FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The following list of questions and answers should hopefully take care of anything you might want to know. Should you have further questions or feel that we are leaving anything out, please contact us and let us know.
Q: Is it difficult to drive RHD (Right Hand Drive)?
A: Most of our customers get used to the right hand steering wheel, indicator, and shifting within the first hour of driving. That said if you are worried about it feel free to come down to the shop and try one of our demo cars.
Q: Why do you only have vehicles listed that are 15 years old or older?
A: Transport Canada states that a vehicle imported from overseas needs to be 15 years old to the month it was manufactured in order to be eligible for import.
Q: Why are cars from Japan less expensive than they are here?
A: One of the main questions we get is, how are the vehicles so cheap? Unfortunately in this day and age we are so used to expecting hidden costs in everything that we buy that this leads to a natural scepticism of prices. However, we at JDM do not believe in hidden costs.
The prices really are as good as they appear and we hope that the following information will help you understand why Japanese vehicles are priced so low:
A car that is only five years old in Japan is worth only 30% of its original value on the domestic market, and a car 7 years old is worth a mere 16%! This is why the opportunity for us exists to import cars. So why is it this way?
Well, in Japan cars are sold to their owners with ‘shaken’, a combination of safety inspection, compulsory insurance, proof of parking space, weight tax and vehicle tax that is valid for three years. To renew ’shaken’ is costly (an average of about 2000 dollars) and is also time consuming. It involves putting the car through meticulous inspection process as well as having to replace even slightly worn parts and prove things such as proof of parking permit (because space is limited) etc. This lasts you 2 years, then it’s the same again until you buy a new car…
For the owner, ’shaken’ and government taxes make regular new cars an economical proposition and in the competitive Japanese market dealerships provide customers with further incentives to return their current cars as trade ins. So, when the ’shaken’ expires after 3, 5, 7 or 9 years most cars are traded. The lack of domestic demand for second hand, leaves dealers holding a lot good quality second hand cars. Low demand & a high endless supply, force these cars to be sold cheaply at auction - in fact very cheaply.
Q: Are all cars from Japan Right Hand Drive?
A: Nearly all Japanese manufactured cars are RHD. However, certain luxury brands such as Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Bentley, BMW, and many others are LHD.
Q: How long does it take for me to get my vehicle from the date of purchase?
A: Delivery of a vehicle takes on average 5-9 weeks.
Q: How difficult is it to get parts for these cars?
A: Many models of cars are also available in Canada or the US. For example, most parts from a Canadian MR2 will fit on a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) MR2. Additionally, parts are available through our many contacts in the industry and in most cases parts can be supplied within Canada in under 48 hours time.
Q: What is the difference between a particular model car in Canada and the same model in Japan?
A: Besides the Japanese version being Right Hand Drive, it may have been available with options never offered in Canada, or vise versa. For example, the second generation Mazda RX-7 was only available with the 13B Turbo engine, while in Canada it was available in normally aspirated and turbo form. Also, the second generation Toyota MR-2 has slightly more power and torque in the JDM version. On top of that, many cars in Japan came equipped with more powerful engines that were never available here.
Q: I’m looking for a particular model car, in a certain price range, or a particular type of car. Can you help me?
A: Numerous cars with differing characteristics are available to us, and we can find you the car according to your wants or needs. Phone us, or send us an email with what you are looking for, and we can provide examples of what fits your description. Remember, we’re here to work for you in finding the perfect vehicle, don’t be afraid to contact us!
Q: I’ve found a car I’m interested in. How can I purchase it?
A: You can contact us by phone or email, all of our contact information can be found at the contact page.
Q: What cars can I import?
A: Any car from Japan that is 15 years old to the month, or older, can be imported. For a list of available cars please check out our Vehicle Stock section.
Q: I have found my own vehicle online, can you help me import it?
A: Certainly yes! We reduce our agent fee by $200.00 CAD for clients that have already found their own vehicles and would simply just like to take advantage of our import services and discounts applied to the export / import process. Just contact us and we will make the process as simple as 1,2,3 for you!
Q: Why are all of the vehicles quoted “landed in Vancouver” ? And can you help me with shipping from Vancouver to my province ?
A: When the vehicles we import land in Canada, they arrive via marine car carrier and the port o entry to Canada is Vancouver, BC. There is no other place for the vehicles arrive at this time. JDM can arrange for further shipping if needed.
We are currently working on a full price list for inland shipping costs that will be published on this page in the near future. Until we have this information published, please contact us for a price quote to your desired location.
Q: What’s involved with your “initial inspection” you mention in many of your ads pertaining to the Japan stock?
A: The initial inspection is not a full mechanical inspection. During the initial inspection, all related cosmetic flaws will be noted as well as any noticeable mechanical problems that can be seen from a quick walk around / short test drive. It’s similar to having a mechanically inclined friend come with you to view a local vehicle. Although once you have expressed interest in any of the vehicles, we will send one of our agents out to the vehicle of interest for a further report and to answer any specific questions you may have before you make your final decision to purchase the vehicle or not. The further inspection can be as specific as you would like, so please do not hesitate to compile a full list of questions you had about the vehicle before you contact us.
For further reference and reassurance, vehicles that have major mechanical problems and or frame damage will never even make it to a listing on our website, so please do not be concerned about this.
Q: Do you import vehicles to the USA ?
A: The only vehicles we can import to the USA are vehicles aged 25 years old or older. Any vehicle newer than 25 years, cannot be purchased through JDM Connection, from US buyers due to the tighter import restrictions in the US.