Importing a Jeep and quarantine inspection

[Chris29]

We imported our own Jeep CJ7 from '83 from Europe. We own it since 1997. Department of Agriculculture inspector found some grease on gear box and some soil? and some other dust and what else, metallic scratch? in cabin. Brought it to an AQIS quarantine depot / washbay. The AQIS washbay company wants to high pressure cleaning the body which is ok, but they want to high pressure clean also inside the dashboard, the meters, the new leather seats may not be protected whilst cleaning. To us this means the new leather seats will be destroyed, as the new leather steering wheel as the radio and the meters and all other electronic equipment.

Anyone experienced in this matter and do we have to accept that they strip the car and break the dashboard and use water to clean inside?

Many thanks for sharing your experience with us, it is the first time we import a car of this age.

Chris

[Classic Boy]

I have had it done on a imported 1966 hardtop plymouth a few years ago it is a total crock of shite they charged about $280 to pressure wash the underside of the body because they found a spider web in a wheel well during aqis inspection, when I picked the car up after the so called wash and I naturally had to pay for it in advance the spider web was still present and there was no evidence of them doing any cleaning in my opinion it boarded on corruption because they would not release the car unit it was 'washed' .
They hold all the cards and you must play their game to get your toy, but I would not let them wash the inside of the vehicle but they will likely hold it in quarantine.
There maybe an appeals process but I bet it will be expensive to access.

[OzRick25]

Are you importing through a freight forwarder or direct with you own common carrier?

If the later the burden is on you and they will be making it difficult because you've tried to cut out the middle men so you might need to apply some "figuritive grease"...

[Chris29]

We worked with an approved transport company from France, and with an approved Custom Broker who organised arrival, transport, unpacking container, inspection etc. The car is dismantled, everything passed (chassis, rims, tyres, parts, engine transmission) only not the body and the gearbox.
We are ok with cleaning and re-inspection, but not the way the ASIQ approved cleaning business wants to clean.
Why may the new leather seats and the steering wheel not be protected from water when doing a high pressure cleaning? Why they say they have to clean inside the dashboard, the instruments and radio with high pressure water?

These parts are original and irreplacable, hard to find. Why damaging with water instruments that are in good working order and in perfect shape?
They say they have to clean the car as they clean the earthmoving equipment...
And that they, the ASIQ approved quarantine cleaning business and the inspection do not care if it is all damaged and destroyed.

We will call Dept of Agriculture Monday and discuss options.

Is there someone that did inspection with an imported car which contained "soil" in the body (ours hasn't been on the road since 2008 and has been kept in a garage) and that can advice about cleaning options at these ASIQ depots?

We look forward to receiving some more info.

Cheers

[OKA4wd]

pretty excessive over a bit of dust, we export over a million tons of dirt daily (coal, iron ore, etc) see if they can blow it out with air

[Wooders]

Had all sorts if dramas with these clowns when i imported my mog diffs.
Went through inspection/wash cycle 3 times. Despite they'd been cleaned before export from US.
From memory added about $600 to the cost, and they damed a few minor parts in the process.
Not sure what recourse ootion you really have.

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[Mace1]

Was reading elsewhere that these guys have had good results with getting US based vehicles thru border force here. Apparently do all their cleaning and asbestos removal and then issue certificates in the US. They are apparently looking at GB and Europe as well.

https://www.dazmac.com.au/American-car-imports.html

https://www.dazmac.com.au/dazmac-dev...-asbestos-ban/