How To Import A JDM Car From Japan To The UK

[@dominichills]

Hey Guys, don't forget to subscribe to the channel, drop a like and a comment 😀

[@Zestypanda]

Thanks for the guide. I finally took the plunge and imported a 1998 Toyota Corolla from Michigan, United states, america USA to Nara Japan. Took about two years, total cost after getting the car, importation fees, and costs was 4720890¥, which wasn’t bad. Honestly so nice to have a piece of America.

[@dominichills]

@@Zestypanda that's awesome to hear! 💪

[@firesaab31]

On the example you show you could save at least £1500 by doing it yourself and buying from a dealer rather than an auction. No auction fee and no JDM fee. Some export dealers are actually cheaper than auctions. My latest purchase which is very similar price to your example price. £5296.82 will cost me £8550 on the road, that includes mot and registration fee. The reason I buy is the complete lack of rust. The underside is like new.

[@dominichills]

When I was buying there wasn't any decent ones from dealers, if there were they were a lot more expensive, and the dealers in covid times weren't keen on selling cars for export. Hence why I went for auction.

[@UsedJapCarExporter]

JAPAN TO UK (JAPANESE GOOD USED CARS) Note: This will guide you that for which processes you can get your cars from us If you need to purchase a used Japanese vehicle, you must check all prices with mile age and car condition which varies according to prices in auction In auction, I'll give you access to choose your car right one yourself, which can be like a new vehicle but used, the low price also After you choose your dream vehicle yourself in auction (I will guide you), we will give you bidding, purchasing the vehicle and exporting services till your port with all shipment in a reasonable price HOW IT WILL HAPPEN : 1) Before we bid your car, you have to pay 1000 pound as a Security Deposit for Purchasing your Vehicle 2) After vehicle purchased, in 10 days Car's Export Documents & Bill of Lading we will get from auction, also shared with you (Export Documents) for your car confirmation 3) For shipping your car, you pay us 30% Payment 4) After vehicle arrived at your port (Southampton, UK) you will pay us remaining payment, then Bill of lading will be in your hands (Car Ownership Document) SEE OUR PROGRESSIVE PORTFOLIO & CONTACT FOR ANY JAPANESE VEHICLE Whatsapp # [phone] Website: stcjapan.net/ Instagram: instagram.com/stcjapanfaizan Email: [e-mail]

[@ArafathRasheed]

I have someone do everything and ship it to UK. I wanted to know what needs to be done in UK.

[@dominichills]

@ArafathRasheed need a preliminary insurance to show it can get insurance, then to be registered, any work like fog lights and resistor to change speedometer needs doing. Then MOT etc.

[@doncisco1128]

​@@UsedJapCarExporteryour WhatsApp number is wrong

[@adamlee3772]

Very interesting video, thanks for taking the time to make and upload it. It hardly seem worth it these days with those prices though. I have been considering a used Legacy twin turbo wagon like I had in NZ. (Though in NZ cars are brought in by the boat load used from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore).

[@dominichills]

@adamlee3772 thanks for watching and the awesome words 😀 Oh I agree, right now it's not worth it. But too be honest, I wanted a Jap Import, just to say it was one haha. Yes NZ import a lot, so do Australia and I assume it'll be cheaper, and less of a wait. Just got to avoid the ones with issues over here.

[@TheLoneWolf706]

hi there 😄 Nice video... Can you please make a video elaborating on some problems faced by JDM owners in the UK?

[@dominichills]

Sure I can look to doing one in the future.

[@iikavanaghii]

Surely the AYC pump should have been identified and sorted before being shipped / bought as this is a common issue with Evo 8’s & a 5 min job to identify any issues with it. Do JDM pay for this themselves? Or are these all additional fees? I’d be fuming if I bought a grade 4 car with all those issues, more like a grade 2 that! I imported my Evo 8 MR and had zero issues, this was about 8 years ago though so been looking to see if anything has changed on the importing side. Good informative video, sorry you got your pants pulled down a bit it you had to pay for that work after the fact.

[@dominichills]

No sadly something I had to do. They don't check a lot of the thing in the Japan side and then once here they drop the subframee etc. I didn't know they had an issues with the Evo's too be honest, I always thought they were just the sub frame issues. That's exactly why I did the video, to help anyone else who thought about doing it and what to check so you don't end up how I did. Thanks for watching and commenting, appreciate it 🙂👍

[@spfl1]

thanks mate helps alot going to import my ep3 from when i was over there.

[@dominichills]

Ah nice dude, if that's the case and you have the car then you could just try and exporter. Also JDM dealt with the insurance and the liability etc when it was on the boat, and both sides etc. If you wanted to do it yourself checkout Stacked Exports.

