Good quality low cost used cars are usually very difficult to find and unless you know a lot about cars its easy to make a wrong decision and buy a car which will probably fall apart quickly costing you thousands more in parts and labour.

Japan's cars are renowned for their quality engineering (think of all the famous Japanese motor brands you know), and good value and reliability.

Japanese drivers are careful to maintain their car cosmetically and mechanically so virtually all cars put up for auction are in great condition.

Japanese cars are usually equipped with many options so you'll find things like air conditioning, power steering, power windows, air bags, ABS, and more, come with the car.

The Japanese Government has a very strict car safety system which increases the cost of ownership over time. Any car over five or six years old becomes very expensive to test and service so drivers prefer to buy new cars and put the old one up for auction.

How to choose an used Japanese car exporter

There are thousands of used Japanese car exporters in Japan and around the world so how do you know which one to choose?

If you buy from an exporter in your own country then they usually will have already taken car of all the aspects of buying and importing the car such as car safety tests and import paperwork etc.

However you also pay for their services.

If you want to get the car cheaper then you should contact an exporter directly in Japan who can arrange all the necessary paperwork from the Japanese side arrange for shipping etc.

However when the car gets to your country you will have to arrange for a shipping agent to offload the car and pay all the taxes.

In general when looking for a Japanese used car exporter you should keep in mind the following:

* Do they have membership of the JUMVEA - the Japanese government recognised trade body?
* Are they a registered company - ask for their company registration number
* Do they offer transparant billing
* Do they have good customer service - ask them questions before buying
* Do they provide you with the auction inspection sheet upon request?

How Japanese used car auctions work

There may be some mystery about how Japanese used car exporters buy cars from auctions, but actually the process is very simple.

A dealer or exporter will have joined an auction house as a trade member. This membership gives them access to lists of cars and details usually through the auction house's website.

If you have requested a specific type of car the exporter will browse the website until they find something nearly matching and get an idea of the price.

Once the auction for that car is underway the exporter will bid electronically via a satellite system or in person at the auction hall.

Electronic bidding is popular as it enables many cars to be bid on throughout the country from the dealers office.

Once the auction is finished the winning bid gets the car and purchase papers are sent to the dealer, usually within minutes of the close.

The exporter then contacts you with details of the car, including any excess if the bidding went high.

And that's basically it!

In this short article I've covered choosing a used car dealer and explained how the Japanese used car auction system works. Good hunting and happy bidding!