Japanese auction sheet verification — read it right
If a car was imported from Japan, its auction sheet is the most honest record of its past — graded by an independent inspector before any seller touched the story. It’s also one of the most forged documents in Pakistan’s imported-car market. Here’s how to read every mark, spot a fake, and verify yours free.
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What a Japanese auction sheet actually is
When a used car is sold through a Japanese auto auction, an independent inspector examines it and records its condition on an official sheet — the auction sheet. It carries an overall grade, an interior grade, the genuine recorded mileage, equipment notes, and a diagram of the car covered in short codes marking every scratch, dent, repair and rust spot.
Because the inspector works for the auction house, not the seller, a genuine sheet is one of the most trustworthy used-vehicle records in the world. The catch: by the time the car reaches Pakistan, the sheet has passed through exporters and dealers — and the version you’re shown may be edited, translated without an original, or belong to a different car.
The Japanese auction houses your sheet comes from
A real sheet always traces back to a specific house, each with its own template and format. Knowing the house is the first step to confirming a sheet is genuine.
Japanese auction grades explained
An “R” outranks any number — it means accident repair, no matter how clean the panels look today.
How to read the sheet, mark by mark
Beyond the headline grade, the value is in the details — and the diagram is where the real story hides.
The damage-map codes
Codes vary slightly by auction house. Several W, X or XX marks clustered together often signal a repaired impact the grade alone won’t reveal.
Keep the full Auction Sheet Decoder handy — all grades and codes on one page. Import registering in the capital? Verify the Islamabad registration before transfer.
How to spot a fake or doctored sheet
This is where most imported-car fraud happens. Watch for these red flags.
Chassis number doesn’t match the car
The frame/chassis number on the sheet must equal the car’s chassis plate. A mismatch means the sheet belongs to a different — usually better — car.
Only a “translated” sheet, no original
A genuine reading needs the original Japanese sheet. An English translation alone is unverifiable and easy to fabricate.
Whiteout, mismatched fonts or smudging
Editing around the grade, mileage or damage diagram is a classic sign of a doctored sheet.
Wrong or unknown house format
A sheet that matches no known auction-house template is suspect.
Grade and diagram disagree
A “4.5” covered in X / XX repair marks is internally inconsistent.
No lot number or auction date
Without these the original record can’t be looked up — convenient for a forger.
“The auction sheet record is not available”
Sometimes a sheet genuinely can’t be retrieved — because the auction happened outside the window that house keeps records for, the car was sold privately or at a small house, or the chassis/lot/date details are incomplete.
“Not available” is not proof the car is bad — but it removes your safety net. With no verifiable history, the only way to know the car’s condition is to inspect the physical vehicle. Book a physical inspection →
A verified sheet is step 1. The car after import is step 2.
The sheet describes the car as it was in Japan — before shipping, storage and any “reconditioning” after it landed. Paint, mileage and panels can all change. CarOK is the only service that verifies the Japanese auction sheet and physically inspects the same car. The sheet verifies the past; an inspection verifies the present.
Japanese auction sheets — your questions
What is a Japanese auction sheet?
It is the official condition record created when a used car is sold at a Japanese auto auction. An independent inspector grades the car and notes the overall grade, interior grade, genuine mileage, equipment and a diagram of every scratch, dent, repair and rust spot. Because the inspector works for the auction house, not the seller, a genuine sheet is one of the most trustworthy used-car history records available.
How do I verify a Japanese auction sheet?
Check the original Japanese sheet against the auction house’s record using the chassis/frame number, lot number and auction date — not the seller’s printout. CarOK does this free: send the original sheet on WhatsApp or upload it, and we confirm whether it is genuine, decode every grade and code, and flag anything edited or mismatched.
How do I read the grades on a Japanese auction sheet?
The overall grade runs from S/6 (almost new) and 5, 4.5, 4 down through 3.5 and 3 to 2 and 1. R or RA means a repaired accident vehicle, and 0 or *** marks a special, modified or damaged car. A separate interior grade runs from A (clean) to D (heavy wear). An R grade is a bigger warning than any low number, because it signals accident repair.
Can a Japanese auction sheet be fake?
Yes — faked or edited sheets are common in Pakistan’s imported-car market. Warning signs include a chassis number that doesn’t match the car, only a translated sheet with no original, whiteout or mismatched fonts around the grade or mileage, a layout that matches no known auction house, a grade that contradicts the damage diagram, or a missing lot number and auction date. The only reliable check is verifying against the original record.
Why is my auction sheet record “not available”?
A record can be genuinely unavailable if the auction happened outside the limited window the house keeps records for, if the car was sold privately or at a small house, or if the chassis, lot or date details are incomplete. “Not available” doesn’t prove the car is bad, but it removes your safety net — so the safest next step is a physical inspection.
What do the letters and numbers on the diagram mean?
The diagram is a body outline marked with codes for each flaw. Common ones: A scratch, U dent, W wave/repair, S rust, C corrosion, B small dent with a scratch, E dimples, P paint mark, Y crack or hole, X panel needs replacing and XX panel already replaced. Exact letters vary slightly by house. Several W, X or XX marks clustered together often indicate a repaired impact.
Which Japanese auction houses do sheets come from?
Most exported cars come through large groups such as USS (the biggest), TAA (Toyota Auto Auction), the JU co-operative network, JAA, HAA Kobe, ARAI/Bayauc and CAA, among other regional houses. Each grades on a broadly similar scale but uses its own sheet template, which is why an unfamiliar format is worth verifying.
Is the auction sheet enough, or do I still need a car inspection?
The sheet describes the car as it was in Japan, before shipping, storage and any reconditioning after import — so it isn’t enough on its own. Paint, mileage and panels can change after the car lands. CarOK is the only service that both verifies the Japanese auction sheet and physically inspects the same car: the sheet verifies the past, an inspection verifies the present.