First time customer review: All around a great company to work with. Mathew was very responsive and helped me throughout the entire process. With this being the first time importing a vehicle, there were a lot of questions I had and he made sure to answer everything and kept me posted throughout the process. I would highly recommend Japan Car Direct and would happily work with them in the future.

I used Japan Car Direct's services to import a Nissan Silvia from Japan to Australia. Mike was very helpful from start to finish and definitely made the process stress free. The detailed videos where Mike would translate and explain the Japanese auction sheets and inspections provided great clarification so I knew exactly what I was getting with my car. I have to also commend Mike's swiftness when it came to replying to emails and phone calls, he would always reply near on instantly and even outside of normal business hours just to ensure I was never left in the dark through the bidding and shipping preparation processes. I could not recommend JCD enough for any potential self importers!

Awesome experience working with Taylor, he was extremely helpful and patience. It was my first time exporting a vehicle and he walked me through step by step and didn't mind answering all my millions of questions. I probably looked at 100+ different trucks and Taylor was instrumental in helping me make informed decisions on which trucks I should try to bid on and which ones I should probably avoid. I ended up purchasing three mini-trucks, one for myself and two other family members. We love them!!!! Great for working around the farm or yard, hunting, taking to the mountains and cruising the back mountain roads or just a daily commuter as I use mine for. If you are looking to import any vehicle from Japan, I would highly recommend the friendly and knowledgeable staff at JCD.

Full story on Instagram @91jdmsir After months of searching for our needle in the haystack from Japan, next came the process of getting the vehicle back to USA. For 2 weeks we searched for a viable and trusted source, yet we only were met with individuals who over promised and under delivered. In fact we talked to several competitors and none of them were working in Japan directly. Just at the point of giving up due to the lack of finding a trustworthy source, we stumbled across Japan Car Direct. I was very skeptical but my fears and worries were quickly turned into happiness. I first talked to Matthew regarding the vehicle we sourced out, he was very professional, helpful, organized, and experienced in the Import/Export of cars from Japan. After giving Matthew the vehicle info, he and his team went straight to work in sourcing the vehicle out, ensuring that it exists and its legitimate, ensuring that the vehicle has all the proper documentation to be sold and exported to the USA. He offered inspection services which gave me a peace of mind (highly suggest this) knowing its a legit vehicle without any issues. Once everything was confirmed, the funds transfer took place next and the shipment was arranged. Everything was handled by Japan Car Direct, including customs, shipping, port delivery, docs, etc etc... They even have the contacts and associations here in the USA for port entry and pickup. Once it arrived in Long Beach, we went to pick her up and the vehicle was exactly as described and even more rewarding in person. I must say they this was the most seamless and enjoyable transaction we've ever experienced and now we are ready for another one. Here's our story of this amazing gem on Instagram @91jdmsir. If you are a in the process of importing a vehicle from Japan, I highly urge you to do yourself a huge favor and reach out to Matthew and his crew for a smooth and peaceful experience and check out our experience on Instagram....

Can't fault these guys - this was the first time I've bought a car at any auction, let alone one in Japan. The support from Yoshiro was brilliant, very patient with me and ensured that I only bid on cars worth having. The car I have bought far exceeds expectations in every way and the whole process of purchase and shipping was all taken care of - top marks and thank you

Japan Car Direct is legit, and I absolutely would come back again to JCD to import another vehicle from Japan! Mason has been patient, responsive, and friendly as to put other importing companies to shame. He always responded to my emails within 1 business day, and always gave advance warning when he would not be available. The auction purchase and importing processes were transparent and completely logical. Their professionalism is second to none and I strongly recommend anyone on the fence to trust this company with your time and money. They're true car guys through and through.

I highly recommend Japan Car Direct. I just brought my first imported car home today, and I still don't understand all the steps from start to finish, but regardless, everything ran like a well oiled machine from an auction house to a port city south of Tokyo to Tacoma, WA, USA, export, import, etc... The people I worked with at Japan Car Direct were highly professional, patient, informative, and responsive. Cheers!

I have imported two vehicles through the folks at Japan Car Direct. Both times have been great experiences. Mathew’s expertise and patience is greatly appreciated. All the export paperwork is thorough and well done making the state side paperwork go without a hitch. I look forward to doing business with them again.

I had been searching for someone to purchase a car through for about 3months before I found these guys. These guys should be your only consideration when buying from japan. They are the only group I can say I had no red flags with. I worked with Matt, and he couldn’t have been more helpful. The process was made so easy I’m thinking about my next purchase. I was able to find my 1 owner Supra at an amazing price one day before the auction and began to panic because I thought I wasn’t able to get in touch that fast to coordinate the bid. But I was wrong and he was able to get right in there and get it. All estimated wait times were accurate, and was pointed in the right direction for every piece I needed after the car was shipped out. He was able to provide a go to for it all. Making this almost as easy as an Amazon purchase. It’s kinda unreal that you can just buy a car from Japan this easily, but these guys made it happen. Thanks again.

Dealt with Yoshiro from start to finish. He was great. Got an accurate estimate of how much it would cost to get a car imported where other companies were quoting a ridiculous amount. Final cost came out pretty much spot on. Yoshiro dealt with my queries very quickly and helped resolve any issues. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to use their services.

