What it is
In Korean: 중고자동차 성능·상태점검기록부 (used vehicle performance and condition inspection record), commonly shortened to 성능점검기록부. By Korean law, every used car sold by a licensed dealer must come with one. Private sales are exempt — which is one of the reasons most export buyers prefer dealer-sourced cars.
The certificate is performed by a state-authorized inspection body and is valid for 30 days from the date of inspection. If you receive a certificate that's older, ask for a fresh one. (source)
The most important sections
1. Vehicle and inspector information (top of document)
Verify the VIN, license plate, model year, and engine displacement match the listing you're buying. The inspector's name, license number, and inspection station should also be filled in — a missing inspector signature is a red flag.
2. Odometer reading
Listed in kilometers. Compare it against the car's registration year. As a rough sanity check, Korean cars typically accumulate 10,000–15,000 km per year — so a 5-year-old car with 30,000 km is either genuinely a low-mileage city car or has had its odometer rolled back. Both are possible; both deserve scrutiny.
3. Accident / damage history (사고이력)
This is the most-read section, and the most important. The inspector marks each body panel and structural part with a code indicating its condition. The standard codes:
| Code | Meaning | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| X | Replaced (교환) | Panel or part was swapped — typical after collision damage. |
| W | Welded (용접) | Structural repair was performed. Concerning if found on chassis members. |
| C | Corrosion (부식) | Rust present. Common on older cars; check depth and location. |
| U | Uneven gap (틈새 불량) | Panel alignment is off — often a sign of past collision repair. |
| A | Scratched/dented (긁힘/찍힘) | Cosmetic damage only. |
| T | Damaged (손상) | General damage flag, often used in combination with other codes. |
A few X marks on bolt-on panels (doors, fenders, bumper) are generally fine — even a careful owner can have a parking incident. The marks you want to avoid are W codes on the main structure: front side members (프론트 사이드 멤버), rear floor (리어 플로어), roof rails (루프 레일), and the inner panels. Welding here means the car was in a real accident, not a parking dent.
4. Flood damage (침수 흔적)
A single line, but a critical one. The certificate states whether the vehicle shows evidence of flood submersion. A car marked 침수차 아님 ("not a flood vehicle") is safe. Flood-damaged cars can have hidden electrical, brake, and corrosion problems for years after the event — do not buy one regardless of price.
5. Mechanical condition
The inspector goes through major mechanical systems and marks each as either 양호 (good) or 불량 (faulty). Typical items checked:
- Engine — oil leaks, knocking, smoke
- Transmission — slipping, hard shifts
- Brakes — pad and disc condition
- Steering and suspension — play, leaks
- Electrical systems — battery, alternator, charging
A handful of small 불량 marks on wear items (e.g., tires, wipers) is normal. Multiple faults across major systems is not.
6. Tire tread depth
Each tire's remaining tread is recorded in millimeters. New tires are around 8 mm; anything below 3 mm should be replaced soon. Not a deal-breaker, but useful when negotiating.
Common red flags
- Inspection date older than 30 days. Either get a fresh certificate or treat the data as stale.
- W marks on main structural panels. Real frame repair. Walk away unless the price reflects it.
- Unusually low mileage for the car's age combined with any "exchanged" marks on the dashboard or odometer-area panels — possible odometer rollback.
- Missing inspector signature or license number. The certificate may be self-printed or doctored.
- Any flood-damage indication. Even a small marker.
Things the certificate does NOT cover
Be aware: a clean Performance Inspection Certificate is necessary but not sufficient. It doesn't capture:
- Long-term reliability issues like CVT failure or DCT clutch wear
- Manufacturer recalls that may or may not have been addressed
- How the car was actually driven (highway vs. stop-start city)
- Cosmetic interior wear and smells
- Aftermarket modifications
This is where a trusted exporter adds value — by physically inspecting the car, taking additional photos and videos, and verifying claims that don't fit on the certificate.
How we use these
For every car we list, we cross-check the Performance Inspection Certificate against our own visual inspection. We exclude cars with W marks on structural panels, any flood indication, or anomalous mileage. That's a big reason our inventory is smaller than the megasites — and why fewer cars sit on our listings unsold.
If you'd like to see the original certificate for any car on our site, just ask — we'll send it and walk you through it line by line.