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Please tell me the advantages and disadvantages. Looking at some "4B" imports that appear to be priced reasonably. Thank you

Assuming the vehicle has passed its IVA inspection and MOT (if it is more than 3 years old), its condition is not critical. If the vehicle is more than ten years old, an IVA is not necessary.Completely unrelated to anything else. Its critical responsibilities have also been met. Aside from the fact that some parts are different and radios often need to be changed, it's good to go. While taxes may be less expensive, insurance premiums may be higher.

Quite amusingly, I was just perusing this earlier today....LOL! It's....interesting!

Hello, check that the radio frequencies are the same as those in the UK; extenders are available, but personally, I'm not a fan of their performance.

If the vehicle is imported from Japan, check the speedometer to determine if it displays miles per hour.

Typically, Japanese automobiles are highly detailed and maintained to a high standard.

Japan is known for its rust-proof automobiles!

Typically, batteries are discharged after shipment.

Calls for a personalised MOT examination.

Verify that the V5 and its description are accurate.

Verify the vehicle's emissions.

Ensure that spares are identical

Though it's recommended to verify, insurance shouldn't be a problem.

Ensure that it is a RHD

Just ask if you need anything else.

If you aren't comfortable doing it yourself, I recommend buying from a trustworthy dealer.

The most recent one I owned was a 3.5 V6 petrol Nissan Elgrand. Thanks to the knowledgeable dealer I worked with, I was able to purchase a 2009 model with 50,000 miles on the odometer, and the car was fantastic.

The speedo will be in KMPH, but it's easy to change, and the only radio station that comes standard is BBC R2. The satellite navigation system will be unable to move past a town in Japan, and the time will be off by several hours.

I don't remember who provides this, but I can check my records if you'd like me to. The exterior and undercarriage should be spotless, and you can get a detailed report with the VIN.

The possibility remains, but is manageable, that the prior Japanese owner was a heavy smoker. Unusual "extras," usually of an electronic nature, might be tacked on.

As with any major purchase, I would exercise extreme caution.

Imports run the risk of having their engines limited.
A friend of mine got a 110 mph-limited Subaru Impreza from Japan.
Maps make it easy to lift. Also, the speedo readout was in kilometres per hour.
In comparison to cars in the UK of the same age and mileage, they tend to be in better shape.


We considered starting an automobile import company in the late 1990s when we were both looking for a way out of our respective construction jobs.
We travelled to Sharjah, which is close to Dubai, where there are many lots of Japanese cars that are prepared for export. The majority that we observed were RHD.
We almost bought a Lexus and an E-class Mercedes but had second thoughts about having the seller ship them to England in a container because we didn't trust him. You can get amazing deals if you do your own research and trust the vendor, and the prices were ridiculously low. It might be worth it to hire a middleman to handle the shipment. Trust is crucial, once again.

Because I didn't trust the garage owner, I almost became Bournemouth's Arthur Daley.

Dubai is where I got my G55 AMG G Wagen. In the taillights, sand was still visible.

It has a strange VIN that no MB dealership could decipher, so my garage was never able to locate anything for it. They detested contributing to it. Maybe even some garages were unwilling.

As far as we can tell, Japanese cars have not rusted.

But, they may rust rapidly once imported to our significantly damper climate, since they do not have the factory-applied rust protection that is normally included on cars destined for the UK.

It would be wise to apply a good underseal or rustproofing before subjecting them to the filth and winter salt from UK roads.

Worldwide, Mercs use the same rust proofing.