What is JAAI and role in Japanese used car inspection certification?

The Japan Auto Appraisal Institute or popularly abbreviated as JAAI is a non-profit organization that was established to help inspection of used vehicles. JAAI was created under the approval of the Ministry of International Trade & Industry along with the Ministry of Transport in 1966. This is a completely fair organization, whose ability and fairness have been highly evaluated.



Japan is a pioneer of automobile industry. Large numbers of vehicles are exported from Japan every year with their quality given the highest priority. This is the reason the Japanese JAAI had been established. After complete inspection is done on the vehicle, a certificate is issued, to ensure importers that they will get the same quality vehicle they are looking for. The inspections, testing and certification of used motor vehicles in JAAI are completed by licensed and fully qualified mechanics, thus an accurate appraisal is guaranteed. JAAI having a network of 52 branches spread in all 47 prefectures of Japan and it is the only Japanese organization to conduct export inspections of used cars.

Salient features of JAAI:

• Both interior and exterior of used cars are checked thoroughly by professional staff of JAAI, along with verifying the chassis number in order to ensure the importer. It helps the importer to determine the value of the used car.
• JAAI is equipped with latest equipment for the inspection of speedometer, brakes, wheel alignment and emission gas, which is essential to ensure the road-worthiness of the car.
• Inspection of the used cars had been carried out by JAAI inspectors according to the Exporting Used Motor Vehicle Inspection Standards.
• Inspectors at JAAI are fully trained and experienced with the quality testing of used cars. Proper training sessions are also provided to these inspectors to upgrade and improve their skills.
• Inspecting functionality of the used car to ensure safe driving in compliance with the safety regulations.
• Further JAAI also looks that other detail of the used car as per the importing country's regulations.
• At interior inspection, it must be tidy. If the seats covers, interior walls, sealing etc. have any damage then it must not exceed 10 cm for a passenger car or 30 cm for a commercial or freight vehicle (Repairing with adhesive tape is not acceptable).
• Inspecting exterior conditions of the vehicle, to verify is there any bumps, even if there is any corrosion it must be repaired (Repair work done using aluminum foil tape, etc., is not acceptable).
• They inspects windshield should not have any cracks or breakage greater than 1 cm.
• Engine & parts under the hood must be clean washed.
• Tires quality should match with the safety regulations.

Since 1967, the Japanese government has authorized JAAI as the quality inspection agency for Japanese used cars exported overseas. JAAI has inspected around 1.8 million Japanese used cars over a period of 30 years. Over the three-year period since the abolishment of the export inspection system in Japan, JAAI has inspected approximately 250,000 vehicles exported to more than 50 countries. JAAI has been playing a vital role in order to establish trust among Japanese used vehicle importers, regarding the quality of the vehicle they are importing. The organization has established a renowned stature due to the level of accuracy of the inspection provided. It is even mandatory in many countries to get the vehicle JAAI certified before its importation in those countries.