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Quick answer: Enter your frame number (for example ZWR80-0123456) into JASPA's Japanese recall search or your maker's own frame-number search, listed on Japan's transport ministry (MLIT) site, and use your browser's translate button. Look for 未実施 (not done), which means work is still outstanding, and remember an empty result isn't proof there's nothing open.
When a carmaker issues a recall in Japan, it writes to the owner on the Japanese registration papers. If your car has since been exported to Australia, New Zealand or the UK, that letter never reaches you. It's very polite, quite important and addressed to somebody else. Your local dealer may have no record that the recall exists either. The good news is that you can check for yourself in about five minutes, using only your frame number.
Why recalls slip through the cracks on imports
- The recall notice goes to the Japanese address. Once a car leaves Japan, nobody there knows who owns it.
- Local dealers may not see Japanese-market recalls. A recall on a Japanese-market model may not be in the local manufacturer's system, especially for models that were never sold new here.
- In Australia, it's largely up to you. For the Takata airbag recall, the ACCC urged people who imported a car directly from overseas to contact the manufacturer's Australian office to see if it was affected, and noted that some grey imports were "orphan" vehicles with no particular supplier responsible for them. (ACCC: compulsory Takata airbag recall)
- In New Zealand, importers check before shipping, at least for Takata airbags. NZTA tells importers to check the chassis number against the recall pages of Japan's transport ministry (MLIT) and says they are responsible for confirming safety recalls are resolved before export. (NZTA: information for importers) Other recalls, and cars imported before those rules, are still worth checking yourself.
Unread recall letters are just one of the 10 week-one surprises of a Japanese import.
What you need
Just your frame number (車台番号, shadai bangō). On a Japanese-market car it looks like ZWR80-0123456: the chassis code, a dash, then the serial number. You'll find it on your Japanese export certificate, on the model plate, or stamped in the engine bay. Our guide to reading a Japanese model code shows where to look, and the free Model Code Lookup helps you make sense of it.
Option 1: The JASPA recall search (one form, many makers)
JASPA, the Japan Automobile Service Promotion Association, runs a single recall search that covers many makers. Suzuki, for one, points owners to it on its own recall page.
- Open jaspa.or.jp/portals/recallsearch. The page is in Japanese, but your browser's translate button works on it.
- Choose your maker from the dropdown labelled メーカー (maker). Common names: トヨタ (Toyota), 日産 (Nissan), ホンダ (Honda), マツダ (Mazda), スバル (Subaru), スズキ (Suzuki), ダイハツ (Daihatsu), 三菱 (Mitsubishi).
- Type your frame number into the box labelled 車台番号. The form asks for half-width capitals (半角大文字), which simply means normal keyboard capital letters and numbers, not Japanese full-width characters. Include the dash.
- Press 検索する (search).
If it doesn't work: the site warns that a car without a classification number (類別区分番号) may not be found if the frame number has no dash. If that's your car, or you get no result, check with the maker directly (see Option 2).
Option 2: The maker's own recall search
Most Japanese makers also have their own frame-number search. The Japanese transport ministry keeps a list of them in one place: MLIT: frame number search pages (車台番号検索ページ一覧). Find your maker under 国産車メーカー (Japanese makers) and follow the link.
These searches often show service campaigns as well as recalls. Suzuki's does, for example: if work is outstanding it shows a summary of the fix, and if the work is done or the car isn't covered it says so. Treat anything marked as not yet done as worth asking about.
One catch: NZTA notes that for some makes, the Japanese records may not cover cars that have been deregistered, which includes exported cars. If a search comes back empty, that isn't proof there's nothing outstanding. Ask the maker or a dealer to check the frame number.
Reading the results: common Japanese terms
You don't need to read Japanese. These are the words that matter:
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| リコール | rikōru | Recall: a design or manufacturing defect that means the car may not meet Japan's safety or environmental standards. The most serious category. |
| 改善対策 | kaizen taisaku | Improvement measure: a problem not covered by those standards, but one that can't be ignored for safety or the environment |
| サービスキャンペーン | sābisu kyanpēn | Service campaign: a fix for a fault that isn't directly a safety or environmental issue |
| 届出番号 | todokede bangō | Notification number, the reference number for the recall |
| 不具合の内容 | fuguai no naiyō | What the defect is |
| 改善の内容 | kaizen no naiyō | What the fix involves |
| 対象車両 | taishō sharyō | Vehicles covered |
| 実施済 | jisshi-zumi | Done: the work has been carried out |
| 未実施 | mijisshi | Not done: the work is still outstanding |
Labels vary a little between makers' sites, so if you see something unfamiliar, paste it into a translator.
A caution from MLIT: recall lists give ranges of frame numbers, and a range can include cars that aren't actually affected because of differences such as the factory or grade. MLIT says to check individual cars on the makers' search pages.
Found an open recall? What to do next
- Screenshot the result, including the notification number (届出番号).
- If it involves airbags, brakes, steering or fire risk, take it seriously. Ask whether the car is safe to drive until it's fixed.
- Contact your local dealer for that make and give them the frame number and the Japanese notification number. Some will do the work, especially for airbag recalls. Be prepared for the answer to vary.
- If you bought through an importer, contact them too. They may be able to help, or know who is responsible for the car.
- Ask whether the part can be ordered. If the dealer can supply the replacement part but not do the work free of charge, a mechanic you trust may be able to fit it.
Check again once a year
New recalls are issued all the time, including on older models. Put a reminder in your phone to re-run the search once a year, or whenever you buy a used import.
In Australia, also check the Australian Government's recall site, vehiclerecalls.gov.au, for recalls on locally sold models that share parts with your car. You can also sign up there for recall alerts by make.
FAQ
How do I check if my Japanese import has a recall?
Use your frame number (車台番号) in the JASPA recall search, which covers many makers, or in your maker's own frame-number search from MLIT's list. Both are in Japanese, but your browser's translate button works on them.
Will my local dealer know about Japanese-market recalls?
Not necessarily. A recall on a Japanese-market model may not be in the local manufacturer's system, especially for models that were never sold new here, so give the dealer your frame number and the Japanese notification number (届出番号).
What does 未実施 mean on a Japanese recall search?
未実施 (mijisshi) means the work is not done and is still outstanding. 実施済 (jisshi-zumi) means the work has been carried out.
What is the difference between a recall and a service campaign in Japan?
A recall (リコール) is a design or manufacturing defect that means the car may not meet Japan's safety or environmental standards, and is the most serious category. A service campaign (サービスキャンペーン) fixes a fault that isn't directly a safety or environmental issue.
Does an empty recall search mean my car has no open recalls?
No. NZTA notes that for some makes the Japanese records may not cover deregistered cars, which includes exported ones, so ask the maker or a dealer to check the frame number.
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In the meantime, you'll find service parts by chassis code in Grey Import Family Cars, and the small fixes most imports need in Just Imported? Fix These First, including English owner's manuals and JOBD-compatible scanners.
Ad / Affiliate links: YOU SHOULD, SHA. Parts links to eBay. We earn a commission from eBay on qualifying purchases made through those links, at no extra cost to you. We are not eBay and not the seller. Recall information comes from the manufacturers and the Japanese government; we don't check recalls for you. Always confirm with the manufacturer or a dealer.