What are the benefits (and complications) to buying a used car that first started life in Japan or the UK?
Now, during your browsing spree, you might notice that some of the cars listed weren’t originally sold new in Malaysia. Instead, the ad may have stated that the vehicle first started life in Japan or the UK (both right-hand drive markets) before being brought over.
These are what the industry refers to as recon cars. Short for reconditioned, the term implies that these vehicles have undergone some degree of refurbishment upon arriving in Malaysia. But in truth, recon has become more of a catch-all term for most grey imports, regardless of how much actual reconditioning was done.
When people think recon, the first image that likely comes to mind is a Toyota Alphard or Vellfire. But beyond these peti sejuks, you’d be surprised by just how many continental cars now also enjoy a second life in Malaysia after being shipped over from Japan or the UK.
How To Spot A Recon Car:
- Double registration years in the ad itself (e.g. 2011/18): The first is the actual year of manufacture, while the second is when the car was registered in Malaysia. This tends to be the most common and easily identifiable giveaway.
- For Japanese-market cars specifically: Look for two oval stickers usually found on the bottom right of the rear windscreen.
- Other visual clues: Japanese dealership decals on the tailgate or at the base of the rear glass are also a strong hint to it previously starting life in the land of the rising sun.
Why Buy Recon?
One major plus is that recon cars often come better specced than their official local counterparts, particularly for lower- to mid-spec variants of continental models.
Some also argue that UK- or Japan-market cars tend to make for better quality used buys. This is partly because they didn’t “suffer” the cost-cutting measures sometimes seen in locally assembled versions, and partly because they were generally better maintained, owing to stricter roadworthiness inspections and higher ownership standards in their home markets.
The Cons To Buying A Recon
Starting with a minor downside, recon cars often come with region-specific quirks. Radios may need to be re-coded to work properly over here, and in this age of connected cars, certain features (like mobile apps, live maps etc.) are frequently region-locked by the manufacturer to their original market.
The lack of a manufacturer-backed local warranty or aftersales support meanwhile is a more significant drawback to a recon car. While going without a factory warranty might be tolerable for some, the real headache comes when recalls or technical service bulletins are issued, which recon cars typically don’t qualify for.
That said, a handful of official brand distributors in Malaysia do currently offer repatriation services, allowing some recon cars to be formally integrated into the local aftersales network. Naturally though, this does come at a cost…
And finally, a major concern with recon cars is the lack of transparency in the car’s history. It is unfortunately not uncommon to hear that the reconditioning process these vehicles undergo once they arrive involves covering up past crash damage, or giving the figures on their odometer a quick trim.
Then again, it’s worth pointing out that this issue isn’t exclusive to recon cars. Even locally sold used vehicles can come with undisclosed skeletons in their glovebox. The upside here, though, is that there are ways these days to run a decently comprehensive background history check using the car’s VIN, offering at least some protection against accidentally buying a proper lemon. (More on this in the next part)
