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Quality Control

Due to the nature of the auction process, auction sheets are not always reliable sources of a vehicles condition. This is a fact that most auctions in Japan would not disclose to vehicle buyers however that is just the raw truth. Therefore in order for ICE to control the quality of vehicles we buy, we have our staff at auction inspect a vehicle before it is purchased. We also provide a comprehensive detailed inspection report for purchased vehicles that we upload to the website post-purchase. The reason for this is to supply customers with detailed information that may not be available at time of purchase. A brief overview of the post-purchase inspection process is outlined below:

• Exterior Inspection

  A complete exterior paint & panel report is carried out. All cosmetic blemishes including dents, scratched will be noted in the report.

• Interior Inspection

  A complete interior condition report is carried out. All wear and tear including dash, seats, interior lining, rubbers, etc will be checked. All electrics are checked to make sure they are working.

• Cleaning

  Any cleaning that may be required for MAF/JAAi/JEVIC inspections is carried out.

• Mechanical

  A full mechanical inspection is done. Our staff have vast experience in vehicle mechanics.

• Inspection Certification

  To verify an inspection has been passed to our high standards, all grade 4 and above vehicles will be labeled with our seal of approval.
  

All vehicles purchased by ICE are held in safe and secure premises under 24 hour surveilance. ICE will ensure that all batteries are in working order before a vehicles departure from Japan however we do not replace or guarantee they will work apon arrival. We can arrange for replacement in Japan at extra cost should it be required.

Vehicle Grading

ICE has implemented a grading system to 'standardise' the variences that are common in auction grading systems. In Japan, every individual auction has a similar grading system, usually rating a vehicles condition from A (Accident) through to S (New Vehicle), with 0, 1, 2, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5 etc being the commonly usual grading scale. Because every auction rates vehicles differently, Global Export has devised the following scale for our post-purchase inspections. This scale is designed to give buyers a more accurate idea of a vehicles condition.

Condition Scale

9/S Brand New Vehicle

5.0 Excellent Condition

4.5 Very good condition (No paint & panel required)

4.0 Above average condition (Minor paint may be required)

3.5 Good condition (Minor paint & panel may be required)

3.0 Below average condition

2.5 Substandard condition

2.0 Very poor condition

1.0 Mechanical problems

0 Accident history 

Interior Grading Scale

Interior conditions will be graded as follows:

A Very good condition

B Good condition

C Average Condition

D Below average condition

Grading Overview

Grading of all vehicles is based on many aspects however, the age of a vehicle and mileage are two factors that must also be considered. For this reason, if a vehicle is more than 10 years old it will generally be graded half a point lower than a newer vehicle of the same condition, due to it's age. Also, a vehicle travelled more than 100,000km will be graded half a point lower than one of similar condition yet done less km's. The grading system should be used as a guide to buying only, and should not be compared to the grading of vehicles at auction. For example, it is common to get a 1996 manufactured vehicle done over 100,000km that does not require any paint & panel, however we will grade it 3.5, when an auction would usually grade this as a 4.0. Please read the condition notes to get a better idea of a vehicles condition.

Stolen Vehicle Check

ICE confirms ownership of all vehicles prior to shipping and guarantees all rights and recourse provided for under Japanese law if problems arise. All vehicles get full ownership checks done using the official Land Transport databases before being exported. Should a problem arise ICE will provide legal/financial assistance, refund the purchase price or replacement costs depeding on the situation.