Buying a Kei Car

There are various sources to buy a Kei car from.

Importing covers car aggregators and Japanese auctions. See dealerships for local dealers.

A local dealer will be the simplest way to get a Kei car for first-time Kei car buyers. This will allow for you to test drive the car and easily get the title from the dealer. Typically, the markup can be $2000-$4000, depending on the condition but it saves about 4 months of work.

If you want to save some money and don't mind waiting, see Buying from Japan

Picking a Kei car

There are quite a few Kei cars available from different car manufacturers. This page will detail what to look for when picking a car, different trims, and other variables.

25-year limitation for street-legal cars

The most important aspect of street-legal Kei cars is that they must be 25 years old. Some websites like CarFromJapan will not even sell you a car that's not 25 years or older. Cars imported to the USA must follow FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards), emissions standards, and bumper standards. However, customs exempts cars 25 years or older from these standards.

Seatbelt tag

The seat belt will have the year when the car was manufactured, sometimes it will have the month. When the car lands in the USA, the date needs to be at least 25 years old.

Example tag

Seatbelt tag.png

If the date of manufacture is not identified on a label permanently affixed to the vehicle by its original manufacturer, to establish the age of the vehicle, you should have documentation available such as an invoice showing the date the vehicle was first sold or a registration document showing that the vehicle was registered at least 25 years ago.

Vin lookup for date

If you can't find the exact month from the tag, you can search the date from the VIN (also known as chassis number)

Vin lookup.png

Kei cars newer than 25 years

Kei cars newer than 25 years old can only be imported for off-road use and require a speed limiter to restrict the speed to 25 mph.

A private individual can’t import a Kei car under 25 years old on their own—you must work through a Registered Importer (RI) to certify that the vehicle meets all federal safety, bumper, and theft-prevention standards. Trying to import a newer Kei truck yourself is generally not recommended, and it will probably have issues with the title and registration.

If you would like to buy a newer Kei car, please visit a local dealer in the USA.

Cars that were imported when they were newer than 25 years old can never be registered and street legal. For instance, if the year is 2025 and you buy a 2001 Kei car from a local dealer, you can't title and register it the following year. It has to be 25 years old on the day of import.

Kei type

Kei trucks tend to be people's first entry into Kei cars. They're unique, high utility, and get tons of looks. However, since they're only two-seaters, their practicality in a city might be limited. Starting with a Kei van is generally recommended since they are just as unique, have a lower import tax, and can fit 4 people with a large trunk space.

WayBeforeTheFame explaining why Kei vans are better

Kei vans

See the Kei van tag for different street-legal Kei trucks

Lower trim kei vans may be better for hauling stuff, work-related tasks, and quick trips, whereas higher trim kei vans may be better for road trips, daily drivers, and longer commutes.

WayBeforeFame's video below goes over various Kei van cars and the difference in trim levels.

General trim variations

Seats

Higher trim vans have split seats, whereas lower trim vans have bench seats.

Split seat on the left vs bench seat on the right

split seat

bench seat.png

Key hole

Some higher trim models have a 3rd key hole for the back passenger seat, whereas lower trim vans will not.

Key hole in the rear seat vs no key hole in the rear seat


missing keyhole.jpeg

Tactometer

Higher trim models may have a built-in tachometer, whereas lower trim models do not.

Kei trucks

See the Kei truck tag for different street-legal Kei trucks

WayBeforeFame's video below goes over various Kei trucks and the difference in trim levels.

Trim variations

Cabin space

Since these are smaller vehicles meant for Japanese body types, they are on the smaller size. The point of these cars is that they are small, so the cabin size is on the smaller side.

Here is an excellent blog post going over the different cabin spaces for Kei trucks.

Engine location

Kei trucks and vans typically don't have the engines in the front like a normal American truck. Engine location can vary between the different models. For example, the Suzuki Carry will have its engine underneath the passenger seat, but the Subaru Sambar has it in the rear. The Suzuki Carry will be able to be fixed while there's stuff in the back, but will produce heat and noise in the cabin. The Sambar will be quieter and less heat in the cabin, but access to the motor could be blocked by stuff in the cargo.

Suzuki Carry's engine under the passenger seat

Suzuki carry engine

Subaru Sambar's engine in the back

Subaru Sambar engine


Automatic vs Manual

Most people recommend getting a manual Kei car over an automatic. Most 25-year-old Kei cars are equipped with manual transmission, making manual cars more abundant. Another reason is that typically 25-year-old automatic Kei cars are only 3-4 speed, whereas manual cars go to 5-speed.

However, most modern Kei cars are now automatic, rather than manual. As time goes on, the number of manual cars vs automatic will shift.

