Pre-shipment inspection

Many potential customers who are planning on purchasing a vehicle over the internet have two main concerns

1. Can I trust the company where I am going to make the payment to?
2. Will the car I order arrive in good and working condition as specified?

Here in Japan Partner, we understand the importance and value of our client’s financial commitment on a possible purchase, and how transactions over the internet might make them have doubts in moving forward. We addressed these “trust issues” in detail; as we handled these concerns on our company information page “Why you can trust us”. If you haven’t checked it out yet, we advise you to give it a quick read! As to the vehicle’s over-all condition once you receive it after purchase and shipment – there are several important points that we would like to shed light on.

One of the biggest differences between Japan Partner Inc. and other export companies from Japan is the pre-shipment inspection that we conduct for all orders and purchases for our customers. We are proud to say that Japan Partner’s priority on the quality of our services and the depth of the inspection process is unmatched among all current vehicle export companies in Japan. We believe, that especially for exports to the USA of 25 year-old road-legal cars, it is crucially important to have a vehicle properly checked and inspected by our professional and experienced staff prior to any shipment and delivery. Currently, the most popular cars for export to the USA are the Nissan Skyline Turbo and Nissan Skyline GT-R. These two models require dedicated mechanics with a finely honed, in-depth, technical know-how on how these legendary JDM vehicles should be performing; as well as direct access to genuine or quality parts to make sure that even if it’s a 25-year old “classic” car, that it’s a 25-year old Japan-Only supercar.

Generally speaking, you have 3 ways to purchase and acquire these JDM vehicles:
1. Choose from our stock
2. Purchase from used car auction here in Japan ( we offer this service as well)
3. Purchase a vehicle from your local dealer

Japan Partner Inc. is arguably considered to be the largest Nissan Skyline exporter from Japan. We have processed and shipped over 670 skylines up to date internationally, and have unmatched hands-on experience plus knowledge regarding maintenance and repairs. We consult with our clients and advise them on the car’s current condition, and indicate which parts need to be replaced before shipping. Japan Partner also provides installation or modification of aftermarket performance parts, which can then be fitted on the purchased vehicle prior to pick-up and shipment.

JDM Car dealers and individual customers in the USA must be careful before using auction services offered by other companies here in Japan, since 25-years old cars; especially Nissan Skylines, are rarely sold without some sort of issue or small problem due to its extended age and use. The auction inspection performed by a designated auction inspector, who then fills out the auction sheet with the vehicles’ data can only take notice of the immediate troublesome elements; while problems which can be detected only while driving the vehicle are overlooked. Inspectors at Auctions, while being quite experienced, are limited to inspecting the car standing still with idling engine. As you may imagine, there are a number of problems that can be missed, unless the car is actually driven at different distances, accelerations and speed.

On daily basis, we deal with numerous customers from the US and Europe that predominantly order Skylines and Skyline GT-R’s; it is here that we listen to the many stories of cars which were purchased from the auctions and then directly taken to the port and shipped to their country; which unfortunately arrive in poor conditions; as so our advice here – you either purchase skylines from the stock after they have been meticulously checked and tested or you choose the partner who can do thorough check and maintenance of the cars that you purchase from the auctions. Unfortunately it is common mistake for buyers to use the auction service or local dealers thinking that you can save a little bit on the purchase. Often you end up spending considerably more for parts and labor later just so you can bring your car into proper condition. Once the car arrives at your country and if repairs are needed – you face two main challenges: skilled mechanics who have experience in dealing with skylines and availability of genuine parts. We believe it is not easy to accommodate these two conditions once the car is out of Japan.

not easy to accommodate these two conditions once the car is out of Japan.

Taking these challenges into consideration, Japan Partner Inc. has made it a rule to conduct a comprehensive pre-shipment inspection that consists of checking 119 points in the car. It greatly exceeds any type of known inspection conducted here in Japan and insures that you receive a vehicle in a good working condition. The vehicle that you purchase from us can be surely driven from the port to your home regardless of the distance, guaranteed! We buy cars from dealers, auctions and end users; a great majority of them require some kind of repairs not mentioning basic maintenance. Having inspected and fixed any of the indicated 119 points for your inspection, we insure your vehicle is in a good working condition, and can be driven as soon as it arrives at your port. Our mechanics have a great experience in dealing with skylines and skylines GT-R and genuine parts are readily available through specialized professional genuine parts suppliers.

Here is a detailed checklist of the points Japan Partner Inc. inspects and maintains prior to shipment:

Our inspectors go point by point while delegating our other staff with additional duties and checks: as the extra hands are necessary to assist these in-demand mechanics that specialize in certain kinds of modifications, car models and repairs. It is quite time and resources consuming; nonetheless we consider it as a good investment since satisfied customers mean a repeat of their business for us.

Unfortunately, quite often we acquire a problem and issue-free vehicle from the auctions, and only later on have to re-do the so called “quick fixes” made by dealers to try and hide the car’s problems with “quick and dirty” fixes that soon become a major mechanical problem. This bad practice sadly applies to both cars sold at Japanese auctions, and later on sold at your local dealer. Once again, we recommend that you carefully choose the company to facilitate the process; so that you can be assured and guaranteed the delivery of a vehicle you paid for to be in good working condition. This must mean that your Partner should have adequate logistics and excellent JDM mechanical capabilities to fix and do maintenance on your purchased vehicles.

Looking at our inspection check list, you will be able to see that we are very serious in our efforts in delivering a vehicle with good driving condition and performance; a car that can be use and drive-away in from the moment you pick it up at the port. We also provide our customers with after-sale support by procuring and shipping spare or maintenance parts whenever you may need them delivered to where you want them to be.

You are welcome! Please feel free to visit us any time, so you can experience and see first-hand the quality, dedication and scale of our operations.

View our Nissan Skyline inventory!