Why do low-mileage JDM engines exist?

[Xist]

Presumably you could find low-mileage engines for almost everything, but I have seen many references to $300 low-mileage JDM engines. I have never seen one for less than $800 and shipping an engine is expensive.

People claim the law requires replacing the engine before 60,000 miles, but that doesn't make any sense, not even for 1990-2010 Subarus.

Mom's 2004 Camry has 200,000 miles and runs and drives perfectly.

My cars are 1999-2004 with 205,000+ miles and maybe the 2002 Civic that I bought with a bad head gasket had a bad engine, but she drove!

Answer the phone Crazy J!

I have read that people don't drive much in Japan, which makes sense, but only a part of the story.

Out of curiosity, I was looking up D17A engines for that 2002, and I found:

Question: Why are the miles on our engines so low?
Answer: When cars in Japan begin to approach 45-60,000 miles, they must undergo a rigorous inspection called the [Jidōsha Kensa Tōrokuseido] in Japan. If any part of the vehicle has violations (including windshield defects, bald tires, etc.), the entire car fails and must undergo re-inspection. In many cases, vehicle owners are encouraged to sell off and/or recycle their car before the [Jidōsha Kensa Tōrokuseido] is required so that they may simply buy another vehicle rather than spend large amounts of money on a costly state vehicle inspection.

https://jdmenginezone.com/pages/faq

Apparently the cool kids just call it "Shaken."

A vehicle inspection (shaken or JCI inspection) is a compulsory inspection for all vehicles on the road in Japan that must be conducted every 2 years. It ensures that all vehicles on the road are properly maintained and safe to drive. The inspection also checks that vehicles have not been illegally modified. Along with the inspection, payments for Japanese Compulsory Insurance (JCI, or compulsory vehicle liability insurance) and weight tax for the upcoming 2 years must be made. It's illegal to drive vehicles in Japan without having this inspection complex carried out.

That indicates that a Civic, which would presumably weigh more than 1 ton, would have cost about 37,000 JPY: https://groups.oist.jp/resource-center/shaken

Duck Duck Go says that is 三万七千円.
Google says that is $282.91 US.

I am not buying a new car because I have one expense that costs less than $300!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I only knew about the timeframe-based Shaken, not the mileage requirement.

[Piwoslaw]

To me, this smells like using "safety" as an excuse to help fuel the business for car manufacturers. And for them, less incentive to make their cars durable and long-lasting.
Not eco, at all

[JSH]

Visit Japan and you will quickly see why Japanese cars don't rack up many miles. I've only been to Osaka and Kyoto but the train was by far the fastest way to get around. People did not commute by car - our factory with a thousand people working in it only had a parking lot for about 20 cars and it was never full.

Japanese vehicle inspections are time based not mileage based. They are pretty comprehensive and owners are required to fix things that we would call minor issues. Once a car starts to get older it often makes sense to replace the car instead of spending lots of money at the mechanic to keep it in almost perfect shape. Even still the average Japanese vehicle is 14 years old when the registration is cancelled. Most of those cars are exported to other parts of Asia

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

Even still the average Japanese vehicle is 14 years old when the registration is cancelled.

OK, this beauty is US-spec, but it's not bad for a 29y.o. model, right?

Most of those cars are exported to other parts of Asia

Nowadays demand for used JDM cars in Asia and parts of Africa has been on a decline due to political pressures for local or regional manufacturing, while in other places such as Paraguay it's nearly impossible to implement such measure without sparking a civil war...

[Drifter]

The inspection takes place 3 years after buying a new car and every 2 years after that. It is not based on mileage. The inspection itself only costs ~2000yen (~$15), but you also pay weight fees and insurance. Insurance runs about 25,000jpy (~$200) and the weight fees vary based on age and weight. A 2000-3000 lb car costs 25,000-40,000 yen ($200-300) depending on age. A 3000-4000 lb car costs ~30,000-50,000 yen (~$225-400).

So if your 20 year old Civic can still pass inspection, shaken will cost a bit over $500 every 2 years. The problem is not many Japanese have space/knowledge/inclination to work on their own cars, so most have to take the car to the shop for every minor repair.

The average 2002 Civic I see would completely fail Japanese inspection. Any torn seats? Fail. Any leaks? Fail. Any rust on suspension/chassis? Fail. Any worn bushings? Fail. Speedometer read 39 when you're doing 40? Fail. Now you could probably buy a complete gasket kit and all new suspension bushings for maybe $1,000-$1,500, but if you had to pay a mechanic to do that work you'd probably be looking at a $5,000 repair bill on your $2,000 car. So you sell it instead.


As for the 60,000 km JDM engine myth - it is just that, a myth. Look at 2000-2004 Honda Civics for sale from Japan and of the 28 I see, only 2 of them have less than 60,000 km: https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-...0&maxYear=2004

The median mileage is more like 142,000 km (~90,000 miles). Still much less than the average 2000-2004 Civic in America, but more than double what everyone assumes...

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Xist

I have never seen one for less than $800 and shipping an engine is expensive.

The myth is that they only cost $300.

Maybe that was true 10 years ago. I don't have any idea. I am sure there was some point when the price bottomed out, but that is a great deal of steel to ship overseas.

This would allegedly be $910 shipped: 2005 Honda Civic 1.7L Engine Motor SOHC 4cyl OEM 52K Miles

I haven't heard anything bad about LKQ.

[oil pan 4]

They don't drive a lot in japan, they like new cars, they have young people who buy new cars and crash them just like here.
They cost $300 with $600 shipping.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

In places such as Paraguay, where RHD-to-LHD conversions are mandatory, even though there is this additional expense, some JDM models are still cost-effective.

[Xist]

Shipping an engine is expensive.

I found a JDM Accord engine in Phoenix for $450 and a transmission for $500.

Both say "Free local delivery."

If I had a friend or a useful sister in the area I could have them delivered and then swap them over myself... eventually.

If I found ones for $300 (with expensive shipping) in Phoenix I might just consider it.