I regularly get pinged via email, Facebook, Instagram, carrier pigeon, smoke signal, and singing telegram asking about the ins and outs of owning a JDM vehicle. People get excited about the idea of owning a Mitsubishi Delica, or a Toyota Hiace van; maybe a Subaru Sambar or a Suzuki Jimny. But what many people don’t understand is that owning a JDM vehicle is not like owning a new vehicle.

If you’ve ever owned an old car, a rare vehicle, or an old and rare form of transportation, you know what I’m talking about. These things require more love and care than a newer car. And by love, I mean money, time, and maintenance. This usually comes with extra frustration, newfound swear words (if not for you, for the neighbor kids), and potential financial pitfalls. If this sounds like your idea of fun, read on.

Owning A JDM Vehicle Isn’t For Everyone

I cannot stress this enough. There have been so many times when I’ve been asked my opinion of [INSERT JDM VEHICLE HERE]. “I’ve read a bunch of your articles, and I was wondering what you thought of this [INSERT JDM VEHICLE].” I love helping potential new buyers and those who are morbidly curious about owning something odd. But I always let people know that owning a JDM vehicle is not like owning a new vehicle. This isn’t like buying a 2023 Toyota Tacoma, a 2020 Subaru Forester, or frankly anything else sold on the domestic market. Here are a few ground rules:

• If you’re not comfortable working on a JDM vehicle, you may want to pass on the purchase. Many mechanics won’t work on “gray-market” vehicles, aka, cars that weren’t sold stateside. And it’s no wonder why: It takes too much time and effort to make it worth their while to track down parts, find diagrams, etc. If they will work on them, repairs can be expensive due to the extra time required.
  
• Any older vehicle requires more maintenance. It’s just a fact of life. An older JDM vehicle also might require parts that are hard to come by. It’s not feasible to walk into the auto parts store and tell them you’re looking for an oil filter for a 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear since the van was never sold here. Fun fact: The oil filter is available at many parts stores, but you have to know what the part number is since the vehicle isn’t in their system.
  
• Speaking of parts, and I’ve written about this before, you’ll need to learn to cross-reference JDM parts. This includes visiting sites like PartSouq.com, finding the OEM part number, and cross-referencing it against what might be available domestically. If it’s not stateside, you can order from these sites. You can also check with our neighbors to the north in Canada, and see if any of the shops there have the part.
  
• A relatively new factor are tariffs being imposed by the current American government. Since the vast majority of parts for JDM vehicles need to come from somewhere other than the USA, you can expect parts will be more pricey than in the past. Then again, this will go for most auto parts.

If you’re reading this and still aren’t fazed by potential issues, keep reading.

Do Your Research Before Buying!

I hate to see the people who join my MDOC: Mitsubishi Delica Owners Club USA or Mitsubishi Pajero Owners Club – USA groups on Facebook when they come in and don’t even know where to find an air filter. We see the same questions over and over: Where do I source parts? Where can I get an oil filter? Where do I buy brake pads? How do I get insurance for it? Who will work on my rig? These are all questions you should ask before buying a JDM vehicle! If you’re not willing to put in the effort to research and cross-reference parts, buying a JDM vehicle may simply not be for you. And you know what? That’s OK.

It’s OK Not To Own a JDM Vehicle. (You Can Still Be Cool)

I would never look down upon someone who decides not to buy a JDM vehicle. I recently got a lovely email from a woman considering a Delica. She sent me a link to view her potential purchase. It certainly looked OK, but who knows?

Perhaps she was a master mechanic, maybe not. But I told her what I tell everyone: owning a JDM vehicle is not like owning a new vehicle, and for all the reasons I mentioned above.

She replied to my email and said she’d made the decision to opt for a Toyota Sienna instead. And you know what? I applaud that decision. I respect the hell of it, in fact! There’s nothing worse than spending a ton of money only to get in over your head on a project. So if all these points make you think a JDM vehicle isn’t for you, that’s cool. There’s inevitably the right car, truck, SUV, van, tractor, tuk tuk, or motorcycle, scooter, or other contraption that’ll take you on all the adventures you can handle.