How to read auction-sheet inspector comments
The inspector-comments box can mention faults the overall grade never spells out. This page is an informal glossary of phrases buyers often see. It is not a certified translation and not a mechanical diagnosis.
Why comments matter
Overall grades compress a long inspection into one mark. Comments are where inspectors write what the number cannot hold: a noise, a smell, a distorted pillar, a light on the dash. Read them with the damage map and letter grades. Definition: what is a Japanese auction sheet.
Phrases often seen on sheets
| Japanese (as often written) | Informal English | Why buyers notice it |
|---|---|---|
| オイル漏れ / オイル滲み | Oil leak / seepage | Mechanical note, not a grade letter |
| 異音 / エンジン音 | Unusual / engine noise | Ask for a cold-start video as well |
| タバコ / ニコチン / ニオイ | Tobacco / odour | Often pairs with a weaker interior letter |
| シートシワ | Seat wrinkles | Presentation; common on used cars |
| ホイールキズ | Wheel scratches | Cosmetic; check alloys vs 社外 AW |
| 室内ウス汚れ | Slight interior dirt | Cleaning, not structure |
| 警告灯 | Warning light | Needs a scan — the sheet will not diagnose it |
| ピラー歪 / 歪み | Pillar distortion | Read with R/RA and the map |
| 修復歴 | Repair history | Should agree with an R/RA overall mark |
| サビ / 腐食 | Rust / corrosion | Location matters — arches, sills, underbody |
| 冠水 | Flood / water | A word to escalate, not to self-diagnose from a photo |
| エアバッグ展開 | Airbag deployment | History note; verify the original sheet |
Equipment words in the same box (ナビ, スマートキー) belong with the equipment-code guide and the decoder.
Liability limits on this glossary
- Informal meanings only — handwriting varies and houses abbreviate differently.
- Not a certified translation, mechanical inspection, or flood/structural certificate.
- SheetJP does not guarantee that every note is present, complete, or correctly interpreted.
- If a phrase would change what you pay, get a human who reads Japanese auction sheets.
How to pull the page those notes came from: verify by chassis number.
See the comments on the original sheet
Retrieve the unaltered auction record. Do not rely on a cropped seller photo of the notes box.
Verify auction sheetFrequently asked questions
What is 検査員記入欄 on a Japanese auction sheet?
Are English translations of inspector notes official?
Can inspector notes contradict a Grade 4 or 4.5?
How do I see the original comments?
Related reading
How to read a Japanese auction sheet
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