Short answer: A foreign car junkyard is a salvage yard that focuses on imports, or says so in its name. Our directory has 52 published listings like that, and 31 are in Western states. Read each yard's site before you trust the name, because several also sell domestic parts and one "foreign" yard sells only Volkswagen and Audi parts. For common Japanese cars, a general yard is often fine, so try both.
Last checked: November 1, 2026. Counts and ratings come from our directory. What each yard stocks comes from its own website. Engine rules come from bar.ca.gov and epa.gov.
Where are the import specialist yards?
We went through our 3,629 published listings for names with foreign, import, Japanese, JDM, European or a make such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan or Jaguar. We left out 34 parts counters at new vehicle dealers, since those sell new parts. That left 52.
| Region | Listings | States |
|---|---|---|
| West | 31 | California 17, Colorado 7, Arizona 5, Idaho 1, Oregon 1 |
| South | 15 | Florida 5, Alabama 3, Arkansas 2, Texas 2, Kentucky 1, Maryland 1, Virginia 1 |
| Midwest | 4 | Indiana 2, Missouri 2 |
| Northeast | 2 | Connecticut 1, Pennsylvania 1 |
By type, 32 names say foreign or import, 6 say Japanese or JDM, 2 say European, and 12 name a make. Six of the California listings are in Rancho Cordova. This only reflects names. Yards with plain names carry imports too, so use our junkyard search as well.
Does a foreign car name mean imports only?
Often not. Here is what some of these yards say on their own sites.
| Yard | What its site says | Warranty stated |
|---|---|---|
| Tom's Foreign Auto Parts, Waterbury, CT | Lists 22 makes, Acura through Volvo | 6-month money-back guarantee unless stated otherwise, labor not covered |
| Jim's Import Auto Salvage, Sebring, FL | Family owned since 1965. Calls itself the largest used foreign parts dealer in the country, which we can't verify | Not on the pages we read |
| Foreign Auto Salvage, Fort Wright, KY | New and used parts for foreign vehicles 3 to 15 years old | 90 days on engines and transmissions, parts replacement only |
| All Import Auto Parts, Fort Worth, TX | Foreign and domestic | 90-day standard warranty |
| Euro Parts, Clarksville, MD | Foreign and domestic, specializing in BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Saab, Jaguar, Audi, VW, Volvo, Range Rover and Mini | 101 days on mechanical parts |
| Fast Foreign Auto Salvage, Duarte, CA | Water-cooled Volkswagen parts plus Audi, and no air-cooled parts | Not on the page we read |
| Jaguar Heaven, Stockton, CA | Dismantles Jaguars only and ships worldwide | Not on the page we read |
Two more examples: All Japanese Auto Wrecking in Los Angeles now calls itself All Japanese & American Auto Dismantlers on its site. Modern Imports in St. Louis says it carries imports and American cars. Foreign Auto Salvage's age limit is another reason to call with your exact car: a 25-year-old import may be a poor fit there even though the name sounds right.
Which import makes are easy or hard to find used?
We can't give you a ranked list, because our directory counts yards, not the cars on their lots. What we can say is narrower. A make with a lot of cars on the road has more donors in general yards, so a common Toyota or Honda part is worth looking for close to home first. We have make-specific posts for Toyota, Honda and Nissan, and a Toyota junkyard page too.
Single-make yards exist for Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz in our listings, and several ship. Older cars can be a problem even at a specialist, as Fast Foreign's "no air-cooled" line shows. For a classic VW you would need someone like Interstate Used Parts in Twentynine Palms, California, which says it is open by appointment only and handles mail orders.
What should you check with a JDM engine importer?
A JDM importer sells used engines pulled from cars in Japan. That is a different business from a US salvage yard, where the engine usually comes from a car that was driven here. Our list has two with JDM in the name: JDM Orlando (4.8 from 1,559 Google reviews) and JDM Arizona (3.2 from 131). Neither site would load for our tools, so we can't report their terms. Ask each one.
A video from the Myton channel titled JDM Engines: Under 50,000 Mile Myth, published February 2017.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mileage claim | A loose engine has no odometer, so treat any low figure as a claim you can't confirm |
| Compression numbers | Ask for them, or for permission to test before you pay |
| Written warranty | Length, whether it covers labor, and what voids it |
| Engine code and emissions parts | A Japan-market version can differ from the US one. Compare the codes, sensors and wiring |
Check the law before you buy. An EPA fact sheet on engine switching, dated March 13, 1991, says used foreign-built engines are often not covered by a certified configuration for any vehicle sold here, and that in such a case there is no way to install one legally. It is an old document, so check for current guidance. In California, the Bureau of Automotive Repair's engine change page treats a used engine of the same make, cylinder count and engine family, with the original emission controls reinstalled, as a replacement. So is one matching a configuration the manufacturer offered for that car. Anything else counts as an engine change, which has its own rules. If your state tests emissions, ask the inspection program first.