Imagine you want to buy a car from Japan. You aren't there, you have no contacts there, you don't know the system. What can you do? I know the answer to this one! Do business with Japan Car Direct. I was that newbie, I had so many question - so many concerns. Mike Nguyen was kind enough to respond to everyone of them with patience and kindness. I can only imagine that almost every one of his multiple clients are doing the same thing - maybe at the same time! If that is so, I never got the feeling that I was a pest (I probably was). The result for me was a pleasant surprise. Probably due to my location, the car came faster than I imagined. My whole process (winning bid to delivery) took a month and ten days. So the moral is let these pros take care of you - because they will. The happy ending is that you will get the car of your dreams and these guys will have your back the whole time!

It was my first time buying a car online, let alone overseas. These guys are legit!!! Yoshi has been very patient, transparent and prompt with all queries. The car was exactly what was expect. The time of arrival was accurate. Just look at all the 5 star reviews they got Great job guys.

FIRST TIME BUYER So…. I have just ordered my second car from Yoshiro Nakajima at Japan Car Direct. Keep in mind my first car has only just gotten to the port, I think that alone speaks volumes. So far it has been an awesome and painless experience. I did not go the advised route of auctions. Not because I could not have save a bunch of money but because I have no patience. Not only was Yoshi understanding and responsive to my constant questions, He accommodated nearly all of my requests(some were just crazy I admit). Even so we found a car at a local to Japan used car dealer and he helped me obtain the car, get it fully serviced and delivered to the port. I will update this review once the car is here and I can let you know how smooth the import process was and how my paperwork came. Trust, I have full faith in Yoshi, and Japan Car Direct that this will go painlessly as well. I will do a follow up review so people can get a full review of all process points. One last thing I want to add is that my budget was extremely low and he never made me feel it was not important or a priority for him. He never made me feel like this was a petty or small job. I feel this too speaks volumes about character. Thus far nothing but five stars.

I worked with Mathew on getting my first Japanese car. The process and communication was great that I decided to buy 2 cars in the same week. For me the back and forth communication was the reason why I decided to go with japancardirect. Being able to see the auction cars that are coming out and getting a detailed translation of the auction sheet is awesome 👌 At first I was a little hesitant sending money for a car over seas that i havent actyally seen in person.But now i feel very confident on buying something more expensive because I know what I'm getting when it arrives.

Needing to share my experience as a first timer importing a vehicle from Japan to NZ, the purchase of a 95' S13 180SX (Repaired) with JCD late last year 2021 with hopes my message will help future first time buyers. Firstly, I shared good dialogue with the agent throughout the process, the rating does not reflect the service, but my personal experience. However, upon receipt of the "video inspection report" that was carried out prior to the auction and shipment of the vehicle to NZ and shared with me, I had the funds to remediate the vehicle issues that were communicated in the report, namely the main go To's : 'surface rust in engine bay, underbody, tyre house'. Weather stripping, tyres needing to be replaced and couple fixes here and there, however these communicated issues, only tallied to approx 20% of the work that the vehicle actually needed. What I was not prepared for, was the severity and quantity of the issues, especially the huge chassis rails and floor replacement work that it needed. I had completed assessments from multiple reputable NZ repair cert engineers after a $25k expenditure on the vehicle, transporting it across multiple NZTA repair certifiers for them all to collectively conclude that it is uneconomic to repair due to the list of issues the vehicle had, is just painful. Having raised the issues on the vehicle after hearing back from my local mechanics with the agent from JCD, the response was "Unfortunately, there is no recourse we can take with inspectors. However, the inspection service is not performed at a shop, and there is no lift or test drive for example." which really prompts the question, what good is the quality of the inspection report? There was no communication to me at all about issues regarding the basic inspection criteria that one would expect for someone purchasing a vehicle. (Basic items that are much less of priority than the chassis work)- Driver seat belt stalk missing, headlight broken, intercooler is damaged, coolant overflow bottle is damaged, etc. You don't need a hoist/lift or a test drive for a mechanic to report these items... After submitting all the photos of the damage to the vehicle once stripped, (attached) there has been no commentary, radio silence to the fact that I had been hard done by. I would appreciate if the JCD team put yourselves into the clients shoes, especially those that are first timers trying out the process, perhaps then you would then understand the impacts. FYI to future first time buyers planning to import a vehicle, I recommend you have it professionally inspected via a reputable third party, test driven thoroughly and a FULL REPORT on what it actually needs, not a fraction of the work required. Regards, JM

I worked with Mathew on getting my first Japanese Kei truck. The process and communication were great. For me the back-and-forth communication was the reason why I decided to go with japancardirect. Being able to see the auction trucks that are coming out and getting a detailed translation of the auction sheet is awesome. At first, I was a little hesitant sending money for a car overseas that I haven't actually seen in person, but Mathew stayed with me even at times when I was less patient. Thanks for all the help you and your team provide.

After seeing quite a few Kei Trucks on the road, I was intrigued. Seeing the local retail prices gave me sticker shock, so I immediately thought there has to be a better way. Sure enough, that way is Japan Car Direct. Yoshi and team are knowledgeable, professional and responsive. They do what they say they are going to do before, during and after the transaction, they are in it for the long haul. The result of reviewing the auction listings and acquiring/importing yourself (with help from JCD) is substantial savings and the satisfaction of paying a fair price. It's also fun if you enjoy searching for and identifying great automotive values. Would not hesitate to recommend their services to others and I will be back for more vehicles in the near future.

It's hard to say anything that hasn't been said from other reviewers! This was my first experience importing a vehicle. Mike Nguyen was super patient with me and my indecisiveness. He was very quick to respond, and very informative on all my questions. He helped my sort through options until landing a 1kz-te Land Cruiser Prado. It ended up being in better condition than I was anticipating, and was able to drive it 5 hours home from port without a single issue. Cannot recommend Japan Car Direct enough!