Common questions about car import

Duty, excise and SST depend on the car's engine capacity, age and value, so the total varies by model. The calculator estimates the full landed cost for your specific car in about 30 seconds.

Yes. Price Lock holds the on-the-road total in your written quotation. Once you confirm it, that figure stands until handover. Options you add later are quoted separately.

No, payment is staged. For a Japanese auction car you place a 10% deposit before we bid, and it is fully refundable if the bid does not win. For the UK and Australia it is a 20% down payment, refundable if you are not satisfied with the inspection. The balances follow the shipping and clearance milestones, and your advisor confirms the schedule in writing before you commit.

No. The calculator, the advisor check and order tracking come with buying through Carimport. Auction reports for cars you are researching on your own are sold per report, with the price shown before you buy.

It is a close estimate built on the current duty structure and the week's exchange rate. Your written quotation is the binding figure, and once you confirm it, Price Lock holds it.

Enough to change which car you buy, which is why the calculator asks for the exact variant. Duty in Malaysia is assessed on engine size as well as value, so a 3.0 and a 4.0 version of the same model land at very different prices. Run both before you choose.

Most imports arrive within 8 to 12 weeks of winning the auction. That covers shipping from Japan, customs clearance and AP approval, Puspakom inspection and Malaysian registration. Your advisor keeps you updated at every milestone.

An Approved Permit is the Malaysian government authorisation required to import a vehicle. You do not need to source one yourself. Arranging it is part of the service, and it is itemised in your quotation like every other cost.

Japan, the United Kingdom and Australia. Japan offers the widest choice through the auction network. The UK and Australia are stronger for specific models and specifications. Your advisor can tell you which market suits the car you want.

Yes. You get WhatsApp updates at every milestone: winning bid, departure, arrival at port, customs clearance, inspection and registration.

The auction network is open to licensed dealers only, so your advisor opens a private catalog for you from your brief and refreshes it as new cars are listed. You browse the catalog, we handle the bidding.

Every car is bought against its official auction sheet, which we verify and translate for you before bidding. If a defect turns up that the sheet did not disclose, we file the claim with the auction house on your behalf.

Auction sheets grade a car's overall condition and map every scratch, dent and repair panel by panel. Your advisor translates and explains the sheet for each car on your shortlist, so you know what you are bidding on before the bid goes in. You can also buy the sheet for any car you are researching on your own.

For a Japanese auction car you review the full sheet and photos before we bid. For the UK and Australia our team inspects the car in person before purchase, with photos, video and a history check, and your down payment is refundable if the result disappoints. Every car then goes through Puspakom inspection on arrival as part of registration.

Use the advisor check. Enter the phone number you were given and it confirms whether that person is a Carimport advisor. If it comes back not found, message our official WhatsApp at 016-572 2518.

Used cars generally need to be under five years old to qualify for an AP permit, and some categories carry extra conditions. Send us the model you want and your advisor confirms eligibility before anything else.

Legally yes, but a single car still needs its own AP permit, auction access and clearance agent. Our service bundles all three into one itemised quotation, which usually costs less than assembling them alone.

Every auction car carries an independent grade and a full auction sheet covering accidents, paint and cabin wear. We generally source grade 4 and higher, and your advisor translates the sheet before you bid.

Auction bidding suits rare specs and the sharpest prices; one-price stock suits fixed pricing and browsing at your own pace. Most buyers ask their advisor to run both against the same brief and compare.

Yes, and it is the way we always work. You name a ceiling, we bid up to it and never past it. There is no scenario where you are committed to a higher number than the one you agreed.

Your deposit comes back in full and nothing else is owed. Auctions run to a weekly calendar, so you can set a limit on the next matching car straight away, or stop there.

That depends on sailing schedules and clearance, so your advisor confirms the expected window in writing before you commit. The run covers shipping from Southampton, customs clearance, AP approval, Puspakom inspection and JPJ registration, with WhatsApp updates at every milestone.

Used cars generally need to be under five years old to qualify for an AP permit. Classics have their own lane: cars over 35 years old can come in under the classic permit. Send us the model and your advisor confirms eligibility first.

A car owned only by businesses since new, such as ex-lease, ex-fleet and dealer demonstrators. These can be zero-rated for VAT on export, taking 20 percent off the purchase price. Your advisor checks the listing before we quote.

Every UK car has a government MOT history recording each test and mileage reading, and we add an HPI report covering finance, theft and write-offs. Then an advisor inspects the car in person before full payment is made.

Yes. Browse Auto Trader, PistonHeads or any UK marketplace at your own pace, send us the link, and we verify the car, inspect it in person and return the full landed cost for Malaysia.

Yes, with the same checks as a dealer car and rather more attention to who is selling. A private sale carries no trade protection in Britain either, which is exactly why the inspection happens before the money rather than after.

Yes. Britain drives on the left, so the cars are right-hand drive and need no conversion. British roads are salted in winter, which is why the underside is part of what our inspector looks at rather than an afterthought.

Japan leads for Japanese makes and auction grading; the UK leads for European marques and spec variety, all built right-hand drive. Same advisor, same itemised quotation either way, so many buyers compare both.

That depends on sailing schedules and clearance, so your advisor confirms the expected window in writing before you commit. The run covers shipping to Port Klang, customs clearance, AP approval, Puspakom inspection and JPJ registration, with WhatsApp updates at every milestone.

Used cars generally need to be under five years old to qualify for an AP permit, and cars over 35 years old can come in under the classic permit. Send us the model and your advisor confirms eligibility first.

Usually not yet. Most 1990s to 2010s muscle sits between the two rules: too old for the under-five window, too young for the 35-year classic permit. Each year another cohort becomes eligible, so ask your advisor about the exact build year.

Usually not. Australia is an expensive used market, and for ordinary cars Japan lands cheaper. You buy Australian for the cars that exist nowhere else in factory right-hand drive, with condition and history you can verify.

The federal PPSR check shows finance, theft and write-off history by VIN, state registers add the odometer trail, and an advisor inspects the car in person before full payment is made.

Yes. Browse Carsales or any Australian marketplace at your own pace, send us the link, and we verify the car, inspect it in person and return the full landed cost for Malaysia.

Yes, for up to 90% of the car depending on the model and your profile. Your advisor collects the documents from you and handles the submission to the bank.

Marine insurance for the sea freight leg is itemised in your quotation, so the car is covered in transit. Malaysian road insurance is arranged separately at handover.

Every car comes with its verified auction grade and condition report. Extended warranty packages covering engine and transmission are available at handover as a separate contract. Ask your advisor for the current terms.

Either. Collect your registered car from our delivery bay in Klang, or have it delivered to your door anywhere in Malaysia. Your advisor arranges whichever you prefer.

Your advisor stays reachable after handover for registration documents, servicing questions and warranty claims. You keep the same point of contact you had throughout the import.