A3

A3 means a deep or long scratch that needs paint.

kizu

scratch

A3 is the worst of the scratch marks: long, deep, or through to primer or metal. The inspector is telling you the panel needs refinishing.

Where an A3 has reached bare metal on a car this age, assume rust has started underneath even if the sheet does not carry an S mark next to it. Japan salts its northern roads and cars sit outside.

An A3 down two panels usually came from a wall, a post or another car. Read the rest of the diagram on that side before you accept it as cosmetic.

What it should do to your bid

Price the paint and subtract it. If an A3 sits next to an S or a W, treat that corner of the car as one repair, not two.

Night Line

Reading a sheet with A3 on it?

The free Decode is not open yet. Leave an address and we will write once when it is, so you can put your own sheet through it rather than reading ours.

One address, no list swapping, and you can reply to any of our email to be removed.