that may apply, with a link to the maker’s own check
Sample reports
Four made-up cars, four real problems.
These are illustrative: the cars don’t exist, but each shows something our rules catch.
1991 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)
A tidy import whose Japanese and UK mileage line up after the speedometer was converted, with sill corrosion noted at several MOTs.
Open report →
2016 Toyota Alphard 2.5
Every MOT since import has recorded the kilometre figure as miles, so the UK history overstates the mileage by about 60%.
Open report →
1994 Toyota Supra RZ (A80)
The first UK MOT reads 48,000 km lower than the Japanese auction did, and the colour has changed since Japan.
Open report →
1998 Honda Civic, advertised as a Type R
Advertised as an EK9 Civic Type R, but the chassis number is an EK4 Civic SiR.
Open report →
Model guides
Know the chassis code before you view the car.
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 BNR32
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 BCNR33
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 BNR34
- Nissan Skyline R34 ER34
- Toyota Supra A80 JZA80
- Mazda RX-7 FD FD3S
- Nissan Silvia S15 S15
- Honda Civic Type R EK EK9
- Honda Civic SiR EK EK4
- Subaru Impreza WRX GC GC8
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII to IX CT9A
- Toyota Alphard 30 series AGH30W
- Toyota Alphard Hybrid 30 series AYH30W
- Toyota Aqua NHP10
- Toyota Prius ZVW30
- Nissan Leaf ZE0
Questions
How is this different from a normal UK history check?+
A UK check only sees records from the day the car was registered here. For an import, that misses the car’s whole life in Japan: its auction grade, its mileage before shipping, and whether it’s really the model it claims to be. We join those to the UK records using the chassis number.
Where does the Japanese data come from?+
The free check uses our own chassis-code library. The full report will add licensed Japanese auction history from a data partner, which we’re finalising now. We never scrape auction sites.
Is the sample data real?+
No. The sample cars are made up to show how a report works, and every sample is marked “Illustrative”. Until our DVLA and DVSA access is approved, the free check also runs on the sample cars only.
Why do you need the chassis number?+
The UK records don’t include it, but it’s the only thing that links the car’s Japanese and UK history. You’ll find it on the V5C logbook and on a plate in the engine bay.
Do you keep my searches?+
We keep the registration, chassis number and results of each check so we can show them to you again and improve our rules. We don’t ask for your name for a free check. See the privacy notice for details.
Be first when full reports open.
Join the waitlist and we’ll email you once, on launch day. Dealers and importers: tell us, and we’ll talk about bulk checks.