What Are The Costs of Importing a Car from Japan?

Lking74 on 30/05/2025 - 23:30
Last edited 31/05/2025 - 10:52 by 1 other user

Have a budget of strictly $15k, If I import a car from Japan around $6k-$7k. What would be the costs of compliance, rego and insurance?

I am planning to buy an efficient Japanese hybrid car under $15k, am eyeing either a Toyota Vitz (2017-2020) (Yaris basically) or a Honda Fit Hybrid (Jazz Hybrid).

Now, considering the cost of Importing one including an agent ($1.1-1.2k), and my insurance should be around ($2k) since I'm young and it's a Japanese model.

What would be my cost for everything else? Like Shipping, Compliance, Checks, Rego

Am I thinking realistically or should I change my plan?

Automotive

Comments

  • SuperMid on 31/05/2025 - 20:28
    +6

    Buy a local car you can actually inspect before buying? Nah

    Buy a car sight unseen from overseas and hope the random description written in 20 seconds is accurate? Hell yeh

  • GS9 on 01/06/2025 - 08:13

    Purchased my import from the auctions for around $8000. By the time it was shipped, complied, registered and on the road, total cost was up to $16,000.

    • GS9 on 01/06/2025 - 08:18

      Have imported two Toyotas - one was 20 years old at the time and was graded 3.5B, could not fault it bar the modifications. Second one was 15 years old, grade 4B. I am not exaggerating when I say I couldn't fault it whatsoever (apart from a blown shock). Both cars had plastics still on the scuff plates. If you engage a good, reputable importer like Iron Chef Imports or J-Spec, you'll be amazed at the condition of second-hand vehicles you can get compared to locally.

      • king74 on 02/06/2025 - 15:48

        thanks will have a look, the ones i am looking at are4and 4.5 grade which is really good condition.

        will ring them up

  • BobCobb on 01/06/2025 - 09:44

    Grab the new Y mate.

  • HerpinDerp on 01/06/2025 - 09:47
    +3

    I have imported my JZX110, JZX100 and Crown from Japan. I've used 2 different brokers.

    Recently I wanted to buy a Hybrid shitter as a daily and was looking for a Vitz as our local Yaris prices are still above new cost price.

    The issue was, with the projected fuel savings, insurance was actually higher in the long term. Even though the parts are all available on locally delivered models. This was also me trying to get insured with other enthusiast insurer providers that I've had a lot of history with.

    In the end I found a Prius C which is just the Vitz but elongated. Insurance is dirt cheap, and it uses around 3.7L, resale is stronger too as it's a popular gig economy car.

    • king74 on 01/06/2025 - 09:57

      Great to hear that, what insurance was it? can you name some insurance providers that provide cheap insurance on these. Also, which year model your prius C is? pretty sure canr import one older than a certain year according to rovers.

      • HerpinDerp on 01/06/2025 - 10:14

        Currently with Qantas, underwritten by Budget which was $5 more, but quite a bit of frequent flyer points.

        Its a November build 2018. I should have mentioned its a locally delivered car, not an import. In Japan it's a Toyota Aqua which isn't eligible to be imported.

        It's probably one of the most common cars in Japan, I recently had someone smash my rear light and I bought a second hand one from Yahoo Japan for around $110 delivered vs $400-500 locally.

        • king74 on 01/06/2025 - 11:16

          Thanks, do u know where can i buy similar locally delivered cars? was it dealers or some importers which already have a local stock?.. would be great if i can see sone locally and inspect it myself

          Also, Aqua was one of my top favourite ones due to its spacious size and toyota reliability ofc, but the eligibility killed it haha

  • giddyurp on 01/06/2025 - 11:01
    +1

    So much bs in here. It's a good idea low km and more reliable. People here saying you won't get parts, insurance etc have never done it and have nfi.

    Here's a cost calculator https://prestigemotorsport.com.au/cost-calculators/

    15k will get you something much better imported than what you'll get locally for same money

    • king74 on 01/06/2025 - 11:13

      Thanks will have a look, any insurance providers uk i can ring up to ask for quotes?

  • krisspy on 01/06/2025 - 11:22

    Damn of all the cars you could import, you import sh*tty econoboxes?

    Get something niche like a sakura or some cute kei car. Or an elgrand/alphard

    • king74 on 01/06/2025 - 11:25

      ikr, i also love some niche good looking performance heavy mean chick magnets,

      But rn at this stage of life where i cant afford much, need a shitty but reliable econobox haha

      One day i will get one for sure

      • Euphemistic on 01/06/2025 - 19:50
        +3

        But rn at this stage of life where i cant afford much, need a shitty but reliable econobox haha

        If that really is the case, buy a popular local $10k hatchback and save $5k for a tiny bit extra fuel and a safety net if it needs any work.

      • johnno07 on 01/06/2025 - 21:42

        niche good looking performance heavy mean chick magnets

        Yes. But the girl and the car are the same pole.

  • bruhhh on 01/06/2025 - 15:20
    +1

    I imported a 2023 Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo Extra back in 2023, might be able to share some insight.
    I used Iron Chef Imports, really helpful team that took care of everything for me. I just had to pay the bills as they sent them.

    The car itself at auction was roughly $15k FOB (total cost from auction house to get it onto a ship).
    Then with all the other things, like import duties, transport, compliance, rego/stamp duty, insurance it was roughly another $12k-$14k. And it took roughly 3 months, which was on the quicker side of imports some can take 6 months or more.
    I can't recall the exact total figure, but to get it into the country and on the road was roughly $28k total.

