How to Read a Japanese Auction Sheet — A Sri Lankan Buyer's Guide

Every used car at a Japanese auction comes with an inspection sheet — a single page that records grade, mileage, accident history, paint condition and dozens of other specifics, written in a shorthand most Sri Lankan buyers have never seen. Local yards rarely show it; even when they do, the auction-house language and abbreviations make it almost impossible to interpret without a reference.

This guide walks through what each section means and what to actually worry about. If you have a sheet in hand and want a faster answer, WhatsApp us — we’ll decode it line by line.

Why the auction sheet matters

The sheet is the only unbiased record of a Japanese used car’s condition. It’s produced by independent inspectors at the auction house — not the seller, not the dealer, not the importer. Because Japanese auction houses have decades of liability around accurate grading, the sheets are generally honest in a way that local resale histories never are.

For a Sri Lankan buyer, the auction sheet answers four questions that local “company maintained” claims cannot:

1. Was this car in an accident, and how serious was it?
2. Has the odometer been touched?
3. What’s the actual interior and exterior condition, on a known scale?
4. Are there mechanical faults the seller wants to hide?

If your importer can’t or won’t show you the sheet for the car they’re sourcing, that itself is the answer.

The overall grade

The most important number on the sheet is the overall grade, usually printed top-right. Auction houses use a 0–9 + S scale:

• S — brand new, under 100 km, factory plastic still on
• 6 / 5 — like-new, very low mileage, no defects
• 4.5 — well-kept, light wear consistent with age
• 4 — typical used condition, minor scratches and dings
• 3.5 — visible wear; some panels may need work
• 3 — needs restoration; multiple defects
• 2 — heavy damage or corrosion
• 1 — flood, fire or major mechanical issue
• R / RA — accident-repaired (frame straightened or replaced panels)
• 0 — not graded; major accident history

For a typical first import to Sri Lanka, target grade 4 or higher. Grade 3.5 is acceptable if the sheet shows the issues are cosmetic. Anything R, RA, 0, 1 or 2 is generally a no for personal use — these are best left to traders who specialize in repairs.

The interior and exterior grades

Below the overall grade, the sheet usually shows two letters:

• Exterior: A (excellent) → B (light wear) → C (visible wear) → D (heavy wear) → E (very poor)
• Interior: same A–E scale, evaluated separately

A car can have a high overall grade with a B or C interior — typical for cars used as company shuttles where the body was kept clean but the seats and dashboard saw heavy use. Inspect the interior photos before assuming an A4 or higher grade means a fresh cabin.

The car map (and what every code means)

The car map is a small line drawing of the vehicle from above and from each side, with letters scattered across it indicating where the inspector found defects. The most common codes:

• A — small scratch (under ~10 cm)
• A1, A2, A3 — scratch sizes 1 (smallest) to 3 (longest)
• U — small dent (less than ~5 cm)
• U1, U2, U3 — dent sizes
• W — paint repair / repainted panel
• W1, W2, W3 — minor → heavy paint work
• X — replacement panel
• XX — replacement panel that’s been welded (structural concern)
• B / B1 / B2 — dent with paint damage
• S — rust spot
• C — corrosion
• P — paint blemish or peel
• Y — crack (often on plastic bumpers)
• YA — crack with rust
• G — stone chip
• E — dimple

A few As, Us and Gs across the map are normal for a car that’s been on the road. The codes that matter are X, XX, W2, W3, B and S. A single XX on a structural area (front rail, rear quarter, A/B/C pillar) is enough reason to walk away — it indicates the car has been in a serious accident and structural welding has been performed.

The mileage line

Mileage is recorded on the sheet in kilometres. Modern Japanese cars use digital odometers and are difficult to roll back without tipping off the auction inspector — but it does happen.

Two indicators on the sheet to watch:

• Odometer mark — * next to the mileage number means the auction house couldn’t verify the reading (often because the digital cluster was replaced). Treat this with skepticism.
• Service-history flag — if the inspector confirmed the maintenance booklet matches the odometer, the sheet shows “記録簿” (record book) with a tick. Without this, the odometer reading is unverified.

Also cross-check the auction-sheet date against the year and the wear level. A 2019 car at 35,000 km with grade-A interior is plausible. A 2014 car at 30,000 km should make you ask harder questions.

Notes box (auction-house comments)

The lower section of the sheet contains free-text inspector notes, in Japanese. Common phrases worth knowing:

• 修復歴あり (shūfukureki ari) — “has accident-repair history” — usually accompanied by R or RA grade
• 修復歴なし (shūfukureki nashi) — “no accident-repair history”
• タイミングベルト交換済 — “timing belt replaced” (good)
• エンジン異音あり — “engine noise present” (bad)
• AT滑り — “transmission slips” (bad)
• ナビ動作不良 — “navigation system not working” (mostly cosmetic concern in SL)
• HID/LED 切れ — “headlight bulb burnt out” (cheap fix)

If your importer doesn’t translate these for you, ask them to. Every honest importer has someone on the team who reads enough Japanese to flag the sheet’s red flags.

Putting it together for a Sri Lanka buyer

Before committing to any car, you should be able to answer all of these from the auction sheet alone:

1. What’s the overall grade? Aim for 4+.
2. Any X, XX, B, W3 or S codes on the map? If yes, where? Structural panels are deal-breakers.
3. Is the mileage verified? Look for the record-book tick.
4. Any inspector notes? Translate every line.
5. What’s the auction date? Sheets older than a year may not reflect current condition.

Once you can answer these for any sheet, you’ll be ahead of probably 90% of Sri Lankan buyers — including most yard customers, because most yards never show the sheet.

See auction sheets on real Car Dreams listings

Every used car on cardreams.lk ships with its original auction sheet — these are the most-shopped listings where you can apply what you’ve just learned:

• Toyota Aqua listings — first-real-car favorite, hybrid 1500 cc, typically grade 4–4.5 sheets
• Honda Vezel listings — the natural step up from an Aqua, mid-grade petrol-hybrid SUVs
• Suzuki Wagon R listings — kei-class hatchback for tight parking, sub-LKR-7M landed
• Toyota Vitz listings — older Aqua alternative for the value-conscious buyer
• Toyota Prius listings — the ICE hybrid benchmark; sheets here are usually pristine

Open any listing and look for the auction-sheet decoded summary in the listing description. If you’d like the original Japanese sheet image alongside, request it on the inquiry form — we’ll send you the high-resolution scan.

We decode every sheet for you

Every car on Car Dreams ships with the original auction sheet, and we translate it for you in plain English before you commit. If you’re shopping elsewhere and want a second opinion on a sheet you’ve been shown, send us a photo on WhatsApp — we’ll tell you what the codes actually say.

The auction sheet is the single most useful document in a used-car decision. Don’t buy without it.