I do get totally fed up with these scare stories on imports. The Mazda dealers in general are very helpful and will get parts and service the cars. I live in the midlands and all the dealers locally will service and repair the cars. My car is a 1990 roadster which has done about 45,000 miles and the garage who recently MOT'd the car said they thought it was just three years old until I gave them the full details ( the car has a private number plate). The car is totally imaculate and many of the parts are identical to the UK spec cars. Those which aren't are not hard to source.

My car has lowered suspension and is fitted with Koni sport shocks/springs all round and it handles perfectly, it's only a problem with low kerbs and sleeping policemen! It also came with an expensive stainless exhaust system and just about every conceivable extra .

I have just insured the car for which I have no no claims as I own two other cars, this was 350 with Norwich Union fully comp with RAC cover thrown in. It is equally possible to get an accident damage car that was UK supplied. If this is something that concerns you as you don't feel qualified to check for yourself you should invest in an RAC/AA inspection to allay your fears. Japanese car are graded at the auctions and a severely damaged car would be noted on the sale particulars. Japanese cars are subject to a highly stringent test akin to our MOT but more in depth, hence they are often in very good mechancial order.

Most of these type of stories emanate from owners of UK supplied cars that are very consious of the better value for money that the imported cars offer. (11/99)

The Mazda dealers in general are very helpful and will get parts and service the cars. I live in the midlands and all the dealers locally will service and repair the cars.

That's not the opinion generally circulating although since I don't have an import I can't challenge the statement.

Japanese car are graded at the auctions and a severely damaged car would be noted on the sale particulars.

The colleague at work who appears to have bought a poor example, purchased it from a private individual in this country and thus didn't have the advantage of any grading etc. He was too mean to get an AA inspection more fool him... There seems to be a lot of "back street" garages around the Gloucester/Bristol area importing cars, but I suspect the subsequent attention may be lacking.

Japanese cars are subject to a highly stringent test akin to our MOT but more in depth, hence they are often in very good mechancial order.

I understood that was why some (not all) cars are sent over here, to avoid the high cost of getting a dud car through a Japanese inspection (at three years I seem to recall). (11/99)