Underneath a Car from Japan: What You Can See from the Ground

A dealer's listing photos almost never show the underside of a car. These are photos of the underside of my own car, taken with the car on the ground, the way we'd photograph yours: we don't lift cars.

The underside of my car

The underside of a grey car photographed from ground level, looking along the side of the car — Underneath my car, photographed from the ground. This is the kind of view you get without lifting the car.

A front suspension strut and coil spring, seen from below inside the wheel arch — The front strut and spring on my car, seen from below.

The top of a suspension strut inside a wheel arch, seen from below — The base of a strut on my car, seen from inside the wheel arch. I think this is the rear one on the passenger side.

A rusty section of the underside of a car, photographed from below — Rust on a frame-like part of the underside, behind the passenger door, around the back of the jacking point, I think. In my view, it's bad.

Another rusty section of the underside of the same car — More of the same rust, behind the passenger door. The underside of my car is covered in rust.

My car was driven hard around the city of Toyama, in the snowy Hokuriku region of Japan, and it's very rusty underneath. I didn't expect a Toyota to rust this much. For the difference between rust on a part and rust in the body, see rust on the body or a part.

Surface rust, or something worse

Rust guides draw a line between light surface rust, which is common on an older car, and rust that flakes, swells along a seam or makes a hole. The rust in the fourth and fifth photos, on a frame-like part behind the passenger door, is the kind I'd call bad.

If you're in the UK, this matters for the MOT as well. The DVSA's inspection manual treats the load-bearing structure where the brakes, steering and suspension are mounted, and the area around it, as "prescribed areas". Corrosion there fails the test if it has made a hole, or if the metal doesn't feel firm when pressed with a finger and thumb. A photo can't tell you how firm the metal is.

What can be seen from the ground, and what can't

We photograph what can be seen with the car on the ground: the first photo above is that view. Even with a camera held right down at ground level, some parts can't be reached or seen without lifting the car, and we mark those as Not verified in the report, with the reason.

On a car that's been lowered a long way, even less can be seen. See lowered and modified cars.

If the underside has been given a rustproofing coat, the rust under the coating can't be seen. More on that on rust on the body or a part.

What we can't tell you

How deep the rust goes. A photo shows the surface, not how much metal is left.
What's under a coating, or behind a panel. A patch of fresh undercoat in one area can hide a repair, or rust, and nothing shows through it.
How firm the metal is. We don't press on, scrape or poke the car.
Anything that can only be seen with the car on a lift.

We don't tell you whether to buy.

If the underside is what's holding you back, send us the listing and tell us which parts you'd like photographed from the ground.

Send us the listing link

Photos to ask the dealer for

The sills and jacking points along each side, from ground level
Underneath from the front and from the back, as far as they can see without lifting the car, including the brake and fuel lines that run along the floor
If they have a lift, whether they'll take photos on it

The full list is on photos to ask a Japanese dealer for.

Sources

Why the underside matters, and coated undersides: the founder's own experience, 1 and 2 October 2026
The photos, and where the car was used: the founder's own car, photographed and described in October 2026
DVSA, MOT inspection manual: Appendix A, structural integrity and corrosion: prescribed areas, and when corrosion fails, checked 3 October 2026
Surface rust compared with flaking rust and holes, and brake and fuel lines on the underside: for example used-car.com, How to check a used car underbody before buying, checked 3 October 2026
What we do and don't do on a viewing: On-Site Vehicle Viewing and our Terms of Service, checked 3 October 2026

If the car is outside the Tokai region (Aichi, Gifu and Mie), a Remote Check is where we phone the dealer in Japanese and ask for photos of the underside before anyone travels.

Before a car from Japan goes on a ship, send us the listing and we'll tell you what can be seen underneath.

Written by Yoshiaki Sagara, a paintless dent repair and detailing technician in Japan. He looks at cars for overseas buyers through Ninja Desk Japan. About us