A Japanese auction sheet makes sense once you know these grades

• What does the overall auction grade tell you?
• What do the interior and exterior grades mean?
• How do you read the body diagram symbols?
• Which marks show normal wear?
• Which auction sheet marks are red flags?
• How should you use the sheet before bidding?

A Japanese auction sheet becomes useful once you separate its condition ratings from the marks on the body diagram. SheetJP calls grade 4 the market baseline, while R identifies repaired structural damage. Read those ratings first, then check the inspector’s written notes before you bid.

What does the overall auction grade tell you?

The overall auction grade gives you a broad condition rating, not a complete verdict on the car. According to SheetJP, the main scale runs from 0.5 to 6, while S, R and RA sit outside it.

S is the top condition rating and describes a car that is effectively new. Grade 6 means almost new and in exceptional condition, while grade 5 means as good as new with very low kilometres. These ratings tell you that the car sits near the top of the condition scale, but you still need the other parts of the sheet.

Grade 4.5 indicates light use and usually applies below about 100,000km, according to SheetJP. JP Sheet describes grade 4.5 as the most common grade at Japanese auctions and associates it with good used condition.

Grade 4 is a step down, but it still indicates good condition with minor flaws. Grade 3.5 allows some wear and small repairs, while grade 3 points to more noticeable wear, scratches and dents.

Compared with grade 3.5, grade 4 gives you a stronger condition signal because it indicates minor flaws rather than wear accompanied by small repairs, according to SheetJP. The difference looks small on paper, but the descriptions show why you shouldn’t treat half a grade as meaningless.

At the lower end, grade 2 means poor condition or very high mileage. Grade 1 points to heavy modification or a major fault. These grades aren’t descriptions of one isolated scratch. They signal that the car’s general condition or specification needs much closer attention.

R and RA need separate treatment because they relate to repair history rather than their place on the numerical condition scale. An attractive cabin, clean paint and an R grade can all appear on the same sheet. The R still matters because it refers to repairs involving structural body parts.

What do the interior and exterior grades mean?

The interior and exterior grades tell you how the cabin and body present separately from the car’s overall rating. SheetJP says most auction houses grade these areas from A to E, although some stop at D.

That separation matters because an overall grade can hide an uneven car. A vehicle may have an acceptable general rating but a badly worn cabin, or clean seats but several marked exterior panels. Read the three ratings as different parts of the same assessment.

The table below compares the rating layers recorded on a Japanese auction sheet. The scales and meanings come from SheetJP and JP Sheet.

Rating field	Scale or labels	What it measures
Overall grade	0.5 to 6, plus S, R and RA	Broad vehicle condition or repair history
Interior grade	A to E at most auction houses	Wear, staining and damage inside the cabin
Exterior grade	A to E at most auction houses	Condition of the body and exterior finish

An A interior means no visible wear, stains or damage, with clean carpet and an intact dashboard. B permits minor signs of normal use, including light marks in the footwells and possible scuffs on the trim.

C is where wear becomes obvious. JP Sheet says it can include visible seat wear, worn patches in the carpet and possible dashboard cracks. D means heavy wear, significant staining or tears, damaged carpet and a cracked dashboard.

E describes severe cabin damage throughout and is rarely seen outside salvage or commercial vehicles. That progression gives the letters practical meaning. B describes ordinary use, while D or E tells you the cabin damage is widespread or serious.

Don’t transfer the meaning of an interior letter directly to every other auction house or rating field. The available guides show that scales can vary. Confirm which column you’re reading and which scale that auction house uses.

How do you read the body diagram symbols?

The body diagram shows the type, position and severity of visible exterior damage or repair marks. The letter identifies what the inspector found, while an accompanying number rates how serious it is.

A means a scratch, U means a dent and B means a dent with a scratch, according to EveryCar.jp. W identifies a repaired wave or panel repair mark, while Y identifies a crack or split.

The paint and corrosion codes describe different problems. S means rust, C means corrosion, P means a paint defect and H means faded paint. G marks a stone chip in the glass.

X and XX deal with panel replacement. X means the marked panel needs replacement, while XX means it has already been replaced. That distinction tells you if the diagram records work still required or work completed before the auction.

The following symbol guide is based on the definitions published by EveryCar.jp. Its severity system uses three levels, with 1 for light damage, 2 for medium damage and 3 for large or serious damage.

