Clutch friction material
The single most likely place to find asbestos in a vehicle of this age, and the first thing a broker will ask about.
Vehicle testing, Auckland, New Zealand
VEHICLE ASBESTOS TESTING.
Australia prohibits asbestos in any imported product, and there is no exemption for the age of a vehicle. We sample the friction components, have them analysed at an IANZ-accredited laboratory, and issue the certificate pack your customs broker needs before the vessel sails.
Analysis method
AS 4964 polarised light microscopy
Why a car gets stopped at the border.
This is the rule that catches more first-time exporters than any other, and the one that leaves a car sitting on a wharf while the storage bill runs.
Australia bans the importation of asbestos in any form under the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956. Unlike most import rules there is no exemption for age, for classic status, or for a personal import. A 25-year-old car being shipped by its owner is treated exactly the same as a dealer consignment.
Asbestos was routine in clutch friction material, brake linings, gaskets and heat shields in Japanese and European vehicles well into the 1990s, and turns up later than that in replacement parts fitted over a car’s life. The age of the vehicle tells you very little about what is actually bolted to it.
Australian Border Force accepts two routes. Either the suspect components are tested and shown to be asbestos-free, or they are replaced with verified asbestos-free parts and the replacement is supported by statutory declarations. Testing before the car leaves New Zealand is the cheaper of the two, and the only one that can be finished on your own timeline.
A vehicle that arrives without evidence is held. Storage and demurrage accrue daily, the importer carries the cost, and the options at that point are removal under supervision or re-export, both of which cost more than the test would have.
What we sample.
Three samples cover the components asbestos is most commonly found in. Anything beyond that is quoted before we take it, never after.
Front brake friction material
Pads or shoes, sampled from the vehicle as fitted rather than from a parts invoice that may not describe what is actually on the car.
Rear brake friction material
Frequently a different make and age from the front, and frequently the sample that comes back differently.
Commonly added beyond the three
Exhaust manifold and head gasket material, heat shields and engine-bay insulation, handbrake linings, and body seam sealer or underbody deadener. We flag what a particular vehicle needs when we quote and confirm on site before taking anything beyond the plan.
From $750 + GST per vehicle.
That covers the callout, the sampling, the laboratory analysis and the certificate pack. Dealers, exporters, shipping agents and freight forwarders are on separate commercial rates. Get in touch and we will quote your volume.
Vehicle asbestos test
Callout, sampling, laboratory analysis and the full certificate pack. Covers up to 3 samples, which is what most vehicles need
Price
$750
Each additional sample
Only where a vehicle needs more than three, identified and agreed at the time of sampling
Price
$75
Re-test after component replacement
Same vehicle, following a positive result. Never charged at the full rate again
Price
$425
Single-component test
A part removed and sent to us, with no vehicle attendance
Price
$245
Replacement-route documentation pack
Statutory declaration prepared for signing, plus supplier evidence compiled, for vehicles taking the replacement route instead of testing
Price
$245
Callout, Auckland metro
We come to you; one visit covers every vehicle you have ready at that site
Price
Included
Beyond 30 km from the CBD
Per kilometre, each way
Price
$1.20
Commercial and volume rates
Dealers, exporters, shipping agents and freight forwarders. Flat per-vehicle pricing, monthly invoicing
Price
Get in touch
All prices exclude GST. Standard turnaround is 2–3 business days from when samples reach the laboratory. Need a test done urgently? Call us and we will tell you what turnaround is genuinely possible for your vehicle and confirm the cost before we start.
How it works.
Four steps, and you know the cost at the first one.
Book
Send the vehicle details (year, make, model, chassis or VIN) and where the vehicle is. We confirm the price, the sample plan and the attendance slot in writing.
Sample
We attend your yard, or you bring the vehicle to us. Components are identified, sampled and photographed, and the sampling record is raised on site.
Analyse
Samples are analysed at an IANZ-accredited laboratory by polarised light microscopy with dispersion staining to AS 4964.
Certify
You receive one PDF pack per vehicle, ready to hand to your broker. If asbestos is detected we set out the replacement and re-test path, and what it will cost, before you commit to anything.
What you receive.
One pack per vehicle, in the form a customs broker expects it.
Exposure Testing NZ carries out the sampling and prepares the documentation. All samples are analysed at an IANZ-accredited laboratory. The accreditation is held by the laboratory, not by us, and you should treat any sampling company that claims otherwise with suspicion.
IANZ is New Zealand’s national accreditation body, and its accreditation is recognised internationally through the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement. That recognition is what allows a New Zealand laboratory report to be used for an Australian import.
- A laboratory test report for every sample, issued by the IANZ-accredited laboratory
- A sampling record: component, location, photograph, date and sampler for each sample taken
- An asbestos-free declaration for the vehicle, referencing the report numbers and the chassis or VIN
- All of it as a single PDF per vehicle, with certified hard copies on request
Book a test.
Pick a time that suits. We confirm by email with the fixed price before anyone visits.
Questions, answered
Do I need an asbestos test to import a car into Australia?
You need evidence. Australia prohibits asbestos in any imported product and there is no exemption for the age of the vehicle, so a 25-year-old car being shipped by its owner is treated the same as a dealer consignment. That evidence is either a laboratory test showing the friction components are asbestos-free, or proof that they were replaced with verified asbestos-free parts.
How much does it cost?
From $750 + GST per vehicle for a private importer, and that covers the callout, sampling, laboratory analysis and the certificate pack for up to three samples, which is what most vehicles need. Market quotes for the same certification in Australia commonly run several times that. Dealers, exporters and freight forwarders are on separate commercial rates, so get in touch and we will quote your volume.
How long does it take?
Standard turnaround is 2–3 business days from when the samples reach the laboratory, not from when you book, which is the number some quotes quietly rely on. If you are against a sailing date, call us and we will tell you what is genuinely possible for your vehicle before you commit.
What happens if asbestos is detected?
We tell you which component it was in and what the options are. Usually that means replacing that component with a verified asbestos-free part and re-testing, and a re-test is never charged at the full rate again. We set out the path and the cost before you commit to any of it.
Is a New Zealand test accepted by Australian Border Force?
Samples are analysed at an IANZ-accredited laboratory. IANZ is New Zealand’s national accreditation body and its accreditation is recognised internationally through the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement, which is what allows a New Zealand laboratory report to be relied on for an Australian import. If your broker has a specific requirement, tell us at booking and we will confirm the arrangement before any sampling is done.
Can you test a whole consignment at once?
Yes. Mobile sampling inside the Auckland metro area is included, and one visit covers every vehicle you have ready at that site. Tell us how many vehicles and where they are, and we will confirm the attendance and the price in writing before we come out.