[@01zjavaid]

Once the car comes into the UK. Do you have to pay for modifications like fog lights and the speedometer conversion? Or is this covered by JDM? Can you kindly explain what costs are covered by JDM and what you are paying for once car reaches UK port? Thanks

[@dominichills]

Yes I had to pay for the fog light, the speedo converter etc. Their fee just covers them getting it here. You can get it to your door if you want and do it yourself as well if you would prefer. Their fee is the cost to place bids for you, their agents to collect the car and get it on the ship etc. The fee was £500 when I did it so I thought that was OK because that £500 was paid once and I had around 4 cars I bidded for etc so it was unlimited attempts until I won a car at auction. It might have changed now, and I know there are a few other companies like torque gt for example who also offer the service.

[@simonwilson1211]

The system is understandable, the problem is the duties, tax, etc.. I've been running numbers for 6 months. I cannot see a profit, so I guess I have to go to the auctions? I Can buy old and low mileage, but even so.. extras are mad! Thanks for highlighting this..

[@dominichills]

Yes it can get a bit crazy. In reality once it was here amd what I paid for mine, I could've honestly got one in the UK for the same money. It was the worry of rust in this country but most JDM ones from Japan nowadays aren't much better. My friend looked at a Kei truck. After import fees etc it was going to be double to get one over here, totalling £10k!!!

[@simonwilson1211]

Your right! Low mileage, but a head scratch! Great to talk to you.. I wish you the best for 2024 + fam!@@dominichills

[@dominichills]

@simonwilson1211 thank you Simon, the same to you! 👍

[@6Metal6militA6]

Thanks this is the first time I'm doing it :)

[@dominichills]

No worries. Like I've said to others in comments, shop about for an importer etc and just make sure you get everything checked and you'll be all good 😊

[@anonay7238]

Apologies if this is a dumb question. Can you buy a new car (factory order) or does this apply to used cars only? I’m thinking of bringing a Lexus GX over to the UK

[@dominichills]

That's a good question, and I'm honestly not sure. I'm sure you can when I had a quick look on google, so honestly the best thing to do is just ask an import company, good luck!

[@stephanieewen]

It has been cool to pretty much follow most of your journey with it so far 😊

[@dominichills]

Thank you, wait for the next upgrades!!!

[@hassemsadiq]

Is there any way to find out the mileage of car that has already been exported to the uk toyota estima hybrid

[@dominichills]

@hassemsadiq is it not in km's and then you just do the conversion yourself?

[@biggiejdm]

Very informative dude 👍

[@dominichills]

Thank you dude, appreciate the support!

[@supJamyy]

Hey buddy thanks for the vid.. just to make myself an idea.. I live in ireland, how much (roughly) u reckon a 20k euro car is gonna be? In total after imported to ireland? Like around 29/30k?

[@dominichills]

Hey, you can use the link I mentioned in the video on JDM Garages UK's website. But £20 add 20% vat, 10% tax, that's £26k plus all the others so maybe £30-32k. What car is is your looking at getting?

[@supJamyy]

@@dominichills hey man thanks for answering me, I was looking at the classics tho, R34 GTT (ER34-HR34) Or Supra

[@dominichills]

@supJamyy might be worth it to get in Japan, but I'd defo shop around uk too as import prices have increased

[@Fa-uk5fb]

Hi. Which is the best company to use for clearance at Southampton port. Have a few cars coming from Japan the first time thanks

[@dominichills]

JDM Garage did it all for me so I'm not too sure. If you're on Facebook there are quite a few groups that I'm sure could help with the answer.

[@ngk68]

Hello Dominic. Thank You very much for these details. Importing further to Denmark will only be a lot more expensive, due to the strict Tax on cars. Would adore a Left Hand Drive Evolution IX MR Wagon GT-A. (don´t think they exist ?) Although I´m still happy for my Lancer CS9W VII, that 4G63 is brilliant even with poor 99 KW and the low ratio 5 speed gearbox. Maybe it´s cheaper to convert it ? A 6 speed could save some fuel on the Highways, the 5 speed is reving 4K at 140 km/h. Ouch, ears... BR NGK

[@dominichills]

You say that, but, the 5 speed is better if you want to build the engine. If I ever do it I'll have to get a 5 speed gearbox ideally to get over 500bhp and not have potential issues. You can buy a 6 speed and put it in the car! You have mine and I'll have yours 🤣

[@johnmknox]

Is it correct that you have to pay VAT on used vehicles?

[@dominichills]

Yes 20% and 10% for tax on used imports as well.

[@UsedJapCarExporter]

There is no IVA test in UK of those cars which are of model year (2000 to 2014 before September Month) on 10 years old cars Iva test are only on 2014+ onwards Cars in 2024

[@dominichills]

@@UsedJapCarExporter have you got a contact email?

[@jeffcyho]

There's no mention of cars newer than 10yrs and iVA test?