    On the insurance side of things, as far as im aware only Shannons and NRMA will insure grey imports which leaves you with little options. Also the car is likely to be a write off if invloved in any accident due to part availabilty. I've heard of someone having their kei truck written off for a cracked windscreen, so be careful with this.
    There are plenty of grey import dealers selling the Toyota Vitz at a reasonable price, but personally I'd avoid them and stick to a non-hybrid yaris or hybrid corolla.

  • skillet on 01/06/2025 - 15:49

    I see you location is in Melbourne. So extra $620 to Vicroads for the Japanese rego plates would be nice.

  • tko6070 on 01/06/2025 - 20:12
    +1

    I used J-spec imports and I'm happy with my Toyota Blade Master. I emailed them with a maximum budget and they provided realistic expectations based on the vehicle I wanted. I would import again, mulling the idea of a Toyota fielder or delica d5

  • TimmyTims on 02/06/2025 - 09:42

    I also recommend Ben at J-spec imports, genuinely helpful and nice guy. If this is your first time and you're importing to save money, use an import broker. Yes it's an extra cost but it is absolutely worth it
    Budget $7k on top of auction price to get in landed in Aus, certified, insured and registered.
    On a 2019 Kei car my insurance is about $1200 for comprehensive and the stamp duty when registering was an extra $800 from memory.

    • king74 on 02/06/2025 - 15:51

      Thanks will ring him up and have an idea

  • Ademos on 02/06/2025 - 10:52

    If I was going to go any import, it would be the Rav4 Prime. 95% parts commonality with local models, but plug in hybrid (falls back to normal hybrid) with 50%+ more power off the line, or pure EV mode for ~100km, which is most peoples commute. Brilliant. Why Toyota didn't sell it here still boggles my mind.

    • danwylie on 02/06/2025 - 16:33

      The waiting list for Rav4 is still a couple of months last I heard. Why bother bringing in another model that might compete with the Lexus phevs when you're gouging Australians and printing money with the lower variants and we're still lapping them up?

  • zuuutoootuuu on 02/06/2025 - 17:47
    +1

    I used J-Spec Import and Iron Chef Imports.

    J-Spec was a smooth process.

    Iron Chef Imports used my car without permission as their daily driver and put over 300km between auction and delivery to the port in Japan. When the car arrived, the first thing I did was change it's timing belt and found that one of the bearing pullies was completely seized and the belt was about to break. The vehicle also had other issues that were missed during inspection too.

  • Marcsie on 02/06/2025 - 20:09

    Why bother?

  • imurgod on 03/06/2025 - 08:17

    Insurance options will be very limited and unreliable

  • Gongxifachai on 03/06/2025 - 08:58

    OP, you've gotten the verdict from OzB.
    Don't do it plz.

  • umoddbro on 03/06/2025 - 10:31

    Why go through all the trouble to import a Toyota echo or Honda jazz😂

  • Raheen on 03/06/2025 - 13:31
    +1

    I have done this 4 times, when I say I've done it, I mean I did it (not a third party on my behalf) that means I find the cars can read/speak enough Japanese to do it, my missus is Japanese and my cousins been there for 20 years (business level Japanese etc) I worked there for 2 years and a lot of my old mates, ex work mates still around which helps if I need a favour etc.

    Have sourced at a Japanese car yard's and through auctions, I have some access to dealer auction portals to search for myself, have someone in Japan that buys the car when I instruct them, sorts out the Japan side paperwork, logistics (my contact is a car exporter mainly to the middle east, we've become good mates he sometimes brings family to Australia to visit, I have stayed with him a few times)

    The compliance work shop here applies for the import permit, once the car lands there is a bit of running around with paperwork, paying taxes, fees etc which I quarter back myself. Have not done it in a while so the new process's and systems (rover) might have changed now, will have to get on top of that if I go again (actually thinking about importing a tractor, should be less headaches than a car because its not used on road)

    The import dealers here, the cars are often the bottom of the barrel, lipstick on a pig especially if the car price is lowish. I sometimes buy from used car yards in Japan on the premise that if the car in question is being re sold into the local Japanese market then that says something as Japanese consumers general are willing to pay but the expect quality, have bought from an auction too my man does sometimes inspect pre-auction and give me his opinion if I should avoid or not (he knows all the tricks, hes pretty straight shooter, whinges about all the dodgy ones (mainly foreigners) in Japan he has to compete against)

    I always create the invoice for myself with a view of minimising taxes and gst for myself on the AU side, you cant go too crazy but you can give yourself the cheapest price conceivable to save money later. So far I have done a Z32 Fairlady as a 25 year import, Z11 Cube, Z12 Cube and a V35 Series 3 Skyline.

    Do your research on the car you are wanting to get often there are similar engines, gearboxes etc available in locally delivered cars (example Z11 cube shares alot of mechanical parts with a Nissan Micra and a Z12 cube does with a Nissan Tiida) V35 skyline is similar in some ways to a Z33 Fairlady etc. Body parts, windows, tirm will be unique often and have to get the parts from Japan, my mate mentioned above generally gets me the parts at trade prices, there is a guy in his office who specialises that but dont have to do it often, also can get used parts from Yahoo Japan… I go over once a year so tend to wait do it myself when there depending on the item in question.

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