When you buy a vehicle in the UK, and something do not sum up in your V5C… please do carefully check as you may have a vehicle that was imported from outside the UK.
These are known as Grey Imports or parrel import and accessible as standard vehicle in the UK only after they have been fully imported and regularly UK Vehicle Registered.
Japanese used vehicle export is a large global business, as rigorous road tests and high depreciation make such vehicles worth very little (in Japan) after six years, and strict environmental laws make vehicle disposal expensive.
Consequently, it is profitable to export them to other countries with left-hand traffic, such as Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Cyprus. The number of Japanese imported cars on UK roads has risen 38.2% in the last five years.
Import a Car in the UK is a laborious procedure, but many UK people prefer to import a car form Japan because these used cars have features that are not available in the UK.
This is why buyers prefer to go through the process of import a car rather than buying a UK model as they are affordable, durable and have excellent performance.
Buying a vehicle that is a grey import is not so easy to spot however generally imported vehicles from these countries don’t have an identical model in the UK market.
Grey import car: Should you take one?
A grey import has pros and cons, starting from the fact that import a car may increase the overall costs so you should weigh pros and cons to make an informed decision.
The pros of buying a grey import are the outstanding dependability and performance at a reasonable cost. The cars from Japan come equipped with a lot of advanced standard features and perks, which are typically not present in their respective segment vehicles made in the UK.
However, it could be challenging to find replacement parts, and you may have to pay high insurance premiums on imported grey vehicles. Besides, you may have to modify the cars to meet the import a car rules and regulations and Great Britain’s vehicle standards.
What we greatly recommend is that you need to make sure you buy a grey import car from a reputable dealership that can offer you a complete auction report, vehicle history, containing accident record if any and a service history.
How easy is to maintain and do any repair on imported vehicles?
What would you do, for example, if you decided to purchase a used imported car with a manufacturer defect?

Will this defect be rectified by respective manufacture / dealers or car imported in the UK?
This could be a downfall of some UK Dealers that may not supply the full purchasing/ auction and history report from the start.
So, we recommend that if you want to buy a Imported vehicle via a sourcing office choose a reputable sourcing and shipping firm that can help you at the point of sale and also in the UK!

Trans Global Logistics UK Limited, International Shipping & Logistics Company with 30 years of experience, will be able to offers several services for your Vehicle Transport / Customs Clearance / Import and UK Vehicle Registration to confidently support your shipment in either Import or Export for any type of equipment.

Contact us at Trans Global Logistics UK Limited – bizdev@tglog.co.uk – phone 07833 410 281 www.tglog.co.uk