[@dominichills]

My car was 20 years old so I never had to worry about this, and I've never heard of it. I just searched it as the individual vehicle inspection. Again, for my experience of importing not something I had to deal with.

[@UsedJapCarExporter]

There is no IVA test in UK of those cars which are of model year (2000 to 2014 before September Month) on 10 years old cars Taxes are only on 2014+ onwards Cars in 2024 Simple is that there is no IVA test in UK of 10 years old model vehicle

[@jal786]

Who did you do your car insurance with?

[@dominichills]

@@jal786 Howdens, they were A plan

[@jal786]

I went through Adrian flux who have quoted me alot higher in comparison to last year so need to try find someone cheaper but it's difficult with imported cars

[@dominichills]

@jal786 mine was around £700 this year with all mods declared etc

[@jal786]

No way! Mine was £1000 last year and £1200 this year! Nothings changed and I have a 1.5 hybrid!

[@dominichills]

@@jal786 that's absolutely savage! Try Howdens, I always find they're good

[@jayfrosvlogs]

great informational video. id think id stick to buying a import from the uk or a ukdm one. but i think im a long way off as yet with my current insurance i just want to own a build right now really so bad. i need to stop thinking about cars and replace it with airsoft for the time being. i cant eveb put a exhaust or lowering springs on lol but dosent help im on buisness insurance

[@dominichills]

It can be a minefield, but for me at the time the car I got was cheaper to import for sure. I'm not so sure now, and even if buying in this country you just need to know how to check the cars out. I see the benefits to both.

[@eddiemichael4333]

Soo,this is more of a commercial of that site,company then the real procedure and proprer docs of what to do to import a vehicle to uk,but hey,great job.

[@dominichills]

It's just how I did it via an auction, because, unless you're a business, you can't bid on the auctions. So I had to use a company to go through the process otherwise how would I get my car? Crikey, I don't get why people are getting so stressed about the fact I haven't done it myself. If it makes someone else's goal of having their dream car easier by seeking help, where is the problem? 🙄

[@sham27007]

Why did the jdm fee go up from 799 to 995?

[@dominichills]

@sham27007 not a clue, I don't work for them, I just used them. There are others out there, so shop around and see what other prices you get.

[@craigsykes7292]

The car i was looking to buy was 15k in japan which initially was cheaper than the uk but after all the costs are added the price was 24k which is more expensive than buying here in the uk

[@dominichills]

I won't lie, recently they seem to have shot up and if you can get one in the UK that isn't rusted and has been treated well then I'd definitely do that instead! Plus you don't need to wait as long 😉

[@craigsykes7292]

@dominichills yes upon research i saw that the rust protection from factory in japan doesnt meet the same standards as it does here so i could potentially run into problems down the line , would also be the added headache of having to change the speedo to mph and recode the radio/ nav and the added insurance. Seems quite a bit more to think about than id originally intended. Glad i stumbled upon your video. Cheers

[@dominichills]

@@craigsykes7292 that's great it has helped. The speedo change wasn't much, I think £90 but the rust thing can be an issue if you plan to use it all year around for sure!

[@HeckingLoser]

Great video! When it comes to importing a kei car (like a Suzuki Wagon R RR for example) how much less might it cost for import compared to a regular sized car? A lot of things say it can be much cheaper but it's hard to get a good idea of it.

[@dominichills]

I think the company I went with was a set fee. Worthwhile messaging a few others and seeing. Stacked exports can do it for you as they just deal with everything Japan side and you deal with it over here so that could be cheaper.

[@Turtle2117x]

Why does it almost cost the double? Here in germany its about 30%+ not 80% in England. So its about 10k + 8 for England and 10k + 3 here in germany. 2 Million Yen = 10650pound = 12500€

[@dominichills]

@Turtle2117x not sure. There's the 20% VAT, 10% tax, plus the export fees, japan fees, agency fees, insurance, shipping that all add up ultimately.

[@Turtle2117x]

@@dominichills yeah the prices goes up again. Now is a low in Yen. A few years ago it was 1/3-1/2 of todays price on top.

[@dominichills]

@Turtle2117x oh I agree, crazy! I looked the other day and it's definitely better to buy it in your own country if you can

[@Turtle2117x]

@@dominichills which evo is it has it any special interior? There are diffrent specs right? Cause i see some evo 7 for around 7800pounds =10000usd

[@dominichills]

@@Turtle2117x Evo 8s and 9s are more money, 7s tend to be cheaper. Mines a GSR.

[@andym5338]

Seems you bought a lemon , and got lemoned😂😂😂

[@dominichills]

Just a risk of buying a car from Japan but the work wasn't much and it is now clean underneath, no issues on an MOT, and a rarer colour, so I'm happy.

[@WxM3008WxM]

What about insurance? I hear getting insurance on imported vehicles is a complete pain in the bum

[@dominichills]

@WxM3008WxM mine was easy. I'm insured with Howdens, used to be A Plan. So simple, all mods declared, never had an issue.