Buying from Japan

How to buy a Kei car from Japan

There are a few ways to buy cars from Japan for USA import, car aggregators, and direct auctions. Before naming all the available options, there are some key points to cover

Cost of a Kei car

Typically, the cost of a Kei car will be displayed with the total shipping cost to the chosen port. However, this is just the first cost of the process. For my first van, the cost of the truck and shipping was $6,850. However, customs fees, port fees, and other fees will add up.

Suzuki Cost  $ 4,555.00
Shipping to Freeport, TX  $ 2,263.00
Paypal fee  $ 300.00
Port Fee  $ 186.30
Duties  $ 152.28
DUTY DISBURSEMENT  $ 2.29
Broker Fee  $ 300.00
CUSTOMS CLEARANCE   $ 150.00
IMPORT SECURITY FILING FEE  $ 85.00
SINGLE ENTRY BOND   $ 95.00
OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY FEE / OGA  $ 55.00
POA SETUP  $ 85.00
COLLECT SERVICE FEE  $ 21.86
Total  $ 8,250.73

See Paying for a Kei car on the different methods of paying.

Choosing a Kei car

Auction grade

When buying a Kei car, you will typically see the auction sheet with the auction grade. The grades are listed below:

Trusting the grades

Most people advise purchasing Grade 3.5 or above vehicles, but grades do not hold as much weight as they seem. Some bidders have seen grade 4s with a heavy amount of rust, a bad smell, or other degraded features.

Example of 3.5 grade in bad condition

R grade

The R grade is also misleading because it may seem like R is the lowest grade. In reality, some good cars will have an R grade for any type of accident. R grades can become good deals, but it's recommended to have someone in person check the car.

The advice is to stick to grades 3 and above, but to still thoroughly inspect any car you purchase.

Auction sheets

See Japan Car Direct's How To Read Auction Sheets on how to read an auction sheet.

Example auction sheet

Auction sheet.png

Interior grade

Similar to the auction grade is the interior grade; cars will receive an interior grade depending on the condition. The grade will take into consideration the age of the car.

Kilometers
Car features

Kei cars have a wide range of features that can affect the pricing. The more features present in the car, the more expensive it will be. Typically, cars with 4WD and A/C will go for a higher price.

Signs of a lower trim model:

Engine placement is a factor when choosing a car. Some cars will have the engine under the seat, which can produce heat and noise, or in the back of the car.

See Picking a Kei car for more information on car features and how to pick a car.

Where to buy for import

Below are the common ways people in the USA buy Kei cars for import.

For importing a Kei car, I would recommend a direct auction importer for most people's first Kei car. There are many aspects of kei cars that someone in the USA might not know that they are more familiar with. They can help answer questions, find any issues, and help you learn information.

Car aggregator

Car aggregators list various cars on their websites for customers to choose from and order. It's similar to buying a car from CarMax or Carvana. Be extra cautious and thorough with these cars since the aggregators may not send any extra information beyond the photos of the car. Be sure to negotiate for a lower price; most of these websites will bid down the car price. 

Direct auction

For a direct auction, you will work with a person in Japan who goes to the car auctions. This can be a great option since they are able to see the cars in person, take videos/photos, address any concerns you have, and ensure that the car you get is in great shape. The cost might be slightly higher than a car aggregator since it's more personal work, but you can ensure the car you get is in good shape and the one you want.

Paying for a Kei car

After agreeing on the car price, you will be given a proforma invoice. After official payment, you will be sent the official invoice. Ensure that the invoice breaks apart the cost of the vehicle and the cost of shipping. This will be needed to calculate the duties owed because you do not pay duties on the cost of the vehicle + shipping, only the cost of the vehicle.

Paypal

Some websites allow for paying through PayPal. However, PayPal adds a fee (CarFromJapan adds $300). There is also a limit on PayPal transactions in Japan, ¥1,000,000 JPY, so the payment may need to be broken up into multiple transactions by the seller.

PayPal does let you use a credit card or a payment plan. You can get a PayPal credit card to get 3% cash back on PayPal transactions, so that could help mitigate the extra PayPal fee.

Wiring money

Wiring the money can help reduce the fees, but requires having the cash immediately available in your bank account.

To wire the money, you will need the seller's SWIFT code and account number, which is provided in the official invoice.

You can wire money through your bank or use a service like XE exchange or Wise. Most recommend using XE or Wise since the fees are lower.

Ensure that the invoice number is included in the memo field.

Steps after purchase

Once the car is purchased, see How to import a Kei car to start the import process

Local dealers in USA by State

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

Texas