Free tools for Japanese imports
Everything here is free and works from what’s on the car’s paperwork: the registration, the chassis number, the auction sheet or the model code.
Check a car
For a specific car you’re looking at: its records, its paperwork and what it says.
Free check
MOT history, mileage and model checks from a registration and chassis number.
Auction sheet translator
Upload or type in a Japanese auction sheet and read its grade and notes in English.
Export certificate translator
Read a Japanese export certificate in English and check its mileage against the UK MOTs.
Shaken certificate translator
What a Japanese inspection certificate or record says, with its dated odometer readings.
Chassis number decoder
What a Japanese frame number says about the car it’s stamped on.
Build year finder
The year a Japanese car was built, from its chassis number and the carmakers’ own lists.
Japanese recall check
Recalls filed in Japan since 2001 for a chassis number, which UK records don’t show.
ULEZ checker
Read the emissions code and see what London and other UK clean air zones would charge.
Research a model
Before you shortlist one: what to look for, what the factory built and how they hold up.
Model guides
Buyer’s guides to the imports UK buyers look at most: codes, engines and known problems.
Specs by model code
Factory engine, gearbox, weight and fuel economy for any Japanese model code.
Colour code decoder
The factory colour behind a paint code, where to find it and how to spot a respray.
MOT statistics
Pass rates and common failures for Japanese imports, from every MOT in Great Britain.
How many are left
How many of each model are still registered in the UK, taxed or SORN.
Owner reports
Owners on faults, running costs, real-world mpg and parts, model by model.
Buy and import
Bringing one in yourself, or buying from someone who does.
Import cost calculator
Yen to pounds, shipping, duty, VAT, registration and road tax, with official rates.
Japan import tracker
How many used cars Japan ships to the UK each month: hybrids, kei cars, values and ports.
Importer directory
UK importers, dealers, garages and parts suppliers, from the Companies House register.
Want the whole story of one car, from its Japanese auction to its last MOT? See a sample full report.