[@garviere]

Why do you use the term “hidden gems” for bad points? Hidden gems mean really GOOD things that are not immediately obvious! Eg discovering the car has a full brand new set of brakes and pads would be a hidden gem. What you’re talking about is hidden GREMLINS! Or hidden MAGGOTS or any other negative name. Please stop using GEMS as a negative it just doesn’t make sense because gems are precious or semi precious stones.

[@dominichills]

@@garviere it's sarcasm.

[@ralphhardie7492]

I agree... not helpful...at best Misleading... disingenuous... Otherwise great vid🎉🎉

[@dominichills]

@ralphhardie7492 as mentioned above, sarcasm.

[@garviere]

@@dominichills nah! Doesn’t work!

[@garviere]

@@dominichills Nope! Clearly doesn’t work, sarcasm needs to be flagged with intonation plus if you over use it, it just sounds like a misuse. If you use it once with emphasis and then use a correct none sarcastic term then it works but if you just keep using it over and over it just sounds wrong and as though you don’t understand it’s meaning. Sarcasm has to be used sparingly to work or with strong indication, even with strong indication though, if you always use the same phrase it just becomes wearing and doubtful!

[@rarrkind8782]

Fee £799 oh its slighty gone up

[@dominichills]

Yeah not the best, especially as the Japanese Market has slightly increase too in price terms I think

[@keelayp1940]

“How to import Japanese car” “Pay someone £500 to do it for you”

[@dominichills]

Some people don't know companies to use, the process, costs etc it involves, so I shared my experience. I don't see anything wrong with that. This was the whole point of the video. You can't bid as a sole person on japanese auctions, you have to be a business in the trade, again which some people don't know about.

[@kashmir786]

Importing.cars from Japan is getting expensive a container from June 2024 will cost £8,000 no more profit now

[@dominichills]

I can agree! The cost for container or a space on one of the drive on ships, all the fees, and the fees by the companies this side as well. It has definitely increased sadly.

[@saifulhaque5135]

It’s cheaper in the UK, don’t go Japan

[@dominichills]

I agree now definitely. It has shifted a lot in the past 4 years 👍

[@firesaab31]

Not always if you are patient and shop around you can get some very good deals, the big bonus is no rust, the undersides are literally like new. Even a 10yr old car in the U.K. is usually already heavily rusted. That is the main reason I buy from Japan or Singapore.

[@zohranaseem9190]

How to find a real official milage of a car from Singapore please? Someone sold me a faulty car with a fake milage imported from Singapore.

[@firesaab31]

@@zohranaseem9190 Who did you buy it from in Singapore? Did you ask them for a written guarantee of the mileage? How did you pay?

[@andym5338]

AND YOU TRUSTED JDM ON WHAT THEY SHOWED YOU WAS GONE IN YOUR CAR . THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WRITE OFF@@

[@dominichills]

I don't know how you've come to that conclusion as it hadn't been in an accident 🤣

[@connorlake4675]

Hmmm must not drink and go jdm import shopping 🤣

[@dominichills]

🤣 oh imagine the driveway though 😉

[@connorlake4675]

@@dominichills 🤔🤫

[@iDrive-365]

I wouldn’t pay £5k for that junk.

[@zeplicon45]

So you did all of that stress for that piece of crap of a car? 🤣

[@dominichills]

Not really that stressful, just unlucky trying to import a car during covid times tbh. And chassi rails are known to go on Evo's, unless they've been done already or if the car has just been dry stored and never driven. Plus I like it that it was a JDM import, and the cost with the rails to be done was still a little cheaper at the time than buying one in this country. AYC pump to restore cost peanuts, and I don't mind as I love my car and it's now it great condition. Plus, by posting my experience I will hopefully be able to help someone else with their experience if they are thinking of importing a car 👍

[@DukeDeen.]

@@dominichills​​⁠​⁠ W reply. Boys just jealous he doesn’t have a whip like you bud simple as that. 🤝

[@taza5196]

Postive 😄 🤣 😂

[@unknown_h7824]

@zeplicon45 do you even have ur license? On about crap car these evos are good classic cars drive one then you'll realise

[@1bz2002]

@zeplicone your an arsehole

[@king_of_gaming6754]

Okay so step one get into cars. 😂 I really wana but iv got nooooooo clue about cars like u could ask me something simple and I’m lost but I like how they look. 😭😭😭😭

[@dominichills]

@king_of_gaming6754 well it's a case of finding what you like to start with. For me JDM and American muscle. But if you're new to it, just go to a few shows and see what you like 👍

[@AbidHussain-ir3mw]

Good video but it not worth getting import from Japan

[@dominichills]

@@AbidHussain-ir3mw I'll agree it's not worth doing now for sure.