How to read a Japanese auction sheet: grades S to R/RA, interior grades, damage codes like A1 and U2, how to verify mileage, and frauds Kenyan buyers meet.
An auction sheet is the inspection report written when a used car is sold at a dealer auction in Japan. It is in Japanese, it fits on one page, and it is one of the best pieces of evidence about a car's condition and mileage. That is also why it gets faked. Here is how to read one and how to check that it is real.
What an auction sheet shows
- An overall grade (for example 4.5, or R)
- Interior and exterior grades (letters A to E)
- Mileage, year of first registration, model code and chassis number
- Equipment and options
- A damage map: a drawing of the car marked with codes such as A1 or U2
- The inspector's notes
One warning up front: there is no single national grading standard in Japan. Each auction house, such as USS or TAA, and appraisal bodies such as JAAI (Japan Auto Appraisal Institute) set their own criteria (CREX Group, in Japanese). The same car can get a slightly different grade at a different auction.
Overall auction grades and what they mean
The table below follows a sample grading report issued by Mazda Chuhan for a car at USS Tokyo, under a scheme supervised by Japan's automobile fair trade council, AFTC (AFTC sample report, in Japanese). Other auctions use similar scales with small differences.
| Grade | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S | Under 12 months from first registration, 10,000 km or less, no damage |
| 6 | Under 36 months, 30,000 km or less, almost no damage |
| 5 | 50,000 km or less, almost no damage |
| 4.5 | A few minor, hard-to-see scratches or dents; good condition |
| 4 | Some hard-to-see scratches and dents |
| 3.5 | Some scratches and dents |
| 3 | Noticeable scratches and dents |
| 2 | Several noticeable scratches and dents |
| 1 | Special defects, such as flood damage |
| R | Repair history (see below) |
R and RA. "Repair history" means the car's frame or structural parts were damaged and then straightened or replaced. A replaced bumper or a dented door is not repair history on its own. The report above applies JAAI's and the Japan Auto Auction Association's repair-history standards. Many auctions also use RA for a lighter structural repair, but the line between R and RA differs between auction houses, so ask what was repaired. Some sheets show 0 or *** for cars that are ungraded or sold as-is (Kenyans.co.ke).
Interior grades
In the same report, the interior grade runs from A to E:
- A: no marks, or almost no wear or dirt
- B: minor damage that is hard to see; good condition
- C: normal use, with some burns, scuffs or scratches
- D: needs some repair
- E: needs some parts replaced
A car can score well outside and still need costly interior work, so read both.
Damage map codes
Each mark on the drawing is a letter (the type of damage) and a number (how big). These definitions come from Bay Auc, a Japanese auction house (Bay Auc symbol guide, in Japanese). "Card size" means about the size of a bank card; "A4" means about the size of a sheet of paper.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A1, A2, A3 | Scratch: card size, A4 size, larger than A4 or panel-length. A4 means several large scratches. |
| U1, U2, U3 | Dent without a scratch: card size, A4 size, larger than A4 |
| B1, B2, B3 | Dent with a scratch, needs panel work |
| P1 to P3 | Paint needed: colour mismatch, peeling or fading |
| W1, W2, W3 | Repaint or repair marks: W1 visible only on close inspection, W2 easy to see, W3 extensive and needs redoing |
| S1 to S3 | Rust |
| C1 to C3 | Corrosion |
| X | Needs replacing |
| XX | Already replaced |
| X1 to X3 on the windscreen | Crack: X1 up to about 1 cm, X2 up to about 3 cm |
The AFTC-supervised report also uses G for a stone chip in the windscreen. Lots of A1 and U1 marks on an older car are normal. Many W, XX or C marks on panels around the front or rear deserve a closer look.
How to verify mileage and history
1. Match the sheet to the car
Read the chassis number off the car itself and compare it with the sheet, the export certificate and the inspection certificate. Do not rely on a chassis number the seller types out for you.
2. Understand Japan's own mileage checks
The Japan Auto Auction Association runs an odometer management system that tracks the mileage of each car sold at past auctions. Japanese inspection records also keep recent odometer readings, and since January 2017 the vehicle inspection certificate records the highest reading (Kuruma News, in Japanese). The AFTC sample report says rollbacks are checked against this system "as far as possible" but can be hard to find.
3. Check the QISJ record
Every used car shipped from Japan to Kenya needs a Certificate of Roadworthiness from QISJ (Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan), KEBS's appointed inspector (Kenyans.co.ke). Kenyan tech sites reported in February 2026 that QISJ's free online lookup now shows only the chassis number, certificate date and inspection centre, and that mileage at export is shown on a paid third-party site, NipponCheck, for KES 500 (TechInKenya, Techish). QISJ has not announced this publicly, so treat it as reported, not official. Note that QISJ records what the dashboard shows on the day; a rollback done in Japan before inspection would carry through.
4. Get an independent translation and archive copy
Many websites sell auction sheet translations or archived copies looked up by chassis number. None is an official government service, and some are poor. A useful copy names the auction house, the auction date and the lot number. If a dealer's copy and an archive copy disagree on grade or mileage, walk away.
5. Let a mechanic read the car
Worn steering wheel, pedals and seat bolsters on a "low mileage" car are a warning. So are service stickers or records with higher readings than the dashboard.
Common frauds Kenyan buyers meet
- Edited sheets. A low grade such as R or 3.5 is changed to 4.5 and damage marks are erased. Good edits on a PDF or photo can look identical to the original (JP Sheet, a company that sells sheet checks).
- Wrong-car sheets. A genuine sheet from a cleaner car of the same model is shown with a different car. JP Sheet names this and out-of-date sheets as the most common types in Kenya.
- Rolled-back odometers. The dashboard is wound back, sometimes after the car lands, and a sheet is edited to match.
- Accident cars sold as clean. In 2025, Parliament's trade committee said accident-damaged cars were still being shipped in and sold to unsuspecting buyers (People Daily).
What to ask a dealer for
- The original auction sheet, plus an English translation
- The auction house, auction date and lot number
- The Japanese export certificate
- The QISJ Certificate of Roadworthiness
- For a car already in Kenya: the KRA duty payment record and the NTSA logbook
- Time to check the mileage yourself, and permission for your own mechanic to inspect the car
A seller with a clean car should not mind any of these. At MNM in Nairobi, our own mechanic inspects cars, and you are welcome to bring your own mechanic before you pay. You can browse MNM's current cars and view by appointment.
Questions buyers ask
What is a good auction grade?
For a car several years old, grade 4 or 4.5 with interior B describes a car with only minor marks. In the scheme above, 5, 6 and S also require low mileage, so be suspicious of a very high grade on an older, high-mileage car.
Is an R or RA grade car bad?
Not always, but it has had structural repair. Ask exactly what was repaired, have a mechanic check it, and expect to pay less.
What do A1 and U2 mean on an auction sheet?
A1 is a small scratch about the size of a bank card. U2 is a dent without a scratch about the size of an A4 sheet.
How do I verify the mileage of a car imported from Japan?
Compare the dashboard with the auction sheet, the QISJ record and any archive copy of the sheet, all matched by the chassis number on the car. Then have a mechanic check wear against the reading.
Can an auction sheet be faked?
Yes. Edited and wrong-car sheets are known problems. Check the auction house, date and lot number, and get a copy from a source other than the seller.
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