In February 2025, the average contract price at USS Auto Auction reached ¥1.26 million, marking a 6.3% increase year-on-year and setting a new all-time high.
This surge is attributed to increased purchasing demand towards the fiscal year-end and the impact of used car exports. However, as a result, the average contract price tends to decline in March and April.
USS Auto Auction is one of Japan's largest used car auction operators, with multiple venues nationwide where a large number of used cars are traded. Consequently, the average contract price at USS auctions is considered a key indicator of price trends in Japan’s used car market. However, it does not necessarily reflect the entire market comprehensively.
| Contracted Vehicle Unit Price (in thousand yen) | |||
| Actual | Previous Year’s Actual | Year-on-Year Comparison | |
| February 2020 | 738 | 679 | 108.70% |
| March 2020 | 615 | 618 | 99.60% |
| April 2020 | 565 | 616 | 91.70% |
| February 2021 | 838 | 738 | 113.50% |
| March 2021 | 744 | 615 | 120.80% |
| April 2021 | 785 | 565 | 139.00% |
| February 2022 | 1,006 | 838 | 120.10% |
| March 2022 | 911 | 744 | 122.60% |
| April 2022 | 929 | 785 | 118.40% |
| February 2023 | 1,002 | 1,006 | 99.60% |
| March 2023 | 898 | 911 | 98.50% |
| April 2023 | 883 | 929 | 95.00% |
| February 2024 | 1,185 | 1,002 | 118.20% |
| March 2024 | 1,100 | 898 | 122.40% |
| April 2024 | 1,122 | 883 | 127.10% |
| February 2025 | 1,260 | 1,185 | 106.30% |
| March 2025 | Highly likely to decrease. | 1,100 | |
| April 2025 | Highly likely to decrease. | 1,122 | |
What is the "Average Contract Price"?
The average contract price refers to the average price at which vehicles are successfully sold (contracted) at auction. This term is often used interchangeably with "average winning bid price," but in this context, we use "average contract price" to emphasize the final transaction price between sellers and buyers.
Since USS Auto Auction is primarily a business-to-business (B2B) platform, its average contract price represents the wholesale price of used cars rather than the retail price seen in consumer markets. It serves as an important benchmark for industry professionals, helping to gauge market trends and pricing fluctuations.
There are 123 used-car auction venues in Japan, and the auctions are divided into two types: independent auctions and manufacturer auctions. The largest independent auction is USS Auto Auction, while in the manufacturer auctions, the TAA Auction operated by the Toyota Group is the prominent one.
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