Mohtaram c4capricorn Sahib,
Here are the answers point by point (you will find my answers out of step with your numbers 1 to 6 as you have typed 5 twice in error, your points are 7 whereas you have numbered them to 6, for 5 is appearing twice, no offence, just a pointer :)):
1. If you go for a grade 5, interior A car it is almost a brand new car. If you go for an S grade then it is even closer to a brand new one.
2. On warranty. I remember one quote by a mechanic, "Aik baat yaad rakhain. Machine ko tail (oil) day dain tau wo hawa main urna shuruh ho jayay gee aur Insaan ko guarantee day dain tau wo hawa main urna shuruh ho jayaygee."
Bro, kindly debate with rationale. u buy cell phones, laptops with warranty for a reason. car being one of the most expensive investment, u will simply neglect warranty?
3. On 45 day wait: Sabar ka phal meethaa.
what can i say..zyada sabar karne se kabhi kabhi phal main keera bhi lag jata hai
4. If you transport a car properly, it won't get damaged. Damage to vehicles during shipping is done because of improper transportation technique where a shared container which should hold 3 cars is stuffed with 6. Three hanging from the roof and three underneath them. Sometimes 6 cars are kept in the container by tilting them at 45 degrees with the front wheels in the air and the rear ones on the floor of the container, another example of an improper technique which can cause damage to the car. Laluch buree balaa hay. Shipping companies offer safe methods of transport and if proper protocol is followed, nothing happens. Japan exports millions of cars to the whole world in ships and nothing happens, for proper protocol of doing so is followed. It all comes down to proper engineering of doing things. Japan has the highest ratio of engineers to population. Small wonder they are leading the world in car engineering.
This majorly applies when u are importing the vehicle urself. 99% of the dealers importing the cars import damaged vehicles and they mend them here in Pak. and since majority do not have either the expertise or resources to procure a good car, this option is not viable.
5. If you buy a car from an authentic auction house, your odometer won't be rolled back, it won't be water damaged by tsunami and they do tests for all kinds of radiation. Besides, some Pakistani bound parts sent from Thailand in CKDs are manufactured in Japan and if Japan has radiation, then those parts will contain radiation. Japan is a developed country and they do sort out such problems. Boeing 787's wings are manufactured by Mitsubishi and by the radiation equation it could also contain radiation and every export from Japan can contain it (radiation) but the chances of that happening come down to zilch if you take a prudent route. Japan exports to the world are worth billions of dollars and Japanese do take care of that problem. Just pick a car from an authentic auction house and the vehicle will neither be water damaged in a tsunami, let alone have any radiation. If some of our desi brothers are exclusively picking up radiation damaged cars for less and dumping it somewhere in the world by smuggling it out of the country then it is illegal according to Japanese law. To be exported out of Japan, every car has to be de-registered and should obtain an export permit. That is given only if certain conditions are fulfilled. One of the conditions is the car doesn't have more than 0.3 microsieverts of radiation per hour. This figure was tightened in August when the level of radiation was reduced from 5 microsieverts to 0.3 microsieverts in order to obtain an export permit. Just look at the safety measure which has been recently raised by Japanese officials. This is how things are done in Japan. It is a developed country and they know how to take care of problems. Russian incident must be prior to August 2013 or the cars were smuggled out of Japan by some smuggling Mafia. Here is a story about the problem of radiation: Japanese dealers selling 'radioactive cars' - Telegraph
Again see my previous reply. also check this link
Fukushima Watch: Russia Claims Continued Used Car Contamination - Japan Real Time - WSJ
I m sure japan is taking measure to curb the issue. but my question is, are the local importer have enough morality to check this even if such cars cost less? i dont think so since already garbage is being imported and sold with fake auction sheets. get me 10 members from Pakwheels who have bought cars from market dealers and have got genuine mileage and grade and i will give u thousand of those who have been ripped off with reversed meters, repaired bodies, tempered electronics and fake auction sheets. not to mention mechanical defects.
6. Parts of popular JDMs was not a problem, is not a problem and will not be a problem at all. Coming to expertise, you can find JDM specialist mechanics in every big city and they are doing a good job. Japanese cars are such good cars that they don't have major glitches for they are such trouble-free machines. Their reliability (Toyota and Honda in particular) has reached such heights that they are even making the Germans eat their dust when it comes to it (reliability). Just go to latest J D Powers IQS (Initial Quality Survery) study and Consumer Reports' reliability rating. Japanese are winning all the way. Lexus, Toyota and Honda have beaten Audi, BMW and Mercedes in Consumer Reports' reliability rating. Americans are not even in sight. The only American manufacture to make some mark is GM: Yahoo!. Here is the J D Power link: Press Release - 2012 U.S. Initial Quality Study | J.D. Power
Abt major glitches, i have seen trannies blowing, ABS failing in these JDMs, and everyone will agree, once the JDM starts giving u problems, there is no work-around. take vitz's CATs for example.
7. If you get a good grade JDM (4.5 and higher) to start with and properly maintain your baby, I think you will be all set. I have a 1985 Japanese Suzuki 800cc in my garage and it is serving me like the most dependable machine on the planet for the last 28 years. I bought it zero-mile in 1985, has done 300,000km and still going strong. And it is a Suzuki, Toyota and Honda are light years ahead. It all comes down to what you buy, how good is the product you have bought and how willing you are to properly maintain your car. I only go for 100% genuine parts, no matter how expensive they are. I once interviewed an owner of a 2005 Toyota Premio 1.8 and asked him if he was happy with his purchase. He answered in the affirmative and added, "My JDM is 1000 times better than a PKDM. In the last 8 years I've hopped to the service station only for an oil change," and mind you, it was not even a 4.5 grade import.
I agree with u 100%. but how will u make sure how the car was maintained before getting in ur hands? i m sure u will agree that our local mechanics/dealers are experienced enough to sell a donkey in a sparkly dress calling it Katrina kaif and ppl buy it. again look at things from a general perspective. over 90% of JDMs being imported are abused and repaired machines. only a handful of us experienced enough get lucky to get their hands on a genuinely good car.
No offence please, I respect your point of view and I'm giving only mine.
Regards.