Draft: we are still checking this
Read it as a note, not as final advice. We will take this banner off once the facts are checked.
First checks when buying a Japan-import Vezel
A plain checklist before you pay for a Vezel imported from Japan: the auction sheet, the paperwork, the hybrid system and the signs of an accident.
This is a short checklist for the first look at a car. It does not replace a mechanic who knows Honda hybrids. Use it to decide whether a car is worth paying that mechanic to look at.
We are still checking this
This list is general used-car advice written for the Vezel. No mechanic has reviewed it yet, and it says nothing about prices or about what the law requires in Sri Lanka.
Ask for the auction sheet
Most Japan-import cars were sold at auction in Japan, and the auction house wrote an inspection sheet for each one. Ask the seller for it. It usually shows:
- an overall grade, and grades for the inside and the outside
- the mileage the inspector read
- a diagram of the body with marks where the inspector saw damage or repair
- notes in Japanese
Ask the seller to explain every mark on the diagram, and ask for the notes to be translated. A seller who has nothing to hide will do it.
Match the numbers
Three numbers should agree: the chassis number on the car, the one on the registration document, and the one on the auction sheet. The mileage on the dashboard should also match the sheet, allowing for the kilometres driven since. If anything does not match, ask why before you go further.
[Placeholder: the owner adds which Sri Lankan papers to ask for. We have not written this part because it must be right.]
Check the hybrid system
On a hybrid Vezel the part you cannot see matters most.
- Switch the car on and wait for READY. Every warning light that came on should go out. A light that stays on is a reason to stop and ask.
- It should move off smoothly and silently, then the petrol engine should start and stop without a shudder.
- Ask whether a garage that works on Honda hybrids has checked the hybrid battery and the system, and ask to see what they found.
Our dashboard guide translates the lights while you test drive. There is a shop category for hybrid care when you have the car.
Look for signs of an accident
- Gaps between panels that are wider on one side than the other.
- A panel that is a slightly different colour or shine from the next one.
- Paint on rubber seals or trim around a door, the bonnet or the boot.
- Scratched or turned bolts where a panel is fixed.
- The airbag light (SRS) that stays on, or one that never comes on at start-up.
- A car that pulls to one side, or tyres worn more on one side.
- A damp smell, or silt and water marks in the boot under the floor, which can mean flooding.
Take a test drive
Drive it on a road you know, with the radio off. Listen for knocking over bumps, feel whether the steering is straight and whether the brakes pull evenly. Check the air conditioning and every window, light and indicator before you leave.
Before you pay
Get a mechanic to look at it, ask for the papers in writing, and take your time. A car that is right will still be right tomorrow.
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