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Japanese cars are something we know well: Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan and Honda, sold new in the UK or imported from Japan. This page links to each make and explains what is different about an import.
FIELD REPORT · 12
JAPANESE CARS
TOYOTA · LEXUS · MAZDA · MITSUBISHI · SUBARU · NISSAN · HONDA
JDM IMPORTS · CVT · TIMING · FLUIDS · PARTS SOURCING
Dossier · 12
Field report — read through
We know Japanese cars well, and we work on them at our workshop in Bletchley, Milton Keynes: everyday Toyotas, Mazdas and Hondas, performance Subarus, Nissans and Mitsubishis, and imported cars that were only ever sold in Japan. We service, diagnose and repair all of them, to the manufacturer schedule, with fluids matched to the car.
Each make has its own page:
An imported car is usually the same engineering as its UK cousin, with three practical differences.
History. The service record is often missing or in Japanese. If it is missing, we treat the car as due everything and work from a baseline: oil and filters, coolant, brake fluid, gearbox fluid and, on belt-driven engines, the cambelt.
Fluids and filters. Japanese-market models do not always match a UK model name, so we identify fluids and filters by part number and engine code rather than by what the car looks like.
Parts. Most service parts are easy to get. Some model-specific parts have to be sourced from import specialists, and we tell you before we start if something needs ordering. More on our import specialist page.
Nissan, Subaru (Lineartronic), Toyota and Honda all use CVTs on many models, and each needs its own fluid. Conventional Aisin automatics are common too. Our dynamic fluid exchange machine is in use in the workshop now, and a gearbox service is from £399, priced to your car. Read our CVT fluid guide or see the transmissions page.
Turbocharged Subarus, Nissans, Mitsubishis and Toyotas are often modified. We service and repair modified cars, and remaps and upgrades are covered on our performance and modified cars page, including what you need to tell your insurer.
Unit 7 Rootes Works, Tavistock Street, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2PF. Call 07746 922 273 or get a quote online.
House rule
We know these cars. We don’t guess
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Not extras, and not only on the big jobs. This is how every car is looked after at Rootes Motors, from an oil service to a gearbox.
You get a fixed price in writing before any work begins. If we find anything else, we send you photos and a link to approve or decline it — nothing extra is done without your yes.
12-month warranty on parts we supply (wear items and consumables excluded), and every job is road-tested and checked before handover.
A seat cover, steering-wheel cover and floor mat go into every car before we touch it, and we work in clean overalls — never in a customer's car in dirty clothes.
On a while-you-wait job you sit in a warm, dry waiting room with a coffee — not stood outside in the cold and rain.
Booking is paperless. Every job is recorded against your car, and we email you the documents confirming the work completed.
Every registered customer gets automatic service and MOT reminders by email, so a due date never slips past.
We arrange your MOT at the DVSA-approved test centre on our street, take the car there and back, and fix anything that fails.
FAQ
Yes. We service, diagnose and repair JDM imports. The main differences are a missing or Japanese-language service history, fluids and filters that need to be matched by part number rather than by UK model name, and parts that sometimes have to be sourced from specialists. We tell you up front if a part needs ordering.
Treat the car as due everything: oil and filters, coolant, brake fluid, gearbox fluid and, on belt-driven engines, the cambelt. We start with an inspection and a diagnostic scan, then give you a written list of what needs doing now and what can wait.
Yes. Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Honda all use CVTs, and each needs its own fluid. We service them with our in-house dynamic fluid exchange machine, from £399, priced to your car.
Only on the conventional parts of the car, such as servicing, brakes, aircon and 12-volt electrics. We do not work on high-voltage batteries or high-voltage systems.
Areas we serve
Our workshop is in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (MK2 2PF). Owners also come to us from Bedford, Luton, Northampton and Buckingham. Finding us
Bringing one in?
Get an instant estimate online, or speak to us directly on 07746 922 273.