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A Guide To Buying A Used Car In Japan
Finding the right Dealership
Buying a car is not as easy as buying a video game, a
novel, or even food. You drive past some used car dealers right outside the
gate after work and see some nice cars lined up. But you ask yourself if
they’re really that cheap or not. Uh oh. You might be making a mistake. There’s
more to what you see. The real cost comes afterwards until you can have your
name under the new title of the car. These dealers might have great locations,
more customers, offer more lengthy warrantees, but these prices are usually
15-40% higher than small dealers like us.
Inspections and Fees
Inspection in Japan is not as simple as smog testing in
the states. Most cars require 2 year Gov. of Japan inspection known as the JCI
(Japanese Compulsory Insurance). JCI inspections usually cost around $350 and
up if you do it yourself and up to $700 or more if you have a dealership take
care of it. Feel free to contact us to have it done and save yourself some time
and trouble.
Road Tax Fees
Every April 1st, the owner of the vehicle is
required to pay road tax. The road tax is calculated according to the license
plate series (3 digit code), engine displacement size and the size of the
vehicle. Vehicle tax is 7,500yen for 500 number plate users and 19,000yen for
300 number plate users. This price only applies for SOFA status individuals,
which is much lower than 27,000yen-60,900yen average of what locals have to
pay.
Recycle Fee
Recycle fee was instituted in year 2005. This fee is
required to pay when you buy a vehicle. This recycle fee is intended to cover
the cost of recycling of the parts that can still be used when you junk your
vehicle. If you purchase a vehicle and do not come with a recycle fee certificate,
you will be required to pay the fee the next time you perform a JCI inspection.
This fee ranges from 8,000yen to 20,000yen average depending on the size of the
vehicle and multi airbag options.
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