Symbol	Meaning	Example interpretation
A	Scratch	A1 is a small scratch
U	Dent	U2 is a medium dent
B	Dent with a scratch	Read the number for severity
W	Panel repair or repaired wave	W3 is a heavy repair mark
Y	Crack or split	Check the marked panel
S or C	Rust or corrosion	Check its location and extent
P or H	Paint defect or fading	Usually concerns the finish
X	Panel needs replacement	Work remains outstanding
XX	Panel already replaced	Previous replacement recorded
G	Stone chip in glass	Inspect the marked glass

Location changes the meaning of any symbol. A code over the bonnet applies to the bonnet, while the same code beside a door applies to that door. Follow the mark’s line to the relevant panel before deciding what the letter says about the car as a whole.

Which marks show normal wear?

Small scratches, light dents, trim scuffs and mild cabin wear are the marks most consistent with ordinary use. They still affect condition, but they don’t carry the same meaning as a structural repair grade or a panel marked for replacement.

A1 is the clearest example. EveryCar.jp defines it as a small scratch because A identifies the damage and 1 places it at the light end of the three-level severity scale.

U1 follows the same logic for a small dent. A collection of light marks can still matter, particularly when they appear across several panels, but the code isn’t claiming that one of those panels has suffered structural accident damage.

An interior grade of B also fits normal use. It permits light footwell marks and possible trim scuffs, according to JP Sheet. C is less reassuring because visible seat wear, carpet wear and possible dashboard cracking enter the description.

Paint defects and fading should be read as finish problems unless another part of the sheet identifies repair history. The same applies to a glass chip. Don’t promote a cosmetic mark into accident damage, but don’t ignore how many marks appear or where the inspector placed them.

Grade 4 provides a useful reference point because SheetJP describes it as good condition with minor flaws. A body diagram carrying some light damage codes can therefore be consistent with the grade rather than evidence that the sheet contradicts itself.

Which auction sheet marks are red flags?

R, RA, a missing grade, severe repair marks and panel replacement codes deserve more attention than ordinary scratches or cabin scuffs. They point to accident repair, undeclared damage, serious panel work or parts that have been replaced or still need replacement.

R has the clearest definition. SheetJP says it means repair history affecting structural body parts. EveryCar.jp also groups R with grades indicating repaired accident history.

RA is less consistent across the available guides. SheetJP defines it as a lighter accident that was fully and properly repaired, while JP Sheet connects RA with an accident-repaired vehicle whose airbags deployed. EveryCar.jp also places it among repaired accident grades.

That disagreement is itself useful. Don’t assume RA has one fixed meaning across every auction house. Ask for the applicable definition and a translation of the inspector’s comments before treating it as either minor or serious.

A dash where you expect a grade isn’t neutral. JP Sheet says it signals undeclared damage and should be treated like an R grade. EveryCar.jp also lists 0, A and an asterisk among special cases that often indicate accident history, so unfamiliar markings need clarification rather than a guess.

On the diagram, W3 identifies a heavy repair mark under the severity system explained by EveryCar.jp. X says a panel needs replacement and XX records that a panel has already been replaced. None of these codes should be read without checking the affected panel and the written comments.

Rust and corrosion also deserve attention because the diagram distinguishes them from a simple paint flaw. S and C tell you the inspector recorded deterioration, while P and H refer to paint condition. The code helps you avoid dismissing corrosion as faded paint.

How should you use the sheet before bidding?

You should use the overall grade, cabin and exterior ratings, body diagram and inspector’s written comments together before bidding. EveryCar.jp warns that the diagram alone isn’t enough to judge a car and directs buyers to the complete report, including its written comments.

Start by identifying which rating field you’re reading. The large overall grade describes broad condition or repair history. The separate letters describe the interior and exterior, while the body diagram maps individual defects to specific areas.

Next, look for consistency. Grade 4 with a few light scratches makes sense under SheetJP’s description of good condition with minor flaws. An R grade paired with clean-looking exterior ratings doesn’t erase the structural repair history. It tells you that presentation and accident history answer different questions.

Then check every unfamiliar mark against the auction house’s own system. This matters most for RA and special grades because the published guides don’t give them one fully consistent definition. The inspector’s Japanese notes may also carry information that the diagram can’t express on its own.

Don’t bid from a cropped screenshot showing only the main grade. That removes the separate condition ratings, diagram and written remarks that explain what the overall mark leaves out. A translated complete sheet gives you more of the evidence the auction inspector recorded.

Best for: buyers who have a translated sheet, can read all three rating layers and will weigh the written notes alongside the grade.

Not for: buyers relying on one overall grade or an untranslated body diagram to decide what a car is worth.

The practical choice is simple. Treat light wear as a condition and price question, but pause on structural repair grades, missing ratings, severe repair marks and replacement codes until the full report explains them. The grade narrows the question. It doesn’t answer it alone.