FAQ:
Q. How difficult is it to drive on the right side?
A. Not difficult at all! About 50% of our customers are family oriented, and after 20 minutes in our unique Right Drive seminars, they are completely comfortable piloting a right hand drive vehicle on public roads. The transition is much more intimidating when a driver needs to drive on the opposite side of the road. By only switching from left hand drive to right hand drive, it is equivalent to moving your seat 1.5 feet to the right.
Q. Will it be harder to get parts for these cars?
A. In most cases, no. That is why we can offer Powertrain insurance through a third party. If parts were extremely difficult to acquire, they would surely back away from offering powertrain protection. In some cases, parts do need to be ordered directly from Japan, but this is the case with most Japanese cars purchased in North America. Part availability and wait times are very similar to what would be expected at any North American dealership.
Q. How are the Vehicles Shipped?
A. This is a common question, as clients pre-ordering vehicles may be concerned that their vehicle may become unstable in transit. The diagrams below show how the process is done. Our office in Japan documents the entire packing process with photos, to ensure we can see how the vehicles leave the Port of Nagoya. From the Tag of the shipping container, to the intricate and safe packing of each container, we have never seen even a scratch on a vehicle through the packing stages. Many RHD vehicles that arrive in Canada have body damage, as containers are loaded with 1 or 2 vehicles for one client, and 1 or 2 for another - we avoid this potential risk by filling a container entirely with product intended for us.
Q. How will I get insurance on one of these cars?
A. Roughly 65% of all insurance companies offer collision and liability insurance on right hand drive vehicles. Some indeed do not, so if you are purchasing a right hand drive vehicle, be sure to check with your insurance company first. As insurance rates are primarily based on vehicle age, rates are quite low for drivers with clean records. Please feel free to contact us if you need help obtaining an insurance quote.
Q. Why are the kilometers so low? How do I know they are accurate?
A. To us in North America, a vehicle with 50,000kms is still considered to be brand new. In Japan however, there is a tax credit system that rewards drivers who put very little mileage on their vehicles each year - the tax credit only works towards the purchase of a new vehicle at the time of inspection. As the automotive industry largely drives the Japanese economy, this system is very successful as the Japanese buy new vehicles far more frequently than in North America. Chances for a kilometer roll back are very slim, as the vehicles kilometers are documented each year by the Japanese government. When vehicles are exported from Japan, their kilometers are double checked for